Oil sands, also known as tar sands, are a mixture of sand, clay, water, and bitumen. Bitumen is a heavy, viscous oil.
Location and Reserves:
Primarily found in Canada (Alberta), Venezuela, and parts of the Middle East.
Alberta’s oil sands are among the world’s largest petroleum reserves.
Extraction Process:
1. Surface Mining: Used when oil sands are close to the surface. It involves removing large amounts of earth and processing the extracted material.
2. In-Situ Techniques: Applied for deeper reserves. Methods like Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) inject steam to liquefy bitumen, which is then pumped out.
Environmental Concerns:
Oil sands extraction is energy-intensive and has a significant environmental impact.
Concerns include greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and habitat destruction.
Efforts are underway to mitigate these impacts through technology and regulation.
Economic Significance:
A major source of oil, especially for Canada.
Balancing economic benefits with environmental protection is a key challenge.
Oil sands are crucial in the global energy landscape but pose significant environmental challenges that require careful management.
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