How much does it cost to extract oil from oil sands?
In 2014, the cost to produce oil sands crude was more than $60 per barrel (expressed in WTI terms), but improvements and efficiencies have brought costs down to $46 to $53 per barrel, according to one estimate, and the mid $40s, by another.
What happens to tar sands oil?
Tar sands extraction emits up to three times more global warming pollution than does producing the same quantity of conventional crude. It also depletes and pollutes freshwater resources and creates giant ponds of toxic waste. Refining the sticky black substance produces piles of petroleum coke, a hazardous by-product.
Is oil sands crude oil?
Oil Sands Crude The term oil sands refers to a particular type of nonconventional oil deposit that is found throughout the world. Oil sands, sometimes referred to as tar sands, is a mixture of sand, clay, other minerals, water, and bitumen. The bitumen is a form of crude oil that can be separated out from the mixture.
Is beach tar bad for your skin?
Although rare, tar can burn your skin and damage the skin underneath it. Seeing a doctor can ensure proper treatment of burns or other skin damage due to tar, minimize your pain and discomfort, and help your skin heal optimally. Seek immediate medical attention if: the tar is hot even after running cool water over it.
How do oil sands affect humans?
These emissions contribute to global warming and the enhanced greenhouse effect. Air Quality Impacts: Along with greenhouse gases, other pollutants are released into the air during oil sands operations. These pollutants are harmful to the environment and human health, and include gases such as NOx and SOx.
How are they getting oil out of the oil sands?
The company uses a patented closed-loop technology that treats the sands with a solvent that helps remove the oil. The oil and solvent are separated, with the latter recycled for the next batch of production. According to CEO Gerald Bailey, the finished sand is 99.9 percent clean and can be put back on the ground.
How is oil extracted from Alberta oil sands?
The two most common ways of separate the oil from the sand in the Alberta Oil / Tar Sands is to boil it or put it under pressure while still in the ground. Oil that is buried too far down in the earth to extract from surface uses a process the industry calls SAGD.
How are oil sands different from tar sands?
Although oil sands are sometimes compared to Canadian tar sands, there are some significant differences. The oil sands are on the surface, rather than underground, so they don’t require mining and injection of water to force the oil to the surface.
How did the Russians get oil from the sand?
The Russians had developed a process to remove oil from sand as a way to remediate environmental problems like oil spills. MCW realized that a variation on the technology could also produce oil from the sands.