These deposits are estimated to hold almost 2 trillion barrels of oil, but less than 10% about 165 billion barrels can economically be recovered with current technology. Multicyclic h ubert curve theory and canada s future oil o t ok. Carbon capture and storage natural resources canada. Some bitumen is found within 70 metres 200 ft from the surface but the majority is deeper underground. The oil sands deposits in canada are a major source of bitumen, but, unlike conventional oil, bitumen is too viscous to pump to the surface and has a much higher carbontohydrogen ratio.
Foremost, albertas boreal forest which is a mixture of wetlands and forests was significantly affected by fragmentation, the removal of forests through either surface or strip mining or in situ extraction of bitumen. New technology and innovation are critical to developing the oil sands and improving environmental performance. Straub, shell canadas senior vice president for oil sands, says. The technology for extraction of oil involves largescale, energyintensive processing of the deposits, typically by the injection of steam, separation of the oil, and processing of waste. Over the past two decades, changes in technology and the rising cost of oil have left it with so much recoverable oil in the sands, rocks and clay of the province of alberta that it is now believed to hold the third largest reserves on earth after saudi arabia and venezuela. Oil sands research and information network, university of alberta, school of energy and the environment, edmonton, alberta. Canada has the third largest oil reserves in the world and 97% of these reserves are in the oil sands. Emerging technologies to reduce the environmental impacts of oil sands development. Canada s oil sands production varies according to each scenario. Oil sands are deposits of crude bitumen, a thick and heavy oil, which is popularly used to fuel our homes and cars.
Ownership of the company transferred to the sun oil company later to become suncor and production from the worlds first integrated oil sands mine and upgrading plant began in 1967. The athabasca oil sands, in addition to oil sands in peace river and cold lake, collectively span a quarter of the province of alberta. Dec 15, 2018 canada has the secondlargest oil reserve in the world making their oil supply unlimited. The oil sands have always been highly dependent on technology. Oil sands canadian association of petroleum producers. Surface mining is only feasible for recovering up to 20% of the oil sands deposits. Mar 01, 2018 the objective of this model is to provide a databased method to evaluate integrated oil sands development with sagd technology in canada.
Section 1 highlights the environmental including climate, political, reputational, and. Past and future land use impacts of canadian oil sands. Of canada s 168 billion barrels of oil, 162 billion barrels are located in the oil sands. The athabasca oil sands lie along the athabasca river and are the largest natural bitumen deposit in the world, containing about 80% of the alberta total, and the only one suitable for surface mining, according to a 2009 canadian association of petroleum producers publication. Oil sands research and information network, university of alberta, school of energy and the.
Reactor htgr technology with processes for the recovery and upgrading of bitumen from the alberta, canada oil sands. Oil sands account for about 46% of canada s total oil production, and oil sand production is increasing as conventional oil production declines. A realistic and integrated model for evaluating oil sands. A presentation of the main technology classes and subclasses, including an assessment in an oil sands context framework for evaluating co 2 conversion technologies in the oil sands and key lessons learned energy type and intensity considering albertas high grid emission factor 0. Jacques elluls theory of technology presents ostensibly physical. The alberta tar sands, and the proposed pipelines which would carry their. Approvals from numerous regulatory agencies are required at every phase, from construction and operations to shutdown and reclamation. A key question is whether proven and emerging technologies have the capability to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of the oil sands. The athabasca oil sands of the mcmurray formation in northeastern alberta cover an area of about 21,000 sq.
Perspective of the canadian and albertan governments, nongovernmental. Over the past two decades, changes in technology and the rising cost of oil have left it with so much recoverable oil in the sands, rocks and clay of the province of alberta that it is now believed to hold the third largest reserves on earth. Canada s oil sands and local first nations a snapshot 1 summary canada s oil sands, located in northern alberta, are the thirdlargest proven oil reserves in the world. The supreme court of canada has granted intervenor status to duncans first nation dfn and horse lake first nation hlfn, in a case that may have major legal implications for the development of oil sands, pipelines, oil sands. Oil sands tailings ponds are engineered dam and dyke systems used to capture oil sand tailings. Collectively these deposits underlie approximately. Is the improved efficiency, pipeline outlook, and technology bolstering the worlds largest petroleum resource enough to make it competitive. An estimated one trillion barrels of oil in the athabasca deposit are potentially recoverable with the present technology. Opportunities in the oil sands ccs has the potential to play a significant role in canada s oil sands. With these goals in mind, the paper is separated into five sections.
The pembina institute 7 ccs potential in the oil sands figure a. Oil sand tailings contain a mixture of salts, suspended solids and other dissolvable chemical compounds such as acids, benzene, hydrocarbons residual bitumen, fine silts and water. Canadian oil sands company received approval to begin work on the first modern oil sands project involving openpit mining and an upgrader. The good news is that technologies now exist that can transform energy and transportation. The development of canadas oil sands resource depends on a substantial energy input for extraction and upgrading. A variety of oil recovery methods are currently used for oil sands production, and new methods are put in place as new technology is developed about 20% of canada s oil sands deposits are within 70 metres 200 feet of the surface and can be recovered with surface mining, but most oil sands reservoirs are deeper and require drilling and production methods called in situ, which. Over 96% of canada s total oil reserves are contained in the oil sands. Co2 conversion technologies for oil sands activities. At current production rates, resources from albertas oil sands could supply canada s energy needs for more than 500 years, or the total world needs for up to 15 years. Surface mining is only feasible for recovering up to 20% of the oil sands. Oil sands are either loose sands or partially consolidated sandstone containing a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay, and water, soaked with a dense and extremely viscous form of petroleum technically referred to as bitumen. The climate implications of canadas oil sands development. Oil sands operators must adhere to stringent regulations. Oil sands brochure fact sheet ressources naturelles canada.
It could help companies meet economic goals while significantly improving environmental performance. Gennain alberta oil sands technology and research authority. Investment the majority 81% of world oil reserves are owned or. The value of the canadian oil sands to the united states. Karr environment canada 89 environmental protection in alberta r. Applications of nuclear energy to oil sands and hydrogen production. It supplies oil to the us and provides economic gain to canada. In fact, canada s richness in oil and gas resources can be measured based on its global presence. Since 2004, when a s ubstantial portion of canada s oil sands were deemed economic, canada has been ranked second behind saudi arabia in oil reserves. Canada s oil sands help supply americas energy needs while also. Aer 2020 and capp technology new technology and innovation are critical to developing the oil sands and improving environmental performance.
Canada s oil sands resources are estimated to contain about 178 billion barrels 28. In the high case scenario, figures are estimated to continuously increase from 2. In 1994, at a pivotal time in the history of canada s oil sands, it was recognized that technology development was a key to the sustainability and growth of oil sands production and could lead. Sagd is the most popular enhanced oil recovery technology currently being adopted by canadian heavy oil producers. Athabasca oil sands significantly affected canada s environment in a number of ways.
Pdf the economics of canadian oil sands researchgate. Peace river, cold lake and athabasca figure 1, table 1. The sediments appear to have originated from the canadian shield to the east and were. Oil sands, tar sands, crude bitumen, or more technically bituminous sands, are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. Oil sands tailings roadmap project report component 1 results we are pleased to provide the attached report oil sands tailings technology. The oil sands comprise more than 98 percent of canadas 173 billion barrels of proven oil. Compared to the existing evaluation models, this model is developed based on actual data from 35 canadian oil sands developments, which well represents all oil sands developments with sagd technology in canada. Oil sands tailings roadmap project report component 1 results we are pleased to provide the attached report oil sands tailings technology deployment. The importance of canada s oil sands canada s oil sands are important to the u. Canadas recoverable oil resource is second only to saudi.
Sep 11, 2020 oil sands production in canada is forecasted to reach approximately 3. Canadian oil sands production forecast by scenario 2039. According to the canadian association of petroleum producers, oil sands now account for half of canada s total oil production. What are some of the environmental impacts of the oil sands development. In situ production is expected to continue growing faster than mining production and will account for 58% of all raw bitumen production by 2040.
Alberta oil sands industry quarterly update summer 2018 reporting period. The remaining 80% of oil sands deposits can only be developed with in situ technology. As natural resources canada notes, the oil deposits therein represent 97% of canada s 171 billion barrels of proven oil reserves. Headwinds and resilience starting a few years ago, canada s oil sands producers faced a growing set of challenges clouding their growth prospects. Senior director, oil sands tailings alberta innovates energy and environment solutions suite 2540 801 6th ave s.
Headwinds and resilience starting a few years ago, canada s oil sands producers faced a growing set. Large volumes of tailings are a byproduct of bitumen extraction from the oil sands and managing these tailings is one of. Oil sands are a mixture of sand, clay, water, and bitumen viscous heavy oil. Athabasca oil sands journal of petroleum technology onepetro. Oil sands industry quarterly update summer 2018 reporting period. Oil sands are a loose sand deposit which contain a very viscous form of petroleum known as bitumen. Future of canadian oil sands engineering and project.
Furthermore, technology has overcome distance and cost issues, leading to the concept of smallerscale operations with remote mining and extraction, and in situ. Most oil sands operations are performed by mining today, but approximately 80% of the deposits in canada are too deep for surface mining and can only be recovered. Canada s oil sands sector is a hightech, knowledgebased industry. Innovative technological development will be necessary to address the challenges. Canada s environment including boreal forests, water, air quality, and wildlife. Surface mining technology and insitu technology have different environmental impacts jordaan, keith, and. Cracking the code of more efficient production has enabled the oil sands to become one of the most important sources of global supply growth, while also strengthening north american energy security. However, the development and launching of jips was severely affected by budget cuts imposed as a result of low oil prices and the industry downturn. Canada, the oil sands provide a secure and reliable source of energy, for. Oil is being produced on a large commercial scale by canada from tar sands, and to a. Pdf the oil sands research and information network commissioned bgc. Albert sand oils generate huge profits for the country. The expert panel on the potential for new and emerging.
The supreme court of canada has granted intervenor status to duncans first nation dfn and horse lake first nation hlfn, in a case that may have major legal implications for the development of oil sands, pipelines, oil sands infrastructure projects and other major projects. The energy would be supplied from an htgr central energy facility that would supply steam, electricity, and high temperature gas to multiple oil sands production facilities using the steam. The bitumen is then pumped to the surface for further processing. Is it more or less expensive to extract oil from oil sands than conventional methods. How has the global economic crisis affected the price of oil. How has the economic crisis affected the oil sands development in canada. Since its official startup in the 1990s, the oil sands have significantly impacted canada s economy and environment. These meetings with senior oil sands producers provided close interactions between technology solution providers and oil sands companies for the purpose of aligning users and providers of technology. Associates,3 if oil sands development is maximized, canada could potentially account for as much as 37 percent of u. According to the canadian association of petroleum producers, oil sands now account for half of canada s total oil. Oil sands emission projections for various levels of ccs technology adoption penetration.
About canadas oil sands calgary economic development. Oil sands is the number one source of foreign revenue for canada. Canada s recoverable oil resource is second only to saudi arabias. Integration of high temperature gascooled reactor technology. The oil sands industry faces challenges in finding ways. Of canadas 168 billion barrels of oil, 162 billion barrels are located in the oil sands. This paper explores a third dimension that increases the urgency of managing the oil sands. Comparing venezuelan and canadian heavy oil and tar sands. These developments in canada should increase heavy oil and oil sands production by at least 800,000 bbld of. Past, present, and future technical innovation is at the heart of the canadian oil sands story. Along with opportunities to use captured co 2 for enhanced oil recovery, the oil sands are located in proximity to canada s western canadian. Sustainable solutions in the oil sands institute for.
Facts about albertas oil sands and its industry open government. Bitumen bitumen is oil that is too heavy or thick to flow or be pumped without being diluted or heated. Oil sands drilling and completions needs identification. In 2012, in situ production surpassed mining production and is now the largest source of crude oil in canada.
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