Tar sands are a low grade hydrocarbon deposit that requires enormous energy input to process and convert it into something resembling petroleum. First nations cancer linked to oil sands toxins in wild food. Questions about cancer in the oil sands have been swirling for months, since alberta doctor john oconnor raised concerns in washington, d. Aerial perspectives on the alberta tar sands the end of the line depth. Like the tar sands, and ontarios role in alberta oils future economic viability. 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 tar sands production center in northern alberta in canada is one of the clearest signs that the easy to get oil is on the wane. Crude from canadas oil sands is sold as the western canadian select wcs. Producing crude oil from the tar sands a heavy mixture of bitumen, water, sand and clay found beneath more than 54,000 square miles of prime forest in northern alberta an area the size of england and wales combined generates up to four times more carbon dioxide, the principal global warming gas, than conventional drilling. Tar sands impact on climate change skeptical science. The tar sands account for just five per cent of canadas total emissions1 but they wield a much greater weight in setting canadas climate policy. It supplies half of the oil that flows into the us from canada.
Canadas tar sands are located in the northern half of the province of alberta along with some deposits in neighbouring saskatchewan. The purpose of these maps is to show all existing development related to tar sands throughout alberta for the first time. New tar sands technology could be a gamechanger for alberta. Two tons of tar sands, in other words, for me to drive from montana to hardisty. In 2014, alberta produced on average 590,000 barrels per day of crude oil.
The alberta tar sands in canada are the largest industrial projec boreal forest burnt by the mount shanks wild fire in kootenay national park, canada. As the tar sands have expanded, canadas climate policy has weakened, to the point that the federal government has largely decided not to act at all unless the u. The athabasca oil sands, also known as the athabasca tar sands, are large deposits of bitumen or extremely heavy crude oil, located in northeastern alberta, canada roughly centred on the boomtown of fort mcmurray. The top layer of muskeg and earth right, and the underlying tar sands left after the removal of the muskeg, at the syncrude tar sands operations near fort mcmurray, alberta, on september 17, 2014. Yet alberta highway 63, the major artery connecting northern albertas oil sands with the rest of the country, still buzzes with traffic. Covid19 is closing canadas carbonintensive oil sands quartz. No longterm future in tar sands, says albertas premier this article is more than 4 years old rachel notley supports a switch to clean energy to. Most extraction occurs in situ, through a process called steamassisted gravity drainage, or sagd sagdee. Canadian oil sands a look the past, present and future of canadas oil industry duration. A fading future for the tar sands oil change international. It is likely that no authorities want to see all of the proposed development gathered in one place for others to. Oil sands boom dries up in alberta, taking thousands of. The conservative government of stephen harper, a relentless tar sands booster, has clamped down on unapproved statements about alberta oil by government workers. A north american overview albertas internationally recognised tar sand reserves are now put at the equivalent of more than 175 billion barrels of crude oil.
Aerial perspectives on the alberta tar sands on itunes. Aug 16, 2010 tar sands in alberta is canadas worst environmental disaster. Tar sands impact on climate change posted on 23 august 2011 by dana1981. Release dates 1 also known as aka 0 release dates japan 23 june. The oil here doesnt come gushing out of the sand the way it does in the middle east. City at the heart of the alberta tar sands burning to the. Mar 10, 2017 an arial view of the alberta oil sands photo. Washington lobbyists, newfie pipefitters, chinese investors and norwegian industrialists descend on tar soaked fort mcmoney, a modernday eldorado, where rents are sky high and cocaine is rife. In 1999 bp sold almost all of its interests in the tar sands province and in 2004. In an isolated region of the north, canadas future is being carved out of the forest at a breakneck pace. The tar sands are located in the heart of canadas boreal forest, a nearly continuous belt.
Aug 03, 2015 a new book of aerial photographs, beautiful destruction, captures the awesome scale and devastating impact of albertas oil sands with stunning colours, contrasts and patterns. The athabasca oil sands, also known as the athabasca tar sands, are large deposits of bitumen. Oil corporations have recently tried to rebrand tar sands into oil sands. Many of the maps also include approved andor proposed industrial development.
The athabasca tar sands in alberta are an oil reserve the size of england. The tar sands in alberta are land masses that are being mined for large deposits of bitumen and crude oil causing a colossal environmental controversy. An unstoppable oil leak is flowing in alberta treehugger. It takes two tons of alberta tar sands to produce a barrel of crude oil, and one barrel of oil to make 19 gallons of gas. Tar sands is a better name, simply because even after the process of tar sand extraction, separation, upgrading, shipping, refining, and selling it as a petroleum product is completed at no stage throughout is it a regular oil, but once upgraded it is a. Covering a landmass of 140,200 km2 54,2 miles2, the deposits span a region larger than 24 us states, the country of englan, or 2.
The oil sands have been operating for decades, and vigilance is important to ensure continued maintaining of the ecoculture, and surrounding areas, but the oil sands continue to be a good source of oil for north america, it is well maintained and has an. Feb 23, 2016 the syncrude tar sands site, on april 27, 2015 outside of fort mcmurray, canada. The selling of alberta questions how much is canada willing to sacrifice for a stake in the 21st centurys greatest energy bonanza. Google map of canadas tar sands operations canada petro. With some tar sands oil selling at a loss, why is production. Senators about studies linking the oil sands pollution to elevated cancer levels. Luc forsyth via flickr cc oil majors are dumping canadas tar sands assets and investors are walking away from new projects. Tar sands in canada are on the verge of an explosive comeback. First nations cancer linked to oil sands toxins in wild. The alberta tar sands hold much of canadas oil wealth. Several big companies, including statoil, shell and the. Yet extracting the fossil fuel costs more than the profits its fetching. Nov 29, 2011 the tar sands have come online in a serious way in recent years because, with oil prices higher and looking to remain so for the foreseeable future, processing them is now economic.
The alberta bitumen deposits stretch across an area roughly the size of florida and are speculated to contain the worlds second largest measured by recoverable barrels of oil deposit of oil after the saudi arabian. Areas in red are existing tar sands extraction projects. Shell sells nearly all its oil sands assets in another sign. Documentary tv movie 23 june 2008 add a plot added to watchlist. Deep in canadian lakes, signs of tar sands pollution. The term tar sands was more widely used than oil sands to describe albertas bitumen fields until the 1960s, when the provincial government made it. The pipeline would transport oil from the alberta tar sands in canada to american. Cookies are data that are downloaded or stored on your computer or other device. Tar sands oil production in canada is expected to increase by 9 percent in 2016, even though the oil currently. Suncor energy oil sands company sign at athabasca tar sands production site, near fort mcmurray, alberta, canada boreal forest burnt by the mount shanks wild fire in kootenay national park, canada. Alberta tar sands pollution suspected in rare cancer cases. Release dates 1 also known as aka 0 release dates japan 23 june 2008. Reducing our exposure to canadas oil sands by selling this asset is in line. For at least six weeks, thousands of barrels of tar sands oil have been bubbling up into the forest in cold lake, alberta and neither the oil company or government scientists know how to stop the.
More specifically, the report explains that oil sands industry. The tar sands have come online in a serious way in recent years because, with oil prices higher and looking to remain so for the foreseeable future, processing them is now economic. Canadian rocker neil young blasts stephen harper, alberta tar sands. Creator tanya kalmanovitch knows these relationships all too well. Total sells its interest in the joslyn oil sands project to cnrl. Also known as aka it looks like we dont have any akas for this title yet. Born in fort mcmurray, canada, near the site of the athabasca oil sands, the worlds largest bitumen reservoir, she made her.
Washington lobbyists, newfie pipefitters, chinese investors and norwegian industrialists descend on tar soaked fort mcmoney, a modernday eldorado, where rents are sky. Tractortrailers hauling loads that resemble rolling. Thousands of new, highquality pictures added every day. The tar sands in alberta is by far canadas worst environmental disaster. Washington lobbyists, newfie pipefitters, chinese investors and norwegian industrialists descend on tarsoaked fort mcmoney, a modernday eldorado, where rents are sky. Please share this video with your friends and family in order to help spread the word. Oil sands were the source of 62% of albertas total oil production and 47% of all oil produced in canada. The oil industries operations in the alberta tar sands constitute about 90% on the worlds unconventional oil industry. On top of that, the tar sands are funding a disinformation campaign. Sep 25, 2014 the top layer of muskeg and earth right, and the underlying tar sands left after the removal of the muskeg, at the syncrude tar sands operations near fort mcmurray, alberta, on september 17, 2014.
Tar sands in alberta is canadas worst environmental disaster. They have blackened the countrys environmental reputation p 211 nikiforuk states, immediately gives the readers a strong emotional disposition even without further knowledge of the. The size of this reserve makes it the third largest oil deposit in the. The tar sands are located in the heart of canadas boreal forest, a nearly. Alberta, canada contains the largest deposits of crude bitumen in the world, the biggest of which is the athabasca tar sands. The oil sands have been operating for decades, and vigilance is important to ensure continued maintaining of the ecoculture, and surrounding areas, but the oil sands continue to be a good source of oil for north america, it is well maintained and has an enormously low impact where it is located. Redford was in town for a speech at the canadian club of toronto, where she renewed her call for a national. A new book of aerial photographs, beautiful destruction, captures the awesome scale and devastating impact of albertas oil sands with stunning colours, contrasts and patterns. All three deals involve international companies selling operations in the oil sands to canadian companies that are specialists in that industry. The land belongs to canadians and its damaging the environment tar sands, the selling of alberta tar sands. May 29, 20 canadian oil sands a look the past, present and future of canadas oil industry duration. Find tar sands stock images in hd and millions of other royaltyfree stock photos, illustrations and vectors in the shutterstock collection. Washington lobbyists, newfie pipefitters, chinese investors and norwegian industrialists. The provinces tar sands cover an area larger than the united kingdom and contain most of the worlds supply of bitumen, a particularly sticky form of petroleum that must be heated or diluted.
The syncrude tar sands site, on april 27, 2015 outside of fort mcmurray, canada. Disturbing aerials reveal canadas vast tar sand mines wired. Its the latest sign that the massive expansion the industry planned at. Climate change guide the tar sands in alberta facebook. The city which serves as the hub of one of the worlds largest climatewrecking projects, the alberta tar sands, is burning to the ground due to. Beginning on 20 august 2011, bill mckibben is leading what may be the largest green civil disobedience campaign in a generation, against the proposed construction of the 1,600mile long keystone xl pipeline. The alberta tar sands are one of the biggest oil reserves in the world. Oil sands, tar sands, crude bitumen, or more technically bituminous sands, are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. Major restructuring and consolidation of the albertadominated canadian oil and. The dirty fight over canadian tar sands oil dredging up oil from under canadas boreal forest and piping it through the united states is a loselose proposition. Washington lobbyists, newfoundland pipefitters, chinese investors and norwegian industrialists descend on tar soaked fort mcmoney, a. These oil sands, hosted primarily in the mcmurray formation, consist of a mixture of crude bitumen a semisolid rocklike form of crude oil, silica sand, clay. Aerial view of the syncrude oil sands extraction facility with the suncor extraction facility in the background, in alberta province, canada on october 23, 2009.
The alberta governments energy and utilities board eub estimated in 2007 that about 173 billion barrels 27. The oil sands are buried under forests in alberta that are the size of florida. Dec 31, 2015 the dirty fight over canadian tar sands oil dredging up oil from under canadas boreal forest and piping it through the united states is a loselose proposition. An illuminating work of documentary theater, the tar sands songbook asks us to consider our personal relationships to oil. Jul 24, 20 for at least six weeks, thousands of barrels of tar sands oil have been bubbling up into the forest in cold lake, alberta and neither the oil company or government scientists know how to stop the.
Oct, 2015 yet alberta highway 63, the major artery connecting northern albertas oil sands with the rest of the country, still buzzes with traffic. Total sells its interest in the joslyn oil sands project to. Tar sands oil production in canada is expected to increase by 9. Maps of tar sands development the purpose of these maps is to show all existing development related to tar sands throughout alberta for the first time. Alberta s oil sands producers have been desperate for new outlets to take their oil out of the country, and the decadeplus keystone xl saga is the perfect illustration of the industrys woes. Canadas tar sands and brazils rainforest the new republic. Oil sands boom dries up in alberta, taking thousands of jobs. Its the latest sign that the massive expansion the industry planned at the start of this decade is quickly falling apart. The canadian oil sands are the thirdlargest oil reserve in the world, but the canadian energy research institute estimates that the breakeven cost for. Deep in canadian lakes, signs of tar sands pollution the contaminants researchers found at the bottom of alberta lakes are from air pollutants coming from tar sands oil production and processing. Sep 30, 2015 no longterm future in tar sands, says albertas premier this article is more than 4 years old rachel notley supports a switch to clean energy to help canadas biggest oilproducing province. No longterm future in tar sands, says albertas premier.