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Why are the tar sands a valuable resource?
The Canadian Tar Sands in the Athabaska Valley of Northern Alberta are the world's largest deposit of a heavy oil called bitumen. That's the stuff that is used in asphalt on our major highways and byways. This form of oil is much more expensive to extract from the earth but, as the price of crude oil increases with the diminishing supply of world reserves, the tar sands deposits become increasingly more important as a source of energy. If we could stop using oil altogether, then the tar sands would no longer be important to our lifestyle.
Why could tar sands and oil shale become important energy resources in the near future?
They could supply fuels that now come from petroleum
What is an example of an environmental cost of tar sands extraction?
Habitat loss
How do you get oil from tar sands?
Extracting petroleum from tar sands is much more complex than the traditional way of recovering oil. There are two processes that have to be completed to extract the bitumen (the desired oil) from the tar sands: extraction and separation. After extraction, the bitumen has to be upgraded before it is refined. Finally, because bitumen is so thick it has to be diluted by hydrocarbons for it to be transported by pipelines. Open pit mining is one technique for which tar sands, near the surface, can be recovered. Large electrical or hydraulic shovels are used to dig up the tar sands and then dumped into a truck that carries it to an extraction plant. In this plant, the sands are placed in a hot water process which separates, in the separation cells, the elements of the tar sands. First, hot water is mixed with the sand and then piped into the extraction place where it is agitated. This agitation along with the hot water causes the bitumen in the tar sand to stick to the tiny air bubbles and floats to the top of the separation vessels. The bitumen is then skimmed off of the air bubbles and processed until the water (and/or any other solids) is removed. This bitumen is then to be upgraded and refined into synthetic crude oil. For tar sand deposits that are buried deep below the surface, the in-situ production methods is used to recover it. Techniques used to recover deeply buried oil sands include steam injection, firefloods and solvent injection. Steam injection is the most favoured method. These methods, however, requires a lot of water and energy.
How long will the worlds oil last?
Some estimates put this at 40 years, but it depends on how much more can be discovered and on being able to use sources such as tar sands.
Would plants die in tar sands?
Tar sands, also known as oil sands or bituminous sands, consist of clay, sand, water and a form of petroleum known as bitreum. Wheatgrass is one plant which will grow in tar sands.
Where is tar sands produced?
Tar sands, also known as oil sands, are primarily produced in Canada, with the largest reserves located in the province of Alberta. Other countries, such as Venezuela and the United States, also have smaller deposits of tar sands.
What has the author Frederick W Camp written?
Frederick W. Camp has written: 'The Tar sands of Alberta' -- subject(s): Oil sands 'The tar sands of Alberta, Canada'
What type of resources does tar sands come from?
Tar sands or oil sands are consist of clay, sand, water, and bitumen. Its bitumen content is extracted and separated to purify it into oil.
Why are the tar sands a valuable resource?
The Canadian Tar Sands in the Athabaska Valley of Northern Alberta are the world's largest deposit of a heavy oil called bitumen. That's the stuff that is used in asphalt on our major highways and byways. This form of oil is much more expensive to extract from the earth but, as the price of crude oil increases with the diminishing supply of world reserves, the tar sands deposits become increasingly more important as a source of energy. If we could stop using oil altogether, then the tar sands would no longer be important to our lifestyle.
Why might we have to start using tar sands instead of normal oil?
There are larger known US supplies of tar sands than petroleum.
What is bituminous material?
Asphalt coal tar Tar sands Brown coal
Which countries have large tar sands?
Venezuela
What are bituminous sands?
Bituminous sands are oil sands , tar sands and more tecnically they're an unconventional petroleum deposit . I hope I hlped you!!
Why do we need tar sands?
Tar sands are needed for their potential to produce oil, which can be refined and used in various applications such as transportation fuels and petrochemical products. However, the extraction and processing of tar sands can have significant environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions and habitat destruction. Alternative energy sources and technologies are being developed to reduce the reliance on tar sands and other fossil fuels.
What country contains large tar sands?
Canada
What are the ratings and certificates for Petropolis Aerial Perspectives on the Alberta Tar Sands - 2009?
Petropolis Aerial Perspectives on the Alberta Tar Sands - 2009 is rated/received certificates of: Canada:G (Quebec)
