NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Athabasca oil sands

The Athabasca Oil Sands are a large deposit of oil-rich bitumen located in northern Alberta, Canada. These oil sands consist of a mixture of crude bitumen (a semi-solid form of crude oil), silica sand, clay minerals, and water. The Athabasca deposit is the largest of three oil sands deposits in Alberta, along with the Peace River and Cold Lake deposits. Together, these oil sand deposits cover about 141 000 km² of sparsely populated boreal forest and muskeg (peat bogs). The Athabasca oil sands are named after the Athabasca River which cuts through the heart of the deposit, and traces of the heavy oil are readily observed on the river banks. Historically, the bitumen was used by the indigenous Cree and Dene Aboriginal peoples to waterproof their canoes^{[citation needed]}. The oil deposits are located within the boundaries of Treaty 8, and several First Nations of the area are involved with the sands. The oil sands were first seen by Europeans in 1788. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1753, 610 KB) This map shows the extent of the oils sands in Alberta, Canada. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1753, 610 KB) This map shows the extent of the oils sands in Alberta, Canada. ... Ewer from Iran, dated 1180-1210CE. Composed of brass worked in repoussÃ© and inlaid with silver and bitumen. ... Motto: Fortis et liber(Latin) Strong and free Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Official languages English (see below) Government - Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong - Premier Ed Stelmach (PC) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 28 - Senate seats 6 Confederation September 1, 1905 (split from Northwest Territories) (8th [Province]) Area Ranked... Open pit mining Tar sands, also referred to as oil sand or bituminous sand, is a combination of clay, sand, water, and bitumen. ... For other uses, see Peace River. ... Cold Lake can refer to several things: // Cold Lake (Canada), a large lake in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada Cold Lake, Alberta, is a small city in Canada. ... Taiga (SAMPA /taIg@/, from Russian тайга́) is a biome characterized by its coniferous forests. ... Muskeg is a soil type (also a peatland or wetland type called a bog) common in arctic and boreal areas. ... Virgin boreal acid bogs at Browns Lake Bog, Ohio A bog is a wetland type that accumulates peat, a deposit of dead plant material. ... Athabasca River watershed in western Canada The Athabasca River (French: riviÃ¨re Athabasca) originates from the Columbia Glacier of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. ... // Canadas petroleum frontiers are of two types. ... For other uses, see Cree (disambiguation). ... The Dene are a group of First Nations that live in the Arctic regions of Canada. ... Aboriginal people in Canada are Indigenous Peoples recognized in the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982, sections 25 and 35, respectively, as Indians (First Nations), MÃ©tis, and Inuit. ... Treaty 8 was an agreement signed on June 21, 1899 between the Government of Canada and various First Nations at Lesser Slave Lake. ... First Nations is a Canadian term of ethnicity which refers to the aboriginal peoples located in what is now Canada, and their descendants who are neither Inuit nor MÃ©tis. ...

The key characteristic of the Athabasca deposit is that it is the only one shallow enough to be suitable for surface mining. About 10% of the Athabasca oil sands are covered by less than 75 metres (250 feet) of overburden. The mineable area as defined by the Alberta government covers 37 contiguous townships (about 3400 square kilometres or 1300 square miles) north of the city of Fort McMurray. The overburden consists of 1 to 3 metres of water-logged muskeg on top of 0 to 75 metres of clay and barren sand, while the underlying oil sands are typically 40 to 60 metres thick and sit on top of relatively flat limestone rock. As a result of the easy accessibility, the world's first oil sands mine was started by Great Canadian Oil Sands (now Suncor) back in 1967. The Syncrude mine (the biggest mine in the world) followed in 1978, and the Albian Sands mine (operated by Shell Canada) in 2003. All three of these mines are associated with bitumen upgraders that convert the unusable bitumen into synthetic crude oil for shipment to refineries in Canada and the United States, though in Albian's case, the upgrader is not co-located with the mine, but at Scotford, 439 km south. The bitumen, diluted with a solvent is transferred there in a 24 inch Corridor Pipeline. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Overburden is the term used in mining to describe material that lies above the area of economic interest. ... Fort McMurray is a town in the northeastern part of Canadas western province of Alberta, in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Alberta. ... Muskeg is a soil type (also a peatland or wetland type called a bog) common in arctic and boreal areas. ... Suncor Energy Inc. ... Syncrude Canada Ltd. ... Shell Canada Limited (TSX: SHC) is one of Canadas largest integrated oil companies. ... A visbreaker is a chemical plant based on a techology whereby via thermal cracking in a furnace reactor (at high temperature) heavy hydrocarbons (e. ... Synthetic crude is a type of crude oil developed by upgrading bitumen (a tar like substance found in tar sands). ... A refinery is a building and/or the equipment used for refining or processing specific products. ...

The Athabasca oil sands are primarily located in and around the city of Fort McMurray which was still, in the late 1950s, primarily a wilderness outpost of a few hundred people whose main economic activities included fur trapping and salt mining. Since the energy crisis of the 1970s, Fort McMurray has been transformed into a boomtown of 80,000 people struggling to provide services and housing for migrant workers, many of them from Eastern Canada, especially Newfoundland. Fort McMurray, colloquially referred to as Fort Mac, is a boom town area in the northeastern part of Canadas western province of Alberta, in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. ... This article is about energy crises in general. ... A boomtown is a community that experiences sudden and rapid population and economic growth. ... This article is about the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ...

Estimated oil reserves

Alberta Government calculates that about 28 billion cubic metres (174 billion barrels) of crude bitumen are economically recoverable from the three Alberta oil sands areas at current prices using current technology. This is equivalent to about 10% of the estimated 1,700 and 2,500 billion barrels of bitumen in place.^[1] Alberta estimates that the Athabasca deposits alone contain 5.6 billion cubic metres (35 billion barrels) of surface mineable bitumen and 15.6 billion cubic metres (98 billion barrels) of bitumen recoverable by in-situ methods. These estimates of Canada's oil reserves caused some astonishment when they were first published but are now largely accepted by the international community. This volume places Canadian proven oil reserves second in the world behind those of Saudi Arabia. In situ is a Latin phrase meaning in the place. ...

The method of calculating economically recoverable reserves that produced these estimates was adopted because conventional methods of accounting for reserves gave increasingly meaningless numbers. They made it appear that Alberta was running out of oil at a time when rapid increases in oil sands production were more than offsetting declines in conventional oil, and in fact most of Alberta's oil production is now non-conventional oil. Conventional estimates of oil reserves are really calculations of the geological risk of drilling for oil, but in the oil sands there is very little geological risk because they outcrop on the surface and are extremely easy to find. One risk is economic risk of low oil prices and with the oil price increases of 2004-2006, this economic risk evaporated. Non-conventional oil is oil extracted using techniques other than the traditional oil well method. ... This article or section contains speculation and may try to argue its points. ...

The Alberta estimates in some ways are extremely conservative, since they assume a recovery rate of around 20% of bitumen in place, whereas oil companies using the new steam assisted gravity drainage method of extracting bitumen report that they can recover over 60% with little effort. These much higher recovery rates probably mean that the ultimate production could be several times as high as the already very large government estimates. Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) is an enhanced oil recovery technology for heavy crude oil and bitumen. ...

At rate of production projected for 2015, about 3 million barrels per day, the Athabasca oil sands reserves would last over 400 years. ^[2] However, production cannot increase to those levels without a huge influx of workers into northern Alberta, which by 2006 was already occurring. This need created a severe labor shortage in Alberta, which by 2007 drove unemployment rates in Alberta and adjacent British Columbia to the lowest levels in history. Even as far away as the Atlantic Provinces, where workers were leaving to work in Alberta, unemployment rates fell to levels not seen for over 100 years.^[3] These manpower limitations imply that, while Alberta is capable of being a major player on the world oil market for the rest of this century, it does not have enough population to replace the Middle East as the main source of American, European and Asian supply.^{[citation needed]} For the video game developer, see 2015, Inc. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...

The Venezuelan Orinoco tar sands site may contain more oil sands than Athabasca (see tar sands article). However, while the Orinoco deposits are less viscous and more easily produced using conventional techniques (the Venezuelan government prefers to call them "extra-heavy oil"), they are too deep to access by surface mining. The Orinoco Oil Sands, also known as the Orinoco Tar Sands, are deposits of oil sands located near the Orinoco River in Venezuela. ... Athabasca Oil Sands Tar sands is a common name of what are more properly called bituminous sands, but also commonly referred to as oil sands or (in Venezuela) extra-heavy oil. ...

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 135 KB) This is a picture of Syncrudes base mine. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 135 KB) This is a picture of Syncrudes base mine. ...

Economics

Despite the large reserves, the cost of extracting the oil from the sand has historically made production of the oil sands unprofitable - the cost of selling the extracted crude would not cover the direct costs of recovery; labour to mine the sands and fuel to extract the crude.

In mid-2006, the National Energy Board of Canada estimated the operating cost of a new mining operation in the Athabasca oil sands to be $9 to $12 per barrel, while the cost of an in-situ SAGD operation (using dual horizontal wells) would be $10 to $14 per barrel. This compares to operating costs for conventional oil wells which can range from less than $1 per barrel in Iraq and Saudi Arabia to $6 and up in the United States and Canada's conventional oil reserves.

In addition, the capital cost of the equipment, such as the huge machines required to mine the sands and the dump trucks used to haul it to processing, is a major consideration in starting production. The NEB estimates that capital costs raise the total cost of production to $18 to $20 per barrel for a new mining operation and $18 to $22 per barrel for a SAGD operation. This does not include the cost of upgrading the crude bitumen to synthetic crude oil, which makes the final costs $36 to $40 per barrel for a new mining operation.

Therefore, although high crude prices make the cost of production very attractive, sudden drops in price leaves producers unable to recover their enormous capital costs - although the companies are well financed and can tolerate long periods of low prices since the capital has already been spent and they can almost always cover incremental operating costs.

However, the development of commercial production is made easier by the fact that exploration costs are virtually nil. Such costs are a major factor when assessing the economics of drilling in a traditional oil field. The location of the oil deposits in the tar sands are well known and an estimate of recovery costs can usually be made easily. Most important, the oil sands are in a politically stable area - there is not another region in the world with energy deposits of this magnitude where it would be less likely that these expensive installations would be confiscated by a hostile national government, or be endangered by a war or revolution. Expropriation is the act of removing from control the owner of an item of property. ... For other uses, see War (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Revolution (disambiguation). ...

As a result of the Oil price increases of 2004-2006, the economics of oil sands have improved dramatically. At a world price of $50 per barrel, the NEB estimates an integrated mining operation would make a rate return of 16 to 23 percent, while a SAGD operation would return 16 to 27 percent. Prices in 2006 have been considerably higher than that. As a result, capital expenditures in the oil sands announced for the period 2006 to 2015 exceed $100 billion, which is twice the amount projected as recently as 2004. However, due to an acute labour shortage which has developed in Alberta, it is not likely that all these projects can be completed. This article or section contains speculation and may try to argue its points. ...

At present the area around Fort McMurray, Alberta, has seen the most effect from the increased activity in the oil sands. However, although jobs are plentiful, housing is in short supply and expensive. People seeking work often arrive in the area without arranging accommodation, driving up the price of temporary accommodation. The area is isolated, with only a two-lane road connecting it to the rest of the province, and there is pressure on the government of Alberta to improve road links as well as hospitals and other infrastructure.^[4] Fort McMurray, colloquially referred to as Fort Mac, is a boom town area in the northeastern part of Canadas western province of Alberta, in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. ... Motto: Fortis et liber(Latin) Strong and free Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Official languages English (see below) Government - Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong - Premier Ed Stelmach (PC) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 28 - Senate seats 6 Confederation September 1, 1905 (split from Northwest Territories) (8th [Province]) Area Ranked...

Despite the best efforts of companies to move as much of the construction work as possible out of the Fort McMurray area, and even out of Alberta, the shortage of skilled workers is spreading to the rest of the province.^[5]. Even without the oil sands, the Alberta economy would be very strong, but development of the oil sands has resulted in the strongest period of economic growth ever recorded by a Canadian province and driven Alberta's unemployment rates to the lowest levels in history.^[6]

Oil Sands Production

The Athabasca oil sands first came to the attention of European fur traders in 1719 when Wa-pa-su, a Cree trader, brought a sample of the oil sands to the Hudson's Bay Company post at Fort Churchill. In 1778, fur trader Peter Pond became the first white man to see the outcroppings along the Athabasca River and he noted that the native people used it to waterproof their canoes. In 1883, C. Hoffman of the Geological Survey of Canada tried separating the bitumen from oil sand with the use of water, and reported that it separated readily. However, it was nearly a century before extracting it became commercially viable. Dr. Karl Clark of the University of Alberta, perfected a steam separation process for the tar sands in 1926. An Alberta fur trader in the 1890s. ... For other uses, see Cree (disambiguation). ... Hudsons Bay Company (HBC; Compagnie de la Baie dHudson in French) is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and is one of the oldest in the world. ... Orthographic projection centred over Churchill Manitoba. ... Copy of a Map Presented to Congress of the United States and to the Lt. ... It has been suggested that Canadian canoe be merged into this article or section. ... The Geological Survey of Canada or GSC is part of the Earth Sciences Sector of Natural Resources Canada. ... Dr. Karl Clark (20 October 1888â€”1966) was a chemist and oil sand researcher. ...

Commercial production of oil from the Athabasca oil sands began in 1967, when Great Canadian Oil Sands (now Suncor) opened its first mine, producing 30,000 barrels per day of synthetic crude oil. Development was inhibited by declining world oil prices, and the second mine, operated by the Syncrude consortium, did not begin operating until 1978, after the 1973 oil crisis sparked investor interest. However, the price of oil subsided afterwards, and although the 1979 energy crisis caused oil prices to peak again, introduction of the National Energy Program by Pierre Trudeau caused the oil companies and the Alberta government under Premier Peter Lougheed to pull the plug on new developments. Once more, prices declined to very low levels, causing considerable retrenchment in the oil industry, and the third mine, operated by Shell Canada, did not begin operating until 2003. However, with Oil price increases of 2004-2006, the existing mines have been greatly expanded and new ones are being planned. This article is about the American oil company. ... Syncrude Canada Ltd. ... The 1973 oil crisis began in earnest on October 17, 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC, consisting of the Arab members of OPEC plus Egypt and Syria) announced, as a result of the ongoing Yom Kippur War, that they would no longer ship petroleum... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Line at a gas station, June 15, 1979. ... The National Energy Program (NEP) was an energy policy of the Government of Canada. ... â€œTrudeauâ€ redirects here. ... Peter Lougheed, painting by C. Leeper The Honourable Peter Lougheed, PC , CC , QC (born July 26, 1928, in Calgary, Alberta) is a Canadian lawyer, politician and Canadian Football League player. ... Shell Canada Limited (TSX: SHC) is one of Canadas largest integrated oil companies. ... This article or section contains speculation and may try to argue its points. ...

According to the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, production of crude bitumen in the Athabasca oil sands was as follows:

This was despite a major fire at the Suncor operation, a major turnaround at Syncrude, and operational problems at the Shell operation. Combined oil production in all three Alberta oil sands areas was 169,100 m3/day or 1,065,000 barrels per day

With planned projects coming on stream, by 2010 oil sands production is projected to reach 2 million barrels per day or about two thirds of Canadian production. By 2015 Canadian oil production may reach 4 million barrels per day, of which only 15% will be conventional crude oil. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers predicts that by 2020 Canadian oil production will reach 4.8 million barrels per day, of which only about 10% will be conventional light or medium crude oil, and most of the rest will be crude bitumen and synthetic crude oil from the Athabasca oil sands. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) is the voice of the upstream Canadian oil and natural gas industry. ...

Extraction of oil

See main article on Oil sands extraction Open pit mining Tar sands, also referred to as oil sand or bituminous sand, is a combination of clay, sand, water, and bitumen. ...

The original process of extraction used at the oil sands was developed by Dr. Karl Clark, working with the Research Council of Alberta in the 1920s.^[7] Historically (since the 1960s), the oil sands have been mined in huge open pit mines and extracted from the sand by variations of the Clark water-based extraction process, which separates aerated bitumen from the other oil sand components in gravity settling vessels. More recently, new in-situ methods have been developed to extract bitumen from deep deposits by injecting steam to heat the sands and reduce the bitumen viscosity so that it can be pumped out like conventional crude oil.

The standard extraction process also requires huge amounts of natural gas. Currently, the oil sands industry uses about 4% of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin natural gas production. By 2015, this may increase by a factor of 2.5 times.^[8]

According to the National Energy Board, it requires about 1200 cubic feet of natural gas to produce one barrel of bitumen from in situ projects and about 700 cubic feet for integrated projects.^[9] Since a barrel of oil equivalent is about 6000 cubic feet of gas, this represents a large gain in energy. That being the case, it is likely that Alberta regulators will reduce exports of natural gas to the United States in order to provide fuel to the oil sands plants. As gas reserves are exhausted, however, oil upgraders will likely turn to bitumen gasification to generate their own fuel. In much the same way the bitumen can be converted into synthetic crude oil, it can also be converted into synthetic natural gas. The barrel of oil equivalent (bboe, sometimes BOE) is a unit of energy based on the approximate energy released by burning one barrel of crude oil. ... For the water carbonator, see Gasogene. ...

In-situ extraction on a commercial scale is just beginning. A project nearing completion, the Long Lake Project,^[10] is designed to provide its own fuel, by on-site cracking of the bitumen mined.^[11] It is supposed to start extracting bitumen in 2006, and "upgrading" of bitumen to liquid oil in 2007, producing 60,000 bbl/day of usable oil. If it works, the natural gas problem becomes less of an issue and the problem of disposing of tailings disappears.

Geopolitical importance

The Athabasca Oil Sands are now featured prominently in international trade talks, with energy rivals China and the United States negotiating with Canada for a bigger share of the oil sands' rapidly increasing output. Output at the oil sands is expected to quadruple between 2005 and 2015, reaching 4 million bbl/day, increasing their political and economic importance. Although most of the oil sands production is currently exported to the United States, that could change.

An agreement has been signed between PetroChina and Enbridge to build a 400,000 barrel-per-day pipeline from Edmonton, Alberta to the west-coast port of Kitimat, British Columbia to export synthetic crude oil from the oil sands to China and elsewhere in the Pacific, plus a 150,000-barrel-per-day pipeline running the other way to import condensate to dilute the bitumen so it will flow. Sinopec, China's largest refining and chemical company, and China National Petroleum Corporation have bought or are planning to buy shares in major oil sands development. PetroChina Company Limited HKSE: 0857 is the listed arm of China National Petroleum Corporation, Chinas biggest producer of oil. ... Categories: Companies of Canada | S&P/TSX Composite Index | Stub ... Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta, situated in the north central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farm land on the prairies. ... The District of Kitimat is a small town in northwestern British Columbia. ... Sinopec, the China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Chinese: ä¸å›½çŸ³åŒ–, HKEX: 386; NYSE: SNP; LSE: SNP), is one of the major petroleum companies in China. ... This article lacks information on the importance of the subject matter. ...

India has announced plans to invest $1 billion in the Athabasca Oil Sands in 2006. As many as four different Indian oil companies, such as Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and Indian Oil Corporation, are involved.^[12] Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) (incorporated on June 23, 1993) is a public sector petroleum company based in Dehradun, India. ... Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. ...

Indigenous peoples of the area

Indigenous peoples of the area include the Fort McKay First Nation and the Fort McMurray First Nation. The oil sands themselves are located within the boundaries of Treaty 8, signed in 1899. The Fort McKay First Nation has formed several companies to service the oil sands industry, and will be developing a mine on their territory.^[13] However, support within the First Nation for such development is not unanimous. A Hupa man, 1923 The scope of this indigenous peoples of the Americas article encompasses the definitions of indigenous peoples and the Americas as established in their respective articles. ... Location of Fort Mackay in Alberta Fort MacKay is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada. ... Location of Fort McMurray within census division number 16, Alberta, Canada. ... Treaty 8 was an agreement signed on June 21, 1899 between the Government of Canada and various First Nations at Lesser Slave Lake. ... Year 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... First Nations is the current title used by Canada to describe the various societies of the indigenous peoples, called Native Americans in the U.S. They have also been known as Indians, Native Canadians, Aboriginal Americans, Amer-Indians, or Aboriginals, and are officially called Indians in the Indian Act, which...

Environmental impacts

Some critics contend^{[citation needed]} that government and industry measures taken to minimize environmental and health risks posed by large-scale mining operations are inadequate, potentially causing damage to the natural environment.

The open-pit mining of the Athabasca oils sands destroys the boreal forest and muskeg, as well as changing the natural landscape. The Alberta government does not require companies to restore the land to "original condition" but only to "equivalent land capability". This means that the ability of the land to support various land uses after reclamation is similar to what existed, but that the individual land uses will not necessarily be identical.^[14] Since the government considers agricultural land to be equivalent to forest land, oil sands companies have reclaimed mined land to use as pasture for buffalo, rather than restoring it to the original boreal forest and muskeg. For other uses, see Taiga (disambiguation). ... Muskeg is a soil type (also a peatland or wetland type called a bog) common in arctic and boreal areas. ...

For every barrel of synthetic oil produced in Alberta, more than 80 kg of greenhouse gases are released^{[citation needed]} into the atmosphere and between 2 and 4 barrels^{[citation needed]} of waste water are dumped into tailing ponds that have replaced about 50 km²^{[citation needed]} of forest. The forecast growth in synthetic oil production in Alberta also threatens Canada's international commitments. In ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, Canada agreed to reduce, by 2012, its greenhouse gas emissions by 6% with respect to [1990]. In 2002, Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions had increased by 24% since 1990. Top: Increasing atmospheric CO2 levels as measured in the atmosphere and ice cores. ... Tailing ponds are areas of refused mining tailings that are covered with water to prevent dust from blowing away. ... Kyoto Protocol Opened for signature December 11, 1997 in Kyoto, Japan Entered into force February 16, 2005. ...

A Pembina Institute report stated "To produce one cubic metre (m³) of synthetic crude oil (SCO) (upgraded bitumen) in a mining operation requires about 2–4.5 m³ of water (net figures). Approved oil sands mining operations are currently licensed to divert 359 million m³ from the Athabasca River, or more than twice the volume of water required to meet the annual municipal needs of the City of Calgary." ^[15] and went on to say "...the net water requirement to produce a cubic metre of oil with in situ (emphasis added) production may be as little as 0.2 m³, depending on how much is recycled" Jeffrey Simpson of the Globe and Mail paraphrased this report, saying: "A cubic metre of oil, mined from the tar sands, needs two to 4.5 cubic metres of water. Approved oil sands mining operations -- not the in situ kind that extract oil from tar sands far below the surface -- will take twice the annual water needs of the City of Calgary. The water will come from the Athabasca River, from which 359-million cubic metres will be diverted." ^[16] However, the Athabasca River is much bigger than the small rivers that flow through Calgary, and current oil sands water license allocations are only for about 1% of the flow of the river. ^[17] The Alberta government sets strict limits on how much water oil sands companies can remove from the Athabasca River, and during low-flow conditions orders them to reduce their withdrawals. ^[18] Jeffrey Simpson, The Globe and Mails national affairs columnist, has won all three of Canadas leading literary prizes -- the Governor Generals Award for non-fiction book writing, the National Magazine Award for political writing, and the National Newspaper Award for column writing. ... The Globe and Mail is a large Canadian English language national newspaper based in Toronto. ... Nickname: Motto: Onward Location of Calgary within census division number 6, Alberta, Canada. ... Athabasca River watershed in western Canada The Athabasca River (French: riviÃ¨re Athabasca) originates from the Columbia Glacier of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. ...

Ranked as the world's eighth largest emitter of greenhouse gases ^[19], Canada is a relatively large emitter given its population. The United States, which has not signed the Kyoto Protocol, is the world's largest emitter at a fluctuating 25% of the total. China is the second largest emitter at 20%, but as a developing country is exempt from controls. Its economy has been growing rapidly, and as a result the International Energy Agency expects it to exceed the U.S. as the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide by about 2008. Other developing countries in Asia and Africa have also been increasing their emissions rapidly. However, it is developed nations that are responsible for the vast majority of historic emissions which are now causing climate change. Most European countries have missed their reduction targets, as has Canada. A major Canadian initiative called the Integrated CO2 Network (ICO2N) [[1]] has proposed a system for the large scale capture, transport and storage of carbon dioxide (CO₂). ICO2N members represent a group of industry participants providing a framework for carbon capture and storage development in Canada.

Oil sand companies

There are currently three large oil sands mining operations in the area run by Syncrude Canada Limited, Suncor Energy and Albian Sands owned by Shell Canada, Chevron, and Western Oil Sands Ltd. Syncrude Canada Ltd. ... Suncor Energy Inc. ...

Major producing or planned developments in the Athabasca Oil Sands include the following projects:^[20]

Suncor Energy Inc. ... Syncrude Canada Ltd. ... Shell Canada Limited (TSX: SHC) is one of Canadas largest integrated oil companies. ... Fort Saskatchewan is a city of 14,686 (2005 census) located 25 km northeast of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ... Nexen is an energy company based in Calgary, Alberta. ... Canadian Natural Resources Limited TSX: CNQ NYSE: CNQ is an oil and natural gas exploration, development and production company based in Calgary, Alberta. ... Total S.A. (Euronext: FP, NYSE: TOT) is a French oil company headquartered in Paris, France. ... Imperial Oil Limited TSX: IMO AMEX: IMO is Canadas largest petroleum company. ... The Kearl Oil Sands Project is a proposed oil sands mine and bitumen upgrader in the Athabasca Oil Sands region. ... Cold Lake can refer to several things: // Cold Lake (Canada), a large lake in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada Cold Lake, Alberta, is a small city in Canada. ... Sinopec, the China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Chinese: ä¸å›½çŸ³åŒ–, HKEX: 386; NYSE: SNP; LSE: SNP), is one of the major petroleum companies in China. ...

Contents