Shell sells nearly all its oil sands assets in another sign. This difficulttofind resource has made canada the numberone supplier of oil to the united states. 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. 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. A new book of aerial photographs, beautiful destruction, captures the awesome scale and devastating impact of alberta s oil sands with stunning colours, contrasts and patterns. Other companies, whose production lines are not yet running. What are the tar sands indigenous environmental network.
With some tar sands oil selling at a loss, why is production. After almost 50 years in power, the progressive conservative party in alberta was completely replaced by the new democratic. In northern canada, mining operations are digging up and flattening forest to access the tar sands oil below. The athabasca oil sands in alberta, canada, are a very large source of bitumen, which can be upgraded to synthetic crude heavy oil, western canadian select wcs. Environmentalists have opposed the pipeline because it will transport dirty tar sands oil from alberta, contributing to global warming and raising the risk of pollution from pipeline leaks. The selling of alberta captures the intersecting storylines of a remarkable cast of characters eager to cash in on the oil boom in fort mcmurray. Mar 09, 2017 royal dutch shell said on thursday it will sell nearly all of its tar sands assets, the latest sign that operations in the canadian resource continue to struggle as oil prices remain historically. On ravaged tar sands lands, big challenges for reclamation the mining of canadas tar sands has destroyed large areas of sensitive wetlands in alberta. The tar sands hold a mixture of sand, water, clay and bitumen see bitumen, a heavy oil that is coveted by many major companies. The biggest foreign lease holder in canadas oil sands isnt.
Tar sands critically examines the frenzied development in the canadian tar sands and the farreaching implications for all of north america. In an isolated region of the north, canadas future is being carved out of the forest at a breakneck pace. Covid19 is closing canadas carbonintensive oil sands quartz. Aug, 2010 how the tar sands threaten canadas economic fate. A group to find out about the devastating impacts to land, water, climate, health, treaty rights the tar sands are having and some of the resistance to it. Buried just beneath a layer of muskeg and forest in northern alberta, canada, lies a 50,000 square mile reservoir of heavy crude oil, possibly. Pdf the alberta tar sands, and the proposed pipelines which would carry their bitumen to international markets, comprise one of the.
Much of the remaining tar sands are found in various countries in the middle east. More specifically, the report explains that oil sands industry. Please share this video with your friends and family in order to help spread the word. The selling of alberta captures the intersecting storylines of a remarkable cast of characters eager to cash in on the oil boom in fort mcmurray, alberta. The largest deposits of tar sands are found in alberta, canada.
First nations cancer linked to oil sands toxins in wild food. The technical term for the oil extracted from tar sands is crude bitumen, which is defined as a viscous thick, heavy oil that will not flow to a well in its natural state. Tar sands in alberta is canadas worst environmental disaster. On top of that, the tar sands are funding a disinformation campaign. Oil sands companies have vowed to reclaim this land, but little restoration has occurred so far and many scientists say it is virtually impossible to rebuild these complex ecosystems. The tar sands in alberta is by far canadas worst environmental disaster.
Feb 23, 2016 with some tar sands oil selling at a loss, why is production still rising. Unlike conventional oil deposits which feature liquid oil captured in porous rock, the oil sands are sand formations with a relatively low content of highly viscous oil. Disturbing aerials reveal canadas vast tar sand mines wired. Dec 08, 2012 in september 2012, i took a flight over the tar sands in northern alberta from fort mcmurray. A fading future for the tar sands oil change international.
Dirty oil and the future of a continent, revised and updated edition. Export pipeline capacity is approaching its limits. Canadas tar sands landscape from the air in pictures. Documentary tv movie 23 june 2008 add a plot added to watchlist. Environmental impact of alberta tar sands horrible, expert says photos globalpost. The syncrude oil sands plant is seen north of fort mcmurray, alberta. Tar sands also called oil sands are a mixture of sand, clay, water, and bitumen. The alberta tar sands in canada are the largest in winnsboro, texas, usa construction of the southern portion of the keystone xl pipeline.
Alberta premier ed stelmach, earnestly lectures canadians that the mighty tar sands are a boon to the national economy because alberta s. The alberta tar sands have become synonymous with global climate change, but their production process wreaks destruction across a huge region of north americas boreal forest. Development, mining and exploration in the athabasca oil. Oil sands, tar sands, crude bitumen, or more technically bituminous sands, are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. The alberta tar sands have become synonymous with global climate change, but their production process wreaks destruction across a huge region of. The selling of alberta tv movie 2008 quotes on imdb. What to call albertas reserves is raising a fuss, but for wrong reason, research indicates. The syncrude tar sands site, on april 27, 2015 outside of fort. Find tar sands stock images in hd and millions of other royaltyfree stock photos, illustrations and vectors in the shutterstock collection. Its the latest sign that the massive expansion the industry planned at.
Climate change guide the tar sands in alberta facebook. On the other hand, they offer a stable source of energy and economic growth. The tar sands or bitumen a mixture of sand, clay and heavy crude oil underlie 140,000 km2 of albertas boreal forest, an area approximately the size of the entire state of new york. Oil goes into a tailings pond at the suncor tar sands operations near fort mcmurray, alberta, sept. The alberta tar sands are one of the biggest oil reserves in the world. This sump serves as the toxic waste dump for the poisonous sludge that is the byproduct of extracting oil from oil sands.
Canadas tar sands are located in the northern half of the province of alberta along with some deposits in neighbouring saskatchewan. 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. May 14, 2015 canada the tar sands in alberta is by far canadas worst environmental disaster. While tar sands have been in production since the late 1960s, and currently account for about 5 percent of all u. If we cannot find this solution, we may run out of bitumen one day and leave a more polluted planet for future generations. Exxon mobil, bp, chevron, and syncrude are just a few companies invested in what they term the oil sands.
The fortunes of canadian tar sands oil changed overnight this week. Total up the scores, and drivers in alberta and all citizens of canada have been shortchanged, not enriched, by their governments investment in the alberta tar sands. In 1967 suncor helped pioneer the commercial development of. Oct, 2015 with oil prices falling precipitously, capitalintensive projects rooted in the heavy crude mined from albertas oil sands are losing money, contributing to the loss of about 35,000 energy. In the province of alberta in western canada lies what is presumably the worlds largest toxic lake and it gets a little bit bigger day by day. With oil prices falling precipitously, capitalintensive projects rooted in the heavy crude mined from albertas oil sands are losing money, contributing to. We must work to find a solution that will limit emissions and habitat damage to benefit from this natural resource. Tar sands critically examines the frenzied development in the canadian tar. Coal bankruptcies reveal the future of alberta tar sands.
With tar sands development, growing concern on water use. Oil sands, tar sands, crude bitumen, or more technically bituminous sands, are a type of. Oil from sand oil boom in the canadian sand cbs news. The alberta tar sands hold much of canadas oil wealth. May 23, 2012 catherine mann and stacy feldman of insideclimate news recently tried to tally up all the different pipeline projects in the works to transport albertas tarsands oil abroad. As a result, canadas greenhouse gas emissions have grown more since 1990 than those of any other g8 nation. Oct 21, 2014 uncertainly over the keystone xl pipeline and a slump in oil prices are prompting several big companies to halt plans to extract oil from the alberta tar sands. Mar 20, 2014 you might expect the biggest foreign lease owner in canadas oil sands, or tar sands, to be one of the international oil giants, like exxon mobil or royal dutch shell. While over 100 countries worldwide made progress, canada was left behind. On ravaged tar sands lands, big challenges for reclamation. Pages businesses medianews company climate change guide videos the tar sands in alberta.
Albertas 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. The athabasca oil sands, also known as the athabasca tar sands, are large deposits of bitumen. Just click the edit page button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the akas submission guide. Voyageur upgrader project in canadas oil sands after selling its stake to suncor energy inc. Aug 16, 2010 tar sands in alberta is canadas worst environmental disaster. Oil sands were the source of 62% of albertas total oil production and 47% of all oil. Campaigns against tar sands production have grown rapidly over the last four years. It was an hourlong flight, but i only got to see 10% of the pitmining operations. Jan 12, 2017 a thick and mucky claylike substance laden with a hydrocarbon called bitumen, tar sands have to be stripmined from the remote boreal forest of eastcentral alberta before being sent thousands of. Thousands of new, highquality pictures added every day. Washington lobbyists, newfie pipefitters, chinese investors and norwegian industrialists descend on tarsoaked fort mcmoney, a modernday eldorado, where rents are sky. Millions of barrels of thick tarry bitumen otherwise known as the alberta oilsands are being dug up or melted with injected steam every day and.
In 2014, alberta produced on average 590,000 barrels per day of crude oil. Mar 11, 2017 shells sale of dirty tar sands assets cleans up debt and spruces image. Aug 28, 2015 its the biggest energy project in the world. The alberta tar sands, located in northern canada, contain the largest deposits of bitumen oil in the world. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Washington lobbyists, newfoundland pipefitters, chinese investors and norwegian industrialists descend on tarsoaked fort mcmoney, a. What are tar sands and why should you oppose them and how to do it. Environmental impact of alberta tar sands horrible. 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. From the relative obscurity in alberta to an international lightning rod for people trying to address all manner of concerns from indigenous and community selfdetermination to peak oil and climate change criticisms of the largest industrial project in human history have gained 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. Dirty oil and the future of a continent, revised and updated edition nikiforuk, andrew on. Washington lobbyists, newfoundland pipefitters, chinese investors and norwegian industrialists descend on tar soaked fort mcmoney, a. Alberta lies a promise of addiction tar sands that can be refined into petroleum.
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. The size of this reserve makes it the third largest oil deposit in the. Big companies are pulling the plug on their projects in. The athabasca oil sands are the largest segment of the economy in alberta, making up just over 30 percent of the gross domestic product. Its the latest sign that the massive expansion the industry planned at the start of this decade is quickly falling apart. Coal bankruptcies reveal the future of alberta tar sands nives dolsak and aseem prakash contributor opinions expressed by forbes contributors are their own. The alberta energy regulator has approved a new northern alberta tar sandsoil sands extraction project over the objections of local indigenous communities concerned about its proximity to their traditional lands. It looks like we dont have any akas for this title yet. The syncrude tar sands site, on april 27, 2015 outside of fort mcmurray, canada. With tar sands development, growing concern on water use environmental questions about canadas massive tar sands development have long centered on greenhouse gas emissions. Crude bitumen is extracted from the mined tar sands through a process that mixes the tar sands with hot water to separate the bitumen from the sand. Washington lobbyists, newfie pipefitters, chinese investors and norwegian industrialists. Oil sands boom dries up in alberta, taking thousands of jobs. Washington lobbyists, newfie pipefitters, chinese investors and norwegian industrialists descend on tar soaked fort mcmoney, a modernday eldorado, where rents are sky.
Digging up tar sands wreaks havoc on albertas boreal forest. Download 522 tar sands stock photos for free or amazingly low rates. Oil or tar sands concept for canada alberta oil sands. Oil sands boom dries up in alberta, taking thousands of. Shells sale of dirty tar sands assets cleans up debt and. Surface mining of tar sands near fort mcmurray, alberta leaves huge, teethlike marks in the landscape. The selling of alberta questions how much is canada willing to sacrifice for a stake in the 21st centurys greatest energy bonanza. The tar sands generate an unbelievable 36 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per day, about as much a 1. Now there are mounting concerns about the huge volumes of water used by the oil industry and the impact on the vast mackenzie river basin.
Luc forsyth via flickr cc oil majors are dumping canadas tar sands assets and investors are walking away from new projects. 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. His articles has a bias and is written in a pessimistic tone against the tar sands, but is justified with concrete evidence. Canada investment in alberta tar sands is money down the. 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. Tar sands interrupted a canadian political explosion. For all of these reasons, some groups have labeled the oil sands an environmental menace. The alberta oil sands constitute one of the largest energy reserves on the planet. Major restructuring and consolidation of the albertadominated canadian oil and. Alberta regulator approves new tar sandsoil sands project. Pdf for much of the history of albertas tar sands, a series of visual conventions have shaped canadian.
Disturbing aerials reveal canadas vast tar sand mines. Tar sands stock photos download 522 royalty free photos. Alberta tar sands pollution suspected in rare cancer cases. Specialists had diagnosed three of his patients in the northern alberta village of fort chipewyan with cholangiocarcinoma a. These deposits are the second largest source of oil in the world, eclipsed only by saudi arabia. The alberta tar sands in canada are the largest industrial project on the planet, and the worlds most environmentally destructive. The pros and cons of tar sands show us that shortterm gains happen, but at the expense of longterm problems. Extracting crude from canadas oil sands is more complicated than. First nations cancer linked to oil sands toxins in wild. Bitumen, the sticky stuff that ancients used to glue the tower of babel together, is the worlds most expensive hydrocarbon. 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. With some tar sands oil selling at a loss, why is production still rising. Yet extracting the fossil fuel costs more than the profits its fetching. 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.