What strategies are being used to extract oil sands at Suncor?
Oil sands process and production Suncor extracts bitumen in two ways: mining and in situ.
When was Suncor base plant built?
The 45,000 barrel per day project officially opens on September 30, 1967.
How is oil sands extracted?
Currently, 20% of oil sands reserves are accessible via mining techniques. Large shovels scoop the oil sand into trucks which then move it to crushers where the large clumps of earth are processed. Once the oil sand is crushed, hot water is added so it can be pumped to the extraction plant.
Does Suncor refine its own oil?
We process oil sands crude into the high-quality refined products that consumers demand. Suncor operates refineries in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, Canada, and in Colorado, USA.
Who is Canada’s largest oil company?
Enbridge is the largest oil and gas company based in Canada. As of 2021, it had generated a revenue of some 33.7 billion U.S. dollars in its previous fiscal year. Enbridge is the country’s largest midstream company and based in Calgary, Alberta.
When did the tar sands begin?
| Athabasca oil sands | |
|---|---|
| Partners | Chevron Corporation, Marathon Oil, ConocoPhillips, BP, Occidental Petroleum |
| Field history | |
| Discovery | 1848 |
| Start of production | 1967 |
What is oil sand used for?
Oil sand is a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay or other minerals, water and bitumen, which is a heavy and extremely viscous oil. It must be processed before it can be used by refineries to produce fuels such as gasoline and diesel.
Are oil sands good for the environment?
Oil sands (e.g., diluted bitumen) can negatively impact the environment and human health. Mining oil sands in Alberta, Canada, has led to degradation of forests and parts of the Athabasca River watershed. Short-term exposure to diluted bitumen can increase the risk of cancer and respiratory and neurological diseases.
How are oil sands usually recovered?
Currently, 80% of oil sands reserves are accessible via in-situ techniques. Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) is currently the most widely used in-situ recovery method. This method requires the drilling of two horizontal wells, one slightly higher than the other, through the oil sands deposit.
Who started the oil sands?
Great Canadian Oil Sands, formed by Sunoco in 1952, started up the first large-scale oil sands mine and bitumen upgrader in 1967. Now known as Suncor Energy, its Base Plant operations would undergo several phases of expansions over the next 50 years.
How did the Alberta oil sands start?
Alberta’s oil sands were formed millions of years ago, as tiny marine creatures died and drifted to the sea floor and were covered by layers of sediment that exerted enough pressure and temperatures to transform the organic matter into oil. Over millions of years, that oil became trapped in thick layers of sand.
Who owns oil fields in Canada?
More than 52 percent of “oilsands production” is owned by American shareholders, which is more than twice the level of Canadian ownership, she added. Another 5.2 percent of production is owned by Chinese state-owned companies, according to the report.
What are the advantages of oil sands?
Very large supply. Second largest oil field in the world.