Oil Sands
Oil sands are a mixture of sand, water, clay and bitumen (oil) that originally formed in warm sea beds. The Canadian oil sands region is home to an estimated 174 billion barrels of oil, 97% of Canada's total oil reserves.
Shallow oil sand deposits (up to about 75 metres deep) account for about 20% of the reserves and are accessed via open mines. Once the oil sand is removed, it is treated with hot water to separate the bitumen from the sand. Many heavy equipment operators are needed here to operate the shovels that collect the oil sands and drive the enormous oil sands trucks from the mine site to the processing facility.
Resources that are located too far below the surface to mine are accessed via in situ bitumen recovery. Wells are drilled for this oil, just like wells in the conventional oil industry, but more help is needed to get the bitumen to flow up the wellbore. Technology use and innovation is critical. One recovery method is Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD), where steam is pumped into the reservoir to heat and separate the bitumen, which is then pumped out of the earth.
In recent years, the oil and gas industry has experienced tremendous growth in Alberta's oil sands region. Until recently, however, it was not cost effective to extract and produce this oil. What changed? The price of oil has risen in the global marketplace due to increased demand, and advances in technology have made it cheaper to produce and distribute these resources.
More than 80% of Canada's future oil production is expected to come from the oil sands by 2020. Because of this growing production, the oil sands sector is in a heavy construction phase and trades people are in high demand.
- Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP)CAPP represents the exploration and production companies, many of which are active in the oil sands.
- Canada Oil Sands Forum
CAPP initiative to listen and respond more effectively to concerns about the environmental and social impacts of developing Canada's oil sands. - Alberta Oil Sands
Government of Alberta oilsands industry website. - Oil Sands Developer Group
The Oil Sands Developers Group (OSDG), formerly known as the Athabasca Regional Issues Working Group (RIWG), plays an important role in addressing the need for accurate, credible information about Athabasca oil sands activity. - Oil Sands Discovery Centre
This site presents a brief history of the oil sands region, along with some fact sheets about oil sands recovery and processing. - Fort McMurray Labour Market Information
This site describes jobs, salaries and working and living conditions of the Fort McMurray area. - Government of Alberta: Energy
The Alberta Energy Department promotes development of Alberta's energy and mineral resources, recommends and implements energy and mineral related policy, grants rights for exploration and development to industry and establishes and administers fiscal regimes and royalty systems. - Centre for Energy Oil Sands and Heavy Oil
This site provides an overview of oil sands.
Interested in working in the oil sands? You have a huge range of career options! Check out:
