Oil sands are a mixture of sand and bitumen found in many countries, with Canada and Venezuela holding the largest deposits. Extraction is expensive and requires mining or in situ heating, followed by purification. Oil sands have been used since ancient times and are expected to continue to supply the world with oil as traditional sources deplete.
Oil sands are a mixture of sand and an organic liquid known as bitumen. The oil found in tar sand is sticky, black, and viscous. Many countries around the world have large deposits of the material, especially Canada and Venezuela. With the continued use of oil around the world, the need for new sources of oil has created a high demand for oil sands extraction. Until the 21st century, the cost to remove the oil from the sand portion exceeded profitability, but as the price per barrel rose dramatically in the early part of the century, so did the expansion of tar sand extraction.
Unlike traditional oil wells, oil sands extraction is a much more expensive and time consuming process. Crude oil generally oozes out of the ground under its own pressure; however, oil sands do not contain the same pressure and viscosity, so other methods must be employed. The most common practice for oil sands extraction is through mining or a process known as in situ, which heats the oil sands using steam or hot air. Additionally, a hydrotreating method must be used to purify the oil before it is sent to the refinery.
The oil sands are believed to have been exploited by humans since Neanderthal times, some 40,000 years ago. Archaeological evidence points to their use in building tools and structures in ancient Syria and Egypt. The process for separating oil from sand was perfected in France in 1742, according to the Oil Museum of France. This process used a vapor separation method to remove hydrocarbons, which could then be used as fuel. Today, oil derived from tar sands is commonly seen in the production of synthetic oils.
The level of potential in oil sands mining around the world is immense. Canada and Venezuela hold the equivalent of all of the world’s crude oil, with only each nation’s oil sand deposits. Other areas, such as the United States, Russia and the Middle East, also have vast reserves of oil sands. As traditional suppliers of crude oil, such as Saudi Arabia, deplete the rest of their reserves, the tar sands are expected to continue to supply the world with enough oil to compensate for the loss of traditional sources for decades.
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