Geology of the Athabasca oil sands
Abstract
In-place bitumen resources in the Alberta oil sands are estimated at 1350 billion barrels. Open-pit mining and hot water extraction methods, which involve the handling of huge tonnages of earth materials, are being employed in the two commercial plants now operating. In situ recovery methods will be required to tap the 90% of reserves that are too deeply buried to be surface mined. Development of in situ technologies will be painstaking and expensive, and success will hinge on their compatibility with extremely complex geological conditions in the subsurface. 10 figures.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Alberta Research Council, Edmonton
- OSTI Identifier:
- 5441584
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal Name:
- Science; (United States)
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 207
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS; ATHABASCA DEPOSIT; GEOLOGY; BITUMENS; ECONOMICS; HOT-WATER PROCESSES; IN-SITU PROCESSING; OIL SAND DEPOSITS; RESERVES; SURFACE MINING; FLUID INJECTION PROCESSES; GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS; MINING; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PROCESSING; RESOURCES; TAR; 040201* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Site Geology- (-1989); 040300 - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Drilling, Fracturing & Mining
Citation Formats
Mossop, G D. Geology of the Athabasca oil sands. United States: N. p., 1980.
Web. doi:10.1126/science.207.4427.145.
Mossop, G D. Geology of the Athabasca oil sands. United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.207.4427.145
Mossop, G D. 1980.
"Geology of the Athabasca oil sands". United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.207.4427.145.
@article{osti_5441584,
title = {Geology of the Athabasca oil sands},
author = {Mossop, G D},
abstractNote = {In-place bitumen resources in the Alberta oil sands are estimated at 1350 billion barrels. Open-pit mining and hot water extraction methods, which involve the handling of huge tonnages of earth materials, are being employed in the two commercial plants now operating. In situ recovery methods will be required to tap the 90% of reserves that are too deeply buried to be surface mined. Development of in situ technologies will be painstaking and expensive, and success will hinge on their compatibility with extremely complex geological conditions in the subsurface. 10 figures.},
doi = {10.1126/science.207.4427.145},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5441584},
journal = {Science; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 207,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 11 00:00:00 EST 1980},
month = {Fri Jan 11 00:00:00 EST 1980}
}
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