Oil from tar sands--a significant new plant

Journal Article · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1967 · World Pet.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6300555

Uhl, W C

The first synthetic crude oil from Canada's Athabasca tar sands has been in commercial production since October, when the new 45,000 b/cd (design capacity) installation of Great Canadian Oil Sands Ltd. at Fort McMurray, Alberta, began operations. Besides the oil, the plant is designed to produce about 2,600 tons/cd of petroleum coke, for use as plant fuel, and 314 tons/cd of sulfur. The synthetic crude is flowing through a new 266-mile pipeline to Edmonton. The new McMurray plant has the capability to continue at the 45,000 b/cd rate for about 30 years. Compared with the ultimate potential of Canada's tar sands, this is only a tiny fraction of the total. Athabasca reserves are estimated at as much as 600 thousand million barrels of bitumen in place, with half of it recoverable economically. An accompanying map of Canada and the northen U.S. shows the relationship of McMurray to Edmonton, the pipelines, etc. A block diagram of the flow at McMurray, from mining to major products, is also shown. A description of the major process steps is given.

• OSTI ID: 6300555
• Journal Information: World Pet.; (United States), Journal Name: World Pet.; (United States) Vol. 38:13; ISSN WOPTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040402* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Surface Methods
ALBERTA
ATHABASCA DEPOSIT
BITUMENS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CANADA
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CARBONIZATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COKE
COKING
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MATERIALS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
OIL SAND DEPOSITS
OIL SANDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PIPELINES
PRODUCTION
RECOVERY
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SULFUR
SYNTHETIC FUELS
SYNTHETIC PETROLEUM
TAR