Tar Sands: A Future Energy?

Definition of Tar Sands In a nutshell: gravels or sands that are saturated with very heavy crude oil. Think of a very soggy, new asphalt road.

Tar Sands: Process of Creation

Process of Creating Tar Sands The petroleum is created in the same fashion as other petroleum. However, over time, various processes have eliminated the lighter components of the crude oil.

Interest in Tar Sands: Little Until Recently Remote, very nasty location, cheap conventional crude oil, technology for extraction not yet developed: Perfect formula for ignoring tar sands until recently.

Interest in Tar Sands Development of expertise in drilling for oil in nasty remote places has made their location not the problem it was 30 years ago.

Interest in Tar Sands Canadians, mostly, have worked on the technology since the 1970’s, with assistance from their government and increasingly, US oil companies. Technology proven for the last 15 years.

Interest in Tar Sands Surge in price in the last decade, and issues of reliability, have suddenly made them much more popular.

Tar Sands: Location

Location of Tar Sands Two known sites, of very large size: Canada and Venezuela

Alberta, Canada

Venezuela

Location of Tar Sands Many other sites, of large size: US, Russia, other countries

Tar Sands: Advantages

Advantages of Tar Sands Enormous quantities. Developed technology. Converted to crude oil, can fit into existing system without change.

Advantages of Tar Sands: Enormous Quantities Canadian tar sands are estimated to have as much crude oil as Saudi Arabia has petroleum. At least. Ditto for Venezuela.

Advantages of Tar Sands: Enormous Quantities Ditto for Venezuela.

Advantages of Tar Sands: Developed Technology The technology is now developed, in place, and has been for at least 15 years. All we need to do is expand production.

Advantages of Tar Sands: No Great Change The final product is crude oil, same as crude oil from elsewhere. All we have to do is build more pipelines and refineries, and plug it into our current system. No change to anything!

Tar Sands: Disadvantages

Disadvantages of Tar Sands Energy hog to develop. Need to expand pipelines etc. in remote area. Production process very polluting. Contributes to global warming.

Disadvantages of Tar Sands: Energy Hog Different studies have produced different numbers, but all agree: Takes enormous amount of energy to produce: Anywhere from 20-50% as much energy as obtained.

Disadvantages of Tar Sands: Energy Hog Currently, uses natural gas for the process. Does this make sense?

Disadvantages of Tar Sands: Infrastructure Costs If we want to replace “foreign” oil with Canadian oil, we will need to dramatically expand the mining, refining, and pipeline system. Quite a few billion dollars necessary.

Disadvantages of Tar Sands: Local Pollution Uses enormous amounts of water, only a small portion is recycled. Very large scale strip mines. Local air pollution.

Disadvantages of Tar Sands: Global Warming Use adds more oil burning to rest of planet, with all the problems we talked about earlier: - Global warming - Air pollution - Etc.