Splittin' the Mud -The Alberta Oil Sands Boom
Will "Dirty Oil" Bring Canada Big Bucks or a Bad Rep?
Jun 18, 2009
Saudi Arabia may have a new rival in the global demand for liquid transportation fuel. The Alberta Oil Sands (once referred to as “tar sands”) contains the largest amount of recoverable bitumen in the world with almost 172.7 billion barrels available for extraction.
As scientists and engineers continue to promise cheaper and safer ways of converting bitumen into synthetic crude oil, environmentalists warn that its development will only tarnish Canada’s image as a nation committed to the struggle against global warming.
What is Bitumen Anyway?
Think of tar mixed in with mud spread over an area larger than the state of Florida and you got the Alberta Oil Sands. The “tar” in question is bitumen and it must first be separated from the mud before being upgraded into marketable crude oil. This process places a huge burden on the environment – Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions have grown an alarming rate ever since the big Oil Sand Boom happened in the 90s.
Tailing Ponds – From “Dirty Oil” Comes Dirty Water
After "rinsing" bitumen out of mud and upgrading it to crude oil, huge amounts of wastewater is dumped into tailing ponds contained by large dikes and dams. In a recent media release published on oilsandswatch.org by the Pembina Institute, environmentalists continue to voice concerns over the reality of toxic waste seeping into ground water as well as the lack of a commercially viable method for cleaning tailing ponds.
Bitumen May Cause Side Effects
Fish with bulging eyes, skin tumours, crooked tails and humpbacks are the least of Fort Chipewyan’s worries. The First Nations community living upstream from an oil sands mine has experienced a dramatic rise in a rare form of cancer usually affecting 1 in 100,000. The cases were reported by Dr. John O’Connor, the community's long time fly-in physician whose findings have been challenged by the Alberta government.
Alberta Receives Environment Award From Aspen Institute
In March 2009, Alberta was awarded the prestigious 2009 Energy and Environment Award for its $2 billion investment in a carbon and storing initiative. Environmentalists are skeptical as this new technology has never been used on a scale big enough to impact the Oil Sands Industry. This costly initiative is the industry’s best hope of curbing the rise greenhouse gases in Canada.
Under Alberta Law, Any Disturbed Land Must Be Reclaimed
Tearing up huge amounts of Alberta’s wilderness is essential for “dirty oil” production. Since the advent of oil sands projects in the late ‘60s, only a single location, a 104-hectare site called Gateway Hill, has been restored. Critics argue, however, that this location was a holding area rather than an actual mining site and contest the notion that habitats can be restored back to their natural state.
The Alberta Oil Sands Industry’s ability to thrive amidst a sea of controversy can only be explained by the drive and determination of its most ardent supporters. Despite warnings from environmentalists, the government of Alberta continues to be one of those supporters, remaining fiercely committed to the promise of "dirty oil". "The free-market system will solve this,” stated Premier Stalmach, as quoted in National Geographic’s March 2009 article The Canadian Oil Boom.
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