6. Size…
largest known hydrocarbon deposit
1.7 to 2.5 trillion barrels in deposit
2nd
largest petroleum reserves in the world
(Saudi Arabia has largest)
175 billion barrels of bitumen deemed
recoverable (15% of the world reserves)
With newer technologies, up to 2.5 trillion
barrels might be recovered
8. Geographical Comparison
larger than the state of Florida
2 X size of New Brunswick
4.5 X size of Vancouver Island
greater than the entire country of Honduras
(112,088 sq. km)
10. Current production
Currently, 1.1 million barrels bitumen/day
about 1/3 Alberta’s total oil production
expected to rise to 2.7 million barrels / day by
2015
oil sands could supply Canada’s energy
needs for 475 years
or total world needs for up to 15 years
12. Currently industry recovers 1.1 million barrels of
bitumen / day
= about 1/3 Alberta’s total oil production
expected to rise to 2.7 million barrels / day by
2015
oil sands could supply Canada’s energy needs
for more than 475 years
or total world needs for up to 15 years
14. Open pit mining:
19% of reserve close to the surface
‘truck and shovel mining’ method
move enough ‘overburden’ [sic] and oil sands
every 2 days to fill Toronto’s Skydome
2 tonnes must be dug up, moved and
processed to produce 1 barrel of oil
18. Extraction, processing and end-
products
hot water extraction technique is used to
separate bitumen from oil sands
75% of the bitumen can be recovered from
sand
21. 70% used for transport fuels—gasoline,
diesel, jet fuel
28. Alternative extraction methods
81% of oil sands reserves too deep to be
open pit mined (deeper than 75 metres)
other processes are being developed
leading process, at the moment, are in situ
steam operations
E.g. Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage
(SAGD).
32. Economic impacts
Alberta GDP was $183 billion (2006)
GDP growth rate of 6.6%
Alberta unemployment rate 3.4 % (March 2008)
CPI Inflation Rate 3.5 % (Jan 2008)
Alberta’s GDP per capita was $58,394
45% above Canadian average of $40,351
40% above second place Ontario
$100B investment expected between 2000-2020