Oil Sands

Name:
Oil Sands
Detailed information:
(tar sands). Porous sandstone structures occurring on the surface and to depths of 100 m or more in certain localities; they contain a high proportion of bitumen composed chiefly of asphaltenes and maltha, together with substantial percentage of sulfur and heavy metals. Its viscosity is about midway between that of crude oil and soft asphalt. The largest deposit in North America is in the Athabasca region of Alberta; there are smaller ones in the western U.S. Venezuela and Trinidad have large deposits. The Athabasca sands have been successfully mined and have made a substantial contribution to Canadian energy resources over the past decade.