What is the difference between oilsands, heavy oil and bitumen?
Oilsands are naturally occurring mixtures of bitumen, water, sand and clay that are found mainly in three areas of Alberta – Athabasca, Peace River and Cold Lake. A typical sample of oilsands might contain about 12 per cent bitumen by weight, although bitumen content can vary widely among specific samples and sites. If the oilsands deposits are close to the surface, bitumen can be recovered from the oilsands by open-pit mining and hot-water processing methods. Deeper deposits require in-situ methods such as steam injection through vertical or horizontal wells. (In-situ means “in-place” in Latin; the oil industry uses this term to indicate the bitumen is separated from the sand underground, in the geological formation where it occurs.) Surface mining is used in the Athabasca oilsands, while in-situ methods are used in all three major oilsands areas. Heavy crude oil includes some crude oil that will flow at room temperatures, however slowly, but most heavy oil also requires heat or dilut
