Where are oil sands deposits located in Alberta?
Oil sands deposits occur around the world, but Alberta sits atop the largest known deposits. Alberta’s oil sands are found in three main areas: Athabasca, Cold Lake, and Peace River, which combined cover more than 140 800 square kilometres (see map on next page). The deposits are buried at varying depths beneath the earth’s surface and are covered by muskeg, sandstone, and shale, which together are known as overburden. The Athabasca oil sands area is perhaps the best known of the three regions due to the large open pit mines and numerous in situ projects in the area.
