Petroleum and Tars Sands

By Cameron Aenlle-Rocha &

Chris Parker

What are Tar Sands?

• Combination of clay, sand, water, and bitumen, a heavy black thick oil.

• Tar sands are mined• Tar Sands does not come in a liquid form in its

natural state• Tar Sands are processed to extract the oil-rich

bitumen, which is then refined into oil.

Tar Sands Resourcefulness

• Much of the worlds oil is found in tar sands• Tar sands recently classified as part of the

world’s oil reserves • Not all of that oil is recoverable• Largest deposit of Tar Sands is found in

Canada and Venezuela• 20% of US crude oil and products come from

Canadian tar sands

Tar Sands Resourcefulness

• The United States is starting to explore Tar Sands as an alternative to conventional oil

• The making of liquid fuel from tar sands requires energy for steam injection and refining

• Process generates 12% more greenhouse gasses per barrel that the production of conventional oil

Advantages and Disadvantages

• Relatively new form of energy• World has yet to really explore this option in

forms of mass energy production

• Water, sand, waste, and minerals must be removed from tar sands

• Not very effective refinement process• Refinement

Petroleum to Gasoline

• Extracted from the ground• Refinery• Shipped around the country via pipelines• Pump System

Demand for Petroleum

• 35.1% of Total Energy demand• 19.1 Million barrels of oil a year• 50% more oil needed now that in 1973 (1st

crisis)

• Petroleum replaces coal (WWII)• Import half of crude oil

More Numbers

• 2.22% Heating Oil• 4.45% Heavy Fuel Oil• 4.44% Liquefied pet. Gases• 9% Jet Fuel• 15% Other products• 22% Diesel• 42% Gasoline

Use for Petroleum

• Gasoline, Fertilizers, Plastics, even Medicine

• Fuels cars, jets and other modes of transportation

Advantages

• Living the way we have been in the recent past

• State and Federal lawes strickly regulate petroleum in an attempt to minimize negative effects

Disadvantages

• Pollution (Air and Water)

• Wildlife Habitat Damage (Water and Land)

Work Cited

• http://www.treehugger.com/fossil-fuels/canadas-tar-sands-so-destructive-it-makes-its-well-paid-workers-want-quit-video.html

• http://ostseis.anl.gov/guide/tarsands/index.cfm

• http://www.need.org/needpdf/infobook_activities/SecInfo/PetroS.pdf