Facts and Statistics

The Oil Sands Facts and Statistics page is stocked with the most up-to-date information about the oil sands and related issues.

The following facts and statistics are subject to change as new information becomes available. Check back periodically for updates.

Where applicable, external sources have been noted and linked appropriately.

Economics

• Alberta ranks third, after Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, in terms of proven global crude oil reserves.
• In 2010, Alberta’s total proven oil reserves were 170.8 billion barrels, or about 12% of total global oil reserves (1,469.6 billion barrels).
• Almost all of  Alberta’s proven oil reserves are found in Alberta's oil sands.  Of Alberta's total oil reserves 169.3 billion barrels, or about 99% come from the oil sands; and the remaining 1.5 billion barrels come from conventional crude oil.  Notably, Alberta accounts for an overwhelming majority (more than 96%) of Canada's oil reserves.

• In 2010, Alberta exported about 1.4 million barrels per day (bbl/d) of crude oil to the United States (U.S.), supplying 15% of U.S. crude oil imports, or 7% of U.S. oil demand. Total oil consumption for the U.S. in 2009 was 18.8 million bbl/d.  Canada as a whole exported 1.97 million bbl/d of crude oil  to the U.S., or about 21% of the U.S. total crude oil imports in 2010.
• In the fiscal year 2010/11, the Alberta government collected more than $3.7 billion in royalties from oil sands projects. This was the second fiscal year when oil sands became the top source of Alberta's non-renewable resource revenue.
• Oil sands investment declined to $10.6 billion in 2009, an almost 50 percent decrease from a record high $20.7 billion in 2008.  In 2010, oil sands investment has been projected to increase to $11.2 billion. 

Geography

• Alberta’s oil sands underlie 140,200 square kilometres (km²⁾ (54,132 square miles) of land in the Athabasca, Cold Lake and Peace River areas in northern Alberta. Together these oil sands areas contain an estimated 1.8 trillion barrels (initial volume in place) of crude bitumen. About 10% of this volume (169.3 billion barrels) is recoverable using current technology and is considered to be a proven reserve.
• The Alberta Crown owns 97% of oil sands mineral rights. Mineral rights owned by the Crown are managed by the Alberta Department of Energy on behalf of the citizens of the province.  The remaining 3% of the oil sands mineral rights in the province are held by the Federal Government within Aboriginal reserves, by successors in title to the Hudson's Bay Company, by the railway companies and by the descendents of original homesteaders through rights granted by the Federal Government before 1887.  These rights are referred to as "freehold rights".

Production

• Of the total 169.3 billion barrels of proven reserves, about 80% is considered recoverable by in-situ methods and 20% by surface mining methods. Oil sands within 75 meters of the surface can be mined; whereas, oil sands below this threshold must be extracted using in-situ methods.
• In 2010, Alberta's production of crude bitumen reached over 1.6 million bbl/d; of this surface mining accounted for 53% and in-situ for 47%.
• In 2010, about 58% of crude bitument production was sent for upgrading to SCO in the province.

Operating Upgraders in Alberta

• As of November 2011, there were more than 100 active oil sands projects in Alberta. Of these, six mining projects have been approved; five of these projects are currently producing bitumen. The remaining projects use various in-situ recovery methods.
• By 2020, crude bitumen production is expected to more than double to 3.5 million bbl/d.
• On average it takes about two tonnes of mined oil sands to produce a barrel of SCO.

Environment

• Alberta became the first jurisdiction in North America to legislate greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions for large industrial facilities.
• In 2007, Alberta passed the Specified Gas Emitters Regulation requiring all facilities in Alberta emitting over 100,000 tones of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent per year to reduce their emissions intensity by 12% from 2003-2005 levels starting in 2007.  This requirement is mandated under a regulation in the Climate Change and Emissions Management Act.
• For 2010 emission reporting period and ongoing forward basis, Alberta has reduced its emission threshold to 50,000 tonnes carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent which means that facilities emitting 50,000 carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent per year or more are not only required to report their emissions but also obligated to reduce their emissions intensity by 12 percent as well.
• Emitters that fail to meet this target have the option of buying Alberta-based carbon offsets, or paying $15 per tonne of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent  over reduction targets into the Climate Change and Emissions Management Fund. The fund supports projects and technologies aimed at reducing GHG emissions in the province.
• Facilities that emit between 50,000 and 100,000 tonnes CO₂ equivalent are only required to report their emissions and are not obligated to reduce their emissions intensity at this time.
• Total reported GHG emission from 90 Alberta facilities equalled 113.1 megatonnes in carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt of CO2e) in 2009 (i.e. one megatonne is equal to one million tonnes).
• Of the 113.1 Mt of CO2e, oil sands facilities accounted for the second largest source of emitters (37.1 % or 41.9 Mt). GHG emissions in the province from oil sands is reported in two parts: 1. Oil sands mining and upgrading: 26.9 Mt (23.8% of total GHG emissions in Alberta); 2. In-situ: 15 Mt (13.3% of total GHG emissions in Alberta).
• In 2009, the utilities sector was the largest source of GHG emissions in Alberta, with 40.5 % or 45.9 Mt making up the total amount reported.
• The province has now collected data for six consecutive reporting periods, including the 2009 emissions year. Since July 1, 2007, Alberta companies in all sectors have reduced their emissions by more than 23 million tonnes through operational changes and investing in verified offsets created by other Alberta projects (this number includes preliminary unaudited 2010 results).
• In 2008, the province released its 2008 Climate Change Strategy, establishing practical, achievable goals for further reductions in GHG emissions. The Strategy commits to taking action on three themes: conserving and using energy efficiently; implementing carbon capture and storage; and greening energy production. By 2050, Alberta will see a reduction of 200 Mt over business-as-usual projections. Alberta’s GHG reduction program continues to support a global clean energy future with 2010 emissions reductions being the equivalent of removing 1.3 million cars off the road and a Climate Change and Emissions Management Fund growing to $256 million as of September 2011.
• Oil sands make up about 6.5% of Canada’s overall GHG emissions and approximately 0.1% of the world’s emissions. 
• GHG emissions per barrel of oil from the oil sands have been reduced by an average of 29% between 1990 and 2009.
  

  

Alberta Environment offers more information on climate change and Alberta's greenhouse gas emissions reduction regulations. 

Land Management/Reclamation

• The Alberta Land Stewardship Act supports the Land-use Framework, designed to encompass province-wide strategies like promoting efficient use of lands.
• Alberta’s oil sands underlie 140,200 km² (54,132 square miles).
• To date, about 663 km² of land have been disturbed by oil sands mining activity (less than 1.75 % of Alberta’s boreal forest which covers over 381,000 km²).
• In March 2008, the Government of Alberta issued its first reclamation certificate to Syncrude Canada Ltd. for the 104 hectre parcel of land known as Gateway Hill, north of Fort McMurray.
• Up to date, over 67 km² of disturbed lands have been reclaimed. Industry has planted more than 7.5 million tree seedlings towards reclamation efforts. Mine operators are required to supply reclamation security bonds to ensure requirements are met. Reclamation certificates are not issued until monitoring through time demonstrates that these particular lands meet the Alberta Environment criteria for return to self-sustaining ecosystems.

• As of March 31, 2010, the province held over $946 million in such bonds from the oil sands industry. The Government of Alberta and private industry have each invested more than $1 billion in oil sands research.  Combined efforts and investments of both the public and private sectors will continue to advance scientific and technological solutions that will reduce the environmental footprint of oil sands progress and augment economic advancement.

• Energy research initiatives like the National Institute for Nanotechnology at the University of Alberta in partnership with the federal and provincial governments are using nanotechnology to explore and develop innovations to accelerate improvements in the environmental and economic performance in the energy sector. An example of this research is a $1.8 million dollar fund to develop new methods of reclaiming disturbed sites to full forest.

• In July 2008, Government of Alberta committed an additional $2 billion in grant funding specifically for public transit, as part of the provincial Climate Change Action Plan. Also known as Green TRIP (Green Transit Incentives Program), this investment promotes the use of local, regional, and inter-city public transit and supports new public transit services across the province.

Carbon Capture and Storage

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a technology that can be used in a number of industries to reduce CO₂ emissions, including those produced by oil sands bitumen upgrading. In 2008 Alberta announced a $2 billion investment in CCS.  More information is available from Carbon Capture and Storage; Solutions Start Here.

Water Usage

• Alberta Innovates – Energy and Environment Solutions, through the Alberta Water Research Institute, is collaborating with global technology leader GE Power and Water Process Technologies on a $15 million collaborative project focused on technology to improve the treatment and re-use of water in some oil sands operations.

• The Water Management Framework imposes strict limits on water usage for the Lower Athabasca River. For instance, a week-by-week cap on how much water oil sands companies can remove is directly linked to the natural (increasing or decreasing) flow of the river. In addition, a cap is placed on how much water can be removed by all oil sands projects (existing or approved) on an annual basis. Together all oil sands projects can withdraw no more than 3% of the average yearly flow of the Athabasca River for their business use. In 2010, total usage was 0.74% of the long-term average annual flow. During periods of low river flow, Alberta Environment limits water consumption to 1.3% of annual average flow. At times, this can mean that industrial users will be restricted to less than half of their normal requirements given current approved development.

• Water use by oil sands mining operations continues to decrease while production has significantly increased. Furthermore, many in-situ projects recycle up to 90% of the water used in their operations, and use deep-well saline water as an alternative to river water wherever possible. Industry is continually working on making production more efficient so water usage is further reduced. In mining operations, 7.5 to 10 barrels of water is used for every barrel of SCO produced; however, with recycle rates of 40 to 70% this means only 3 to 4.5 barrels of water make up is required; and for in-situ operations about 2.5 to 4 barrels of water is used for every barrel of bitumen produced; however, with recycle rates of 70 to 90% this means only 0.5 barrels of water make up is required.

Employment

• In 2010, about 140,000 people were directly employed in the mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction sector, including the oil sands.  In 2009, the energy sector accounted for 23.4% of Alberta’s GDP. Sources: Statistics Canda and Alberta Finance and Enterprise.