Oil Sands Publications and Maps

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This section contains publications relating to Oil Sands that Alberta Energy has produced. Oil sands are deposits of bitumen, a heavy black viscous oil that must be rigorously treated to convert it into an upgraded crude oil before it can be used by refineries to produce gasoline and diesel fuels. Until recently, Alberta's bitumen deposits were known as tar sands but are now referred to as oil sands.
This collection of information will help you learn about Oil Sands in Alberta.

Reports

Activity Reports 
Monthly Industry Activity Reports
The reports included information on new licences, spuds, land sales, rig activity and well completions.  

Study Reports
CHOPS:
Cold Heavy Oil Production with Sand in the Canadian heavy oil industry
This report explores the technical, economic and environmental issues related to CHOPS, refers to other new processes and emerging production technologies, and details emerging possibilities for expanding or prolonging CHOPS production in Alberta.

Fact Sheets

These documents provide information about the Oil industry in Alberta. If you have further questions, see the Frequently Asked Questions portion of our site.

Talk About Oil Sands 
Oil Sands and Environmental facts

Talk About Tenure (Oil Sands)
On a yearly basis, the province holds an average of 24 public offerings. Over the last five years, the province issued an average of 350 oil sands agreements per year.

Talk About Tenure(Petroleum & Natural Gas)

Talk About Gasoline
Are Alberta gasoline prices competitive? What are the components of the gasoline price? Why is gasoline so expensive if the oil and the refineries are here in Alberta?

Talk About Upgrading and Refining
This fact sheet examines refining capacity in Alberta and upgrader projects currently scheduled or undergoing construction.

Talk About Royalties
Royalties help fund important programs like health, education and infrastructure. They ensure that Albertans receive a portion of the benefits arising from the development of the province’s energy resources. This fact sheet explains what royalties are and how they are calculated.

Publications

Alberta's Oil Sands 2008
A brief explanation of the Oil Sands, the reserves and production methods. 

Alberta's Energy Industry Overview and Economic Impact
Oil Sands and Conventional Oil, Natural Gas, Petrochemicals, Minerals, Electricity, Energy Sector Highlights and Economic Impact and Hydrocarbon Resources

Oil Sands Royalty System Paper
This paper was presented May 2, 1996, therefore key issues and options are included rather than the definitive positions that will be used for the new regulation. [last updated: May 1996]

UNITAR - Alberta's Oil Sands: Update on the Generic Royalty Regime
This paper provides an overview of the Province of Alberta's new oil sands royalty regime. The paper will discuss the development, objectives, and features of the regime including a discussion of the Act amendments, and the regulation and business rules. [last updated: Oct 1998]

UNITAR - The New Paradigm
Many observers believe oil sands development in Alberta is now poised to enter a period of unprecedented growth and expansion. This paper will examine the basis for current development plans and why we believe these expectations are more realistic and sustainable. [last updated: Oct 1998]

The following publications have a broader scope of the oil and gas industry

North American Oil Reserves[2008]

Oil and Gas Fiscal Regimes of the Western Canadian Provinces and Territories
This report summarizes the petroleum fiscal regimes for the Western Canadian provinces and territories. Descriptions are provided for each resource commodity: oil sands, crude oil, and natural gas and natural gas by-products. [last updated: January 2008]

Oil Sands Opportunity Balance
Actions taken in Alberta to ensure the oil sands are developed in a responsible way.  It provides the Alberta government’s vision for environmental protection during oil sands development, as well as Alberta’s vision for developing one of the world’s largest deposits of oil. [2008]

Alberta's Oil and Gas Tenure Brochure
The information contained in this publication is of an explanatory nature, and is intended to provide an overview of Alberta's petroleum and natural gas land tenure system. (2005)
[The P&NG and Oil Sands Sales Processes are similar - Page 7]

Presentations

The Alberta Oil Sands, A World of Opportunity (2008)
(approximately 18 minutes)

Future Business Solutions for Marketing Alberta's Oil Sands (2001)
A one-day workshop by the Department of Energy focused on the development of Alberta's heavy oil industry and the additional upgrading and refining capacity required to meet the needs of this growing supply.

Maps

Alberta’s Oil Sands Leased Area 

Alberta's Current and Proposed Oil Sands Projects (Printable version)

This section of maps contains oil sands region and zones if you require more information please see, Declaration of Oil Sands. 

Overview of the current disposed oil sands agreements (land holdings) in Alberta. Areal Extent [mid 2006]

Escalating Rent Areas - Areas A and B
When an oil sands lease is subject to escalating rent, the additional rent payment is based upon which escalating rent area the agreement is situated.

Deeper Rights Reversion Zone Designation (DRRZD)
DRRZD identifies a zone by its name. As noted in ERCB Decision 95-10, historically the name of the zone identified within type wells takes precedence over the depths identified in terms of utilizing a DRRZD.

ERCB Table of Formations (Energy Resources Conservation Board)

 

Last reviewed/revised: 2007-08-23