Faq

Glossary

Bitumen:

A naturally occuring viscous mixture of hydrocarbons that in its naturally occuring state is not recoverable at a commercial rate through a well. The molasses like substance which comprises up to 18% of oil sand.

Bucketwheel Excavator:

A mining machine which utilizes toothed buckets mounted on the rim of a revolving wheel to scoop up oil sand and deposit it on a conveyor system.

Coke:

The solid black hydrocarbon left as a residue after the volatile hydrocarbons have been removed from bitumen by distillation.

Cokers:

The vessels in which bitumen is "cracked" into its fractions.

Conventional Crude Oil:

Oil which can be recovered through a well.

Core Drilling:

The process to recover core samples of rock or sand formations. A tube with cutting edges on the bottom circumference is lowered into the well bore on the drill pipe and rotated to cut a cylindrical sample.

Cracking:

The process of breaking down the large, heavier and more complex hydrocarbon molecules into simpler, lighter molecules.

Diluent:

A liquid used to dilute bitumen to the point where it will flow. Naptha is the most commonly used diluent in the oil sands industry.

Dragline:

A mining machine which drops a heavy toothed bucket on a cable from the end of a boom into the oil sand, then drags the bucket through the deposit, scooping up the sand. Once full, the bucket is raised and emptied into a windrow.

Extraction:

The process by which the bitumen is separated from the sand, water and other impurities.

Froth:

A mixture of air, water and bitumen which rises to the surface of the primary separation vessel.

Hydrophilic:

Tending to dissolve in, mix with, or be wetted by water.

Hydrotransport:

The fluid transport of oil sand to extraction by pipeline rather than conveyors.

In Situ:

Means in-place. It is the new mining process for recovering bitumen from deep oil sand deposits. One method is steam assisted gravity drainage.

Lease:

A long-term agreement which permits the holder to produce oil from the oil sand.

Middlings:

The mixture of water, clay, sand and bitumen that remains between the bitumen froth at the surface and the sand at the bottom of a primary separation vessel.

Mineable Oil Sand:

Oil sand which can be recovered by surface mining.

Muskeg:

A water soaked form of peat, sphagnum moss, one to three meters thick, found on top of the overburden.

Oil Sand:

Sand and rock material which contain crude bitumen.

Overburden:

The layer of sand, gravel and shale which overlies the oil sands.

Primary Separation Vessel:

The vessel in which the first separation of bitumen from sand takes place.

Reclamation:

Returning disturbed land to a productive state.

Suncor Energy:

Company operating an oil sands operation in the Athabasca Oil Sands.

Syncrude Canada Ltd:

Company operating an oil sands operation in the Athabasca Oil Sands.

Synthetic Crude Oil:

Crude oil produced by upgrading bitumen. Considered synthetic because its original hydrocarbon mark has been altered in the upgrading process.

Tailings:

Waste products from the mining, extraction, and upgrading process.

Tailings Pond:

An enclosure to contain tailings.

Upgrading:

The conversion of bitumen into synthetic crude oil.