Category Archives: Oil (Tar) Sands

Since the consistence is asphalt, tar sand is a better description

Nafeez Ahmed: Venezuela’s collapse is a window into how the Oil Age will unravel

Posted on June 17, 2019 by

Preface. Ahmed is one of the best writers on the energy crisis and other biophysical calamities. He’s written about why many states are failing now in part due to peak oil, but also drought and other biophysical factors in his … Continue reading →

Posted in Central & South America, Oil (Tar) Sands, Peak Oil | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Why tar sands, a toxic ecosystem-destroying asphalt, can’t fill in for declining conventional oil

Posted on October 27, 2018 by

[ This is a book review of Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent, 2010 edition, 280 pages, by Andrew Nikiforuk. Many “energy experts” have said that a Manhattan tar sands project could prevent oil decline in … Continue reading →

Posted in Oil (Tar) Sands | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

How long will the marriage of fracked oil and tar sands last?

Posted on September 29, 2017 by

[ Below is a post by Art Berman which I found interesting because I’m concerned about whether enough diesel can be made in the future to keep trucks running.  Light tight “fracked” oil is better at making plastics and gasoline … Continue reading →

Posted in Arthur Berman, Oil & Gas Fracked, Oil (Tar) Sands | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

House hearing on Canadian oil sands

Posted on December 14, 2016 by

House 112-128. March 20, 2012. The American Energy Initiative Part 17: A focus on the future of energy technology with an emphasis on Canadian oil sands. U.S. House of Representatives. [ Excerpts from the 203 page transcript ] President Obama … Continue reading →

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Over and under-cooked oil — tar sands, “fracked” tight oil & gas, oil shale

Posted on September 4, 2016 by

[ This article discusses why it’s so hard and expensive to extract difficult oils like tar sands, oil shale, and tight “fracked” oil, for reasons such as: These are at the bottom of the resource pyramid, so there may be … Continue reading →

Posted in Oil & Gas Fracked, Oil (Tar) Sands, Oil Shale | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tar sand EROI 2013 Poisson and Hall

Posted on May 21, 2016 by

Alexandre Poisson, Charles A. S. Hall. 2013. Time Series EROI for Canadian Oil and Gas. Energies 2013, 6, 5940-5959 [ This is an extract from this 20-page paper. Tar sands are the hope offered by techno-optimists that a great deal … Continue reading →

Posted in Charles A. S. Hall, EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested, Oil (Tar) Sands | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Peak oil sands, low EROI, high debt, limited pipeline and refinery capacity

Posted on June 22, 2015 by

Peak tar sands, a.k.a. oil sands Techno-opmtimists claim that technology will enable nasty, sour, gunky, expensive, difficult unconventional oil to fill in the gap of declining conventional oil. Conventional oil is declining too quickly for unconventional to match But that’s … Continue reading →

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Mined Oil sands EROI 5, in-situ 2.9, or 1 if refinement, transportation, & environmental costs included

Posted on May 14, 2015 by

Nuwer, R. Feb 19, 2013. Oil Sands Mining Uses Up Almost as Much Energy as It Produces. InsideClimate News. EROI SURFACE MINED oil sands (20% of reserves) EROI 5  according to J. David Hughes research released Tuesday. EROI 5.5 to  … Continue reading →

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David Hughes: Peak oil sands in 2018

Posted on May 14, 2015 by

[ Tar sand production is peaking now in 2016 due to low oil prices, but even when oil prices go back up again, tar sands are one of the most expensive unconventional oil reserves to produce, and perhaps last in … Continue reading →

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New Threat to Oil sand Projects

Posted on May 14, 2015 by

Newfound Threat to Oilsand Projects Researchers discover ancient salt formation key factor in Alberta steam fracking disasters. By Andrew Nikiforuk, 28 Jul 2014, TheTyee.ca Also See: Next Oil sands Threat: Cracking Caprock A new study suggests that naturally occurring upward flow … Continue reading →

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