Oil Sands are Alberta staples

Durry

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May 18, 2010
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Something that is slowly beginning to be realized is that the Oil Sands are not so bad after all.

Archives: 2011 | Financial Post ... -on-earth/

Quote:
"Facts are that petroleum from the oil sands is no dirtier, in terms of emissions and other health hazards, than California crude, many other imports to the United States and certainly coal. Even so, American environmentalists spread inaccuracies and threaten to seriously injure the oil-sands industry and Canadian living standards."

"The chucks are a pillar of the Stampede, which is, like most Alberta endeavours, an enormous private-sector success. The 10-day event, which will celebrate its centenary next year, attracts 1.2 million people and generates $127.2-million in economic activity.

Underpinning this success and the ebullient mood here this year is oil at US$100 a barrel and another oil-sands boom despite detractors south of the border. In 2010, Alberta produced 2.1 million barrels a day of oil, 1.5 million of which was from the oil sands, or nearly triple in 10 years.

It's a culture of enterprise and western traditions that has sprung despite its relative isolation and the world's most hostile climatic conditions. Criticism is without justification."

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taxslave

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Nov 25, 2008
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Most of us have always known that. Much of the complaints by ecoterrorists in the US comes from foundations that are backed by US oil interests that make more money from oil they own in third world countries and they don't want competition.
 

MHz

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Have they ever tried to use the stuff in 'raw form', it could cover every gravel road in NA and do it once and it would only need minor upkeep. Pot-holes would be a thing of the past, once fixed it would stay fixed rather than need the yearly repairs that are needed with the material usewd these days, and at 1/1000th of the price.
 

Durry

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Have they ever tried to use the stuff in 'raw form', it could cover every gravel road in NA and do it once and it would only need minor upkeep. Pot-holes would be a thing of the past, once fixed it would stay fixed rather than need the yearly repairs that are needed with the material usewd these days, and at 1/1000th of the price.

Yes, but in raw form it gets pretty soft at higher temperatures, like +25 C and higher !!
 

MHz

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That doesn't seem to hinder the rock-trucks that drive on it daily on site. You need it to be 'soft' when it is put in place.
 

Durry

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That doesn't seem to hinder the rock-trucks that drive on it daily on site. You need it to be 'soft' when it is put in place.

Not sure but I think the amount of bitumen is a pretty small amount in the sand mix. As well, I think they have to keep grading it as it tends to flow and cause ruts where the trucks travel.

But it is good stuff, the natives used it to seal the seams in their canoes.
 

MHz

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My point still is, why not find uses for it in it's natural form. Used for bike trails all you would need to do is 'iron it smooth'. As long as the weight on it when it is warm is greater than the normal traffic it isn't going anywhere. The grindings they get before the resurface paved streets is a similar product. Just driving around on a hot day and the leaving it sit in the dump-truck overnight is enough compaction so it is one lump.
Had the Indians used it to build roads they would have been a strongest Empire than old Rome, in theory. lol

Even the cleaned sand has a use simply because it is 'sharp' and not smooth like beach sand.

Since I have never actually worked those roads what happens to the 'rough areas' once it gets cold? I assume they keep that form until warmer temperatures allow them to be flattened out easily.

With the increase in pot holes I would buy tires as big in dia. as the old stage-coach ones.

Somebody should update that sealing part to apply it to the under-body of our 'metal canoes', that would add years to them that rust takes away. Making it granular like sugar would be easily done in the freezing temps that come naturally to that area. Warm up the target metal and it should stick when applied with low pressure air.

I'm actually a little surprise that Russia doesn't have tar-sands anyplace over there. If it is really good at sealing things air-tight and a good conductor of heat Chernobyl should be using if to at least some portion of the upgrades to the deteriorating tomb that is in use today.
 

gerryh

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Nov 21, 2004
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I'm actually a little surprise that Russia doesn't have tar-sands anyplace over there. If it is really good at sealing things air-tight and a good conductor of heat Chernobyl should be using if to at least some portion of the upgrades to the deteriorating tomb that is in use today.


OMG, do you even bother verifying, at least the plausibility, of your ramblings?
 

gerryh

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It could be used as a ball-gag, use only once. In other words STFU Do you know you are stalking me?


You stated that the "tar sands" could be used to seal Chernobyl reactors. I'm just asking if you even bother researching your ramblings as to the plausibility of these outrageous suggestions? So, do you? Or are you just talking out your ass?
 

Durry

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May 18, 2010
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My point still is, why not find uses for it in it's natural form. Used for bike trails all you would need to do is 'iron it smooth'. As long as the weight on it when it is warm is greater than the normal traffic it isn't going anywhere. The grindings they get before the resurface paved streets is a similar product. Just driving around on a hot day and the leaving it sit
.
No, you can't put it on roads, it leaches in the warm sun and rain and gets into the water course.
 

MHz

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No, you can't put it on roads, it leaches in the warm sun and rain and gets into the water course.
That's an answer I can accept, too bad, gravel roads could become a thing of the past, at roughly the same price as one years worth of graveling, let alone the other benefits.

You stated that the "tar sands" could be used to seal Chernobyl reactors.
I haven't seen their plans but I assume surrounding the 'elephant's foot' is a goal as well as containing the radiative material, especially the dust would be another goal. The 'donations are in the single digit billions so the refurbishing should be able to start. Not totally important by itself but Japan has several projects that will end up taking a similar route. In theory tar sands should compact into a tighter mass during an earthquake at a higher rate than normal dry sand, the same material that was the thickening agent for the melted rods. The 'tar should become a liquid if it surrounded that mass (in the case where it started to heat up there would be enough mass surrounding it that it would be able ti dissipate the heat at a rate fast enough to prevent 'a repeat'. It is looking at selling a product from AB that is 'unique' to being the best solution for 'fixing a N Power plant after it has exploded. Course the solution proposed is 'be happy' and radiation cannot harm you. lol That is what talking out of you ass sounds and smells like.

I'm just asking if you even bother researching your ramblings as to the plausibility of these outrageous suggestions?
As far as I know it isn't even known if the inside will be fumigated with crazy-glue to contain the dust during the construction phase.
That is outside of finding more uses for a product that we have more than enough of, at the rate we are going through the pile how long will it last, too long. and the conversion expenses will always be high just by other resources that are also
So, do you?
You can't research a 'new theory'
Or are you just talking out your ass?
See above.
 

gerryh

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I cannot imagine how anyone could think that bitumen would be a useful way to seal something hot.


And we're talking not only hot in temp, but also hot as in radiation levels. Too even think that bitumen would be any kind of protection against radiation shows ones complete ignorance about a subject.
 

winespius

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Bitumen in the unprocessed condition is unsuitable for civil applications for many reasons. It is full of coke, sand, heavy metals, and sulfur and the amount of tar varies tremendously...transportation is another problem. It would have to be trucked or trained from a remote location.
The only practical use for the stuff is to make synthetic crude oil.
 

MHz

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And we're talking not only hot in temp, but also hot as in radiation levels. Too even think that bitumen would be any kind of protection against radiation shows ones complete ignorance about a subject.
It hasn't heated up yet, the speculation is for many decades in the future, even the if it is surrounded by a big heavy mass that6 would absorb the buildup of heat. Who said anything about it being protection from radiation?
 

MHz

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Mar 16, 2007
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Bitumen in the unprocessed condition is unsuitable for civil applications for many reasons. It is full of coke, sand, heavy metals, and sulfur and the amount of tar varies tremendously...transportation is another problem. It would have to be trucked or trained from a remote location.
The only practical use for the stuff is to make synthetic crude oil.
On a basis of 1,000 tons of 'raw product' do you have any specs on what is produced and what is considered waste product?
How much more dangerous is that compared to living in Japan at the moment?

I can't understand how they make staples out of heavy oil.
You eat staples from the supermarket everyday, I doubt they have contributed to your 'present condition'.