Talk:Athabasca oil sands

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Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment
This article is or was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Hannahtaanderson. Peer reviewers: KristinaRan, PatJardine.

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Oil sands versus tar sands
Given the discussion about "oil sand" versus "tar sand," I did 4 keyword searches using these terms on the American Geological Institute, international geological databse known as GEOREF.

The results were:


 * oil sands and Alberta - 2,003 citations, still in use
 * oil sands and Athabasca - 1,167 citations, still in use


 * tar sands and Alberta - 202 citations, still in use
 * tar sands and Athabasca - 201 citations, still in use

Both oil sands and tar sands are in current use. However, oil sands is the preferred terminology by about 10 to 1 in the scientific literature indexed by GEOREF.

Also, I looked at both terms in:

Neuendorf, K.K.E., J.P. Mehl, Jr., and J.A. Jackson, eds. (2005) Glossary of Geology (5th ed.). Alexandria, Virginia, American Geological Institute. 779 pp. ISBN 0-922152-76-4.

Both are listed as accepted geologic terms. Tar sand is defined as a type of oil sand in which the lighter fractions of crude oil have escaped, leaving a residual asphalt filling the pore space of the sand. Oil sand is defined as a term that is applied loosely to any porous stratum, specifically a sandstone or unconsolidated sand, containing petroleum or impregnated with hydrocarbons It seems that both terms are perfectly good terms and, at least, as far as geologists go there is nothing derogatory about the term tar sands. It is just that papers discussing to these hydrocarbon deposits favor oil sands over tar sands. Paul H. (talk) 17:56, 3 March 2018 (UTC)


 * Interesting. It would be instructive see a similar comparison within the environmental advocacy literature, though I think it obvious the ratio will be very different. It is that difference which shows the polarization of the terminology.LeadSongDog come howl!  18:34, 24 July 2019 (UTC)

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The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 22:41, 7 November 2018 (UTC)
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Major work on lead to confirm content with RS
Following some bold edits the 2020 maintenace tag will be removed.Oceanflynn (talk) 23:47, 6 February 2024 (UTC)

History
Suggested edit in an effort to shorten article in general:

"When Cree trader Wa-pa-su brought a bitumen sample to Hudson's Bay Company post in 1719, the Athabasca oil sands came to the attention of European fur traders active in that region. Peter Pond explored the area in 1778, followed by Alexander Mackenzie in 1788 and others. John Richardson conducted the first scientific assessment in 1848, with government-sponsored surveys beginning in 1875. In 1888, Robert Bell suggested the presence of extensive petroleum fields. Count Alfred von Hammerstein promoted the oil sands from 1897 onwards. In 1926, Karl Clark patented a hot water separation process, laying the groundwork for modern extraction techniques."

RS to be added where needed based on existing text.Oceanflynn (talk)

Suggested restructuring of article
With potential sections:
 * Introduction or Overview,
 * Geology and formation,
 * Extraction and processing,
 * Environmental and social impacts,
 * Economic importance,
 * Future outlook

Existing sections as of 6 January 2024:
 * Lead
 * History
 * History subsection
 * Oil sands production in the 21st century
 * Oil sands production in the 21st century subsection
 * Future production
 * Governance
 * Development
 * Bitumen extraction
 * Bitumen extraction subsection
 * Environmental impacts
 * Environmental impacts subsection
 * Population
 * Estimated oil reserves
 * Economics
 * Geopolitical importance
 * Indigenous peoples of the area
 * Impact of oil sands and pipeline development on Indigenous groups
 * Oil sand companies
 * Court ordered sanctions
 * See also
 * Notes
 * References
 * Further reading
 * Video material

Introduction or Overview

 * Lead
 * History
 * History subsection
 * Oil sands production in the 21st century
 * Oil sands production in the 21st century subsection
 * Future production
 * Governance
 * Development

Extraction and Processing

 * Bitumen extraction
 * Bitumen extraction subsection

Environmental and Social Impacts

 * Environmental impacts
 * Environmental impacts subsection
 * Population
 * Impact of oil sands and pipeline development on Indigenous groups
 * Indigenous peoples of the area

Economic Importance

 * Economics

Future Outlook
Oceanflynn (talk) 00:31, 7 February 2024 (UTC)
 * Geopolitical importance
 * Oil sand companies
 * Court-ordered sanctions