Characterisation of petrologic end members of oil sands from the athabasca region, Alberta, Canada

Abstract

AbstractThe aim of this study was to perform mineral and chemical characterisation of the four petrologic end members of Alberta oil sands in order to better understand the mineralogical and geochemical factors affecting bitumen extraction. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed that the petrologic end members contain a variable amount of quartz, clay minerals, carbonates, K‐feldspar, TiO2 minerals and pyrite and the Fe‐containing phases were also observed in Mössbauer spectra. Scanning electron microscopy‐energy dispersive X‐ray (SEM‐EDX) analysis also showed the presence of Fe–Ti oxide minerals. Mössbauer results also indicated the presence of lepidocrocite in the fine fractions in amounts below the detection limit of XRD. Interstratified illite–smectite was found only in clay‐rich petrologic end members. Calcite and dolomite were primarily concentrated in the fine fractions of marine petrologic end members. Conversely, siderite was found mainly in the coarse fraction of estuarine petrologic end members.The relative amount of toluene insoluble organics was higher in the fine fractions of marine petrologic end members.