Oil Sands Area Research Articles

Simultaneous acoustic sounder measurements at two locations

The application of air quality models requires a knowledge of the meteorological structure of the lower atmosphere. This information can be obtained by the use of acoustic sounders, or airborne sondes. Such studies were carried out at the Athabasca Oil Sands area, Alberta, Canada, during summer and winter seasons. Two acoustic sounders were operated simultaneously at two topographically different locations 4 km apart. The sounding data were supplemented by meteorological observations from minisondes and a tethersonde at one location. The majority of the sounder data from both locations showed turbulent, thin layers often associated with the presence of inversion layers, particularly in the winter season. The data exhibited a number of features common to this type of topography. Both sounder echoes were characterized by a wavy structure indicating a vertical oscillation in the height of the echoes. Although agreeing in general, the data had a few differences especially close to the ground. To determine whether the return of the sounder signal was related to the actual atmospheric structure, the sounder records were compared with local temperature measurements. The result shows good agreement between the different systems.

Litter production in Pinusbanksiana dominated stands in northern Alberta

Tree and shrub litter production was measured over 2 years in 12 jack pine (Pinusbanksiana Lamb.) and 2 white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss) dominated stands located in the Hondo – Slave Lake and Athabasca Oil Sands areas of north central and northeastern Alberta. Annual and daily production rates were calculated for foliage (by species), male cones, and structural material (bark, twigs). Annual litter fall weights were typical of those measured in other boreal regions and were correlated with stand basal area. Seasonal patterns in daily production rates suggested that three classes of control factors were involved in determining litter fall rates within a stand. Random factors, such as weather, and chronic factors, such as insect or disease activity, contolled foliage and structural litter through most of the year. Predictable seasonal factors relating to plant physiological state controlled autumn foliage litter fall in deciduous and most coniferous species and production of male cone litter in early summer.

Quantification of Branch Dwelling Lichens for the Detection of Air Pollution Impact

AbstractIn the Athabasca Oil Sands area of Alberta, a study was carried out to test a lichen community transplant technique and to determine the influence of oil sands extraction and processing emissions on lichen cover of transplanted communities. Measurement errors of a photographic technique for the determination of lichen cover were dependent upon lichen species but were not correlated to lichen cover. When lichen covers were small therefore, relative errors were very large. Changes in cover of naturally occurring lichen communities on black spruce branches were not significant over a four-year period. Lichen communities transplanted under jack pine and white spruce trees had cover changes with time not different from naturally occurring communities even over a period of years.Significant (P<0.001) cover reductions of some lichen groups occurred on transplanted branches under white spruce within 8–3 km of a pollution source. Evernia, Cetraria, and Bryoria groups were reduced whereas Hypogymnia showed no response over a 3 year measurement period. Reductions in lichen cover were greater than the demonstrated precision of the technique.

Influences of terrain on plume level winds in the Athabasca oil sands area

Valley wind systems have been extensively studied and results reported in the literature. These studies usually involved winds near ground level in narrow, well defined valleys. This paper presents results of a unique observational study into terrain effects at 400 m above ground in an ill defined valley which is about 80km wide. Over 2300 pilot balloon observations made from 1975 to 1978 inclusive were compared to 1200m geostrophic wind data extracted from 850 mb pressure charts. Comparisons demonstrated that air flow at industrial plume levels is subject to valley channeling which is especially strong in winter months.

Natural colonization of an artificial stream bed in the Athabasca oil sands area of Alberta, Canada

Natural colonization of an artificial stream bed in the Athabasca oil sands area of Alberta, Canada

Natural temporal variations in the chemistry of shallow groundwater, Athabasca Oil Sands area, Alberta

Significant natural variation of the chemistry of shallow groundwater was observed from 1977 through 1979 in three wells located in the Athabasca Oil Sands area, Alberta. The wells are between 5 and 8 m deep and are located in boreal forest far from any direct influence by man.The coefficient of variation of total dissolved solids for the well sampled monthly for 35 months was 34%, while those for the two wells sampled bi-monthly were 21 and 11%. The coefficient of variation for individual constituents was generally higher than the above values.An annual pattern of variation in shallow groundwater chemistry is recognized. Calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate reach lowest annual concentration in the spring and rise rapidly by early summer. Concentration of these ions gradually decreases through fall and winter. This cycle is related to the abundance of dissolved carbon dioxide in recharge water and is controlled to a great extent by the abundant muskeg.Spring and fall are typically times of highest sulfate concentrations. This is coincident with recharge events and is related to leaching of sulfur compounds. High chloride during winter is related to slower rates of groundwater flow and the consequent increased opportunity for release of ions from chloride-bearing minerals.Information from other wells in the Athabasca Oil Sands area indicates that the coefficient of variation of total dissolved solids with respect to time generally decreases with depth. Coefficients of variation might be expected to be as high as 35% at depths of 10 m; the range declines to a relatively constant 4% at depths greater than 150 m.

Deposition of atmospheric pollutants as measured by lichen element content in the Athabasca oil sands area

The aluminium, potassium, sulphur, titanium, and vanadium contents of the lichens Cladina arbuscula (Wallr.) Hale and W. Culb., Evernia mesomorpha Nyl., and Hypogymnia physodes (L.) Nyl. were determined for up to 69 sites in the Athabasca oil sands area in northern Alberta. The element accumulation by these lichens was related to both gaseous and particulate emissions from industrial sources and to a localized windblown dust component. The deposition of atmospheric emissions around an oil-extraction plant as measured by lichen thallus concentration closely followed the distribution patterns measured by physical and chemical methods. Visible changes in the thallus condition appeared to be related to the element concentrations.

The Alsands Project--A Challenge in Petroleum and Mining Geology: ABSTRACT

A third mining operation in the Athabasca oil sands area of northern Alberta is planned by the Alsands Project Group, a consortium of nine petroleum companies. The group is considering the use of large draglines to excavate oil sands from an open pit mine. This project contemplates separation of the bitumen and sand by a hot water process, followed by upgrading to synthetic crude oil. Production will begin in 1986; when design capacity of 140,000 b/d (22,250 m3/d) is reached, this project will supply over 10% of Canada's forecast crude producibility. The bitumen occurs in a 300 ft (90 m) sequence of unconsolidated sands and clays of the Lower Cretaceous McMurray Formation, at or near the surface. A thin veneer of Recent and Pleistocene aeolian and glacial deposits overlie the McMurray. Devonian carbonates and evaporites occur below the Cretaceous. McMurray deposition took place in a mesotidal, coastal environment. The lowermost sands are fluvial, upper delta plain, overlain by tidal channel and tidal flat sands and muds of the lower delta plain. Some marine barrier bars and beaches have been identified. The highest bitumen saturations occur in the fluvial and tidal channel sands. However, the lowermost sands are frequently water saturated under artesian conditions. The rugged paleotopography of the Devonian erosional surface has s gnificantly influenced the depositional pattern of the overlying McMurray. This relief is, in part, due to the solution of Middle Devonian salt beds, with subsequent collapse of the overlying units. This complex sequence of depositional patterns, varying lithologies, and fluid contents, combined with salt tectonics, has created the need for detailed geological and geotechnical studies to interface with mining engineering in developing a viable mine plan. End_of_Article - Last_Page 960------------

A method of correlating wind data between two stations with application to the Alberta oil sands*

Abstract Two years of hourly wind data from two stations, Fort McMurray and Mildred Lake, in the Alberta Oil Sands area are examined by means of contingency tables of simultaneous occurrences of various wind‐speed class and wind‐direction combinations. Statistical calculations with the tabulated data show that in 1974–75 the same wind‐speed class occurred simultaneously 49% of the time, and the same or next adjacent 8‐point wind direction occurred simultaneously 75% of the time. A matrix of relative frequencies of simultaneous occurrences is calculated to express this correlation between the two stations. The 1974–75 period is shown to have statistically significant differences from a longer‐term (1963–75) set of data at Fort McMurray, pointing out the need for a method, described herein, of generating wind data that Will represent climatological conditions as well as account for the differences between two locations. The resulting synthetic wind data can be used as input to the Climatological Dispersion Model(Cdm) in order to compute climatological values of ground‐level pollutant concentration.

Groundwater temperatures in the Athabasca Oil Sands area, Alberta

Bottom-hole temperatures were measured in groundwater observation wells in the Athabasca Oil Sands area of Alberta. Depth of observation varies from 6–581 m in rocks of Holocene, Cretaceous, and Devonian age. Observations of temperature at various depths at a particular location were made in individual wells.At depths of 300 and 400 m, a correlation of both hydraulic head-loss and temperature with the elevation of the land surface at the observation well indicates that groundwater flow is the dominant parameter controlling subsurface temperatures. The control of groundwater flow on temperature and the location of observation wells in different positions in the groundwater flow system means that temperatures are not well correlated with depth.Bottom-hole temperatures from geophysical logs made in the area are significantly higher than values observed nearby at similar depths during this study. Published thermal gradient maps based upon information from geophysical logs give values which are about twice as high as those calculated with the present data.At depths less than about 60 m temperatures varied widely and at many well sites declined with depth. The average temperature of shallow groundwater was 5.9 °C at an average depth of 12.7 m. This fact indicated that the mean annual air temperature of −0.6 °C should not be used to approximate the temperature of shallow groundwater.

Athabasca Oil Sands

Introduction The Athabasca oil sands of the McMurray formation in northeastern Alberta cover an area of about 21,000 sq miles and contain the world's largest reserve of economically recoverable oil. Fort McMurray, a small town in the heart of the oil-sands area, is about 235 air miles northeast of Edmonton. A railway serves the town but no year-round roads connect with the rest of Alberta (Fig. 1).The McMurray formation is of early Cretaceous age, deposited unconformably on a limestone surface of Devonian age. The sediments appear to have originated from the Canadian Shield to the east and were deposited in bays and deltas of large fresh-water lakes. The lakes were later replaced by marine seas in which the overlying Clearwater shale was deposited (Fig. 2).The sand body rarely exceeds 200 ft in thickness and is made up of innumerable minor and major lenses of unconsolidated oil-bearing sand interspersed with clay and shale partings of variable thickness, carbonaceous and lignite beds, some rock and boulders. Overburden thins along a topographic trough which contains the Athabasca River and increases in thickness to about 2,000 ft along the southern and western limits of the oil impregnation. Oil sand is exposed on the banks of the Athabasca River and its tributaries. The oil sand is primarily quartz with varying percentages of silt and clay. Maximum oil saturation is about 18 percent by weight in a clean sand but decreases with increasing silt and clay content. Sand with oil saturation in excess of about 10 per cent is classed as a "good" grade while sand containing less than about 5 per cent of oil is not considered to be economically recoverable by present mining and processing techniques.The oil found in the McMurray formation is heavy, viscous and sulfurous. Specific gravity is from 1.002 to 1.027; viscosity, 3,000 to 400,000 poise at 60F. The sulfur content is from 4 to 5 per cent, and the nitrogen content is about 0.4 per cent. JPT P. 479^