Looking back, it will be strange to realize that until the second decade of this century, only energy experts, geologists, and people in the oil and gas industry knew much about oil sands.

Oil sands are likely to be a major—very major—source of oil for American consumers in the future.

Why?

Extraction and processing of the massive oil sands deposits of Alberta, Canada, could provide the United States with a reliable, affordable source of oil for decades to come.

What are the Oil Sands?

Oil sands are a mixture of water, sand (or clay), and bitumen, a very heavy oil. Though bitumen has been in use for millennia—for waterproofing, as an adhesive, as a sealant—it wasn’t until recently that it began being refined for use as fuel. This is because the process of separating bitumen from the sand and water in oil sands was too cumbersome to be profitable before the advent of new technologies.

Where are the Oil Sands Found?

Oil sands can be found around the world, but the largest concentration in the world is in Alberta. Between the three major oil sands areas in the province—Athabasca, Peace River, and Cold Lake—there is more than one-and-a-half trillion barrels of bitumen oil. That’s enough for 173 billion barrels of recoverable oil. Today, Alberta oil sands produce 1.5 million barrels of oil a day. Over 3 million barrels a day should be produced by 2019.

Canadian oil sands could prove to be the solution to some of our country’s most vexing energy and economic challenges.