Historically, the first use of oil sands was probably by First Nations who used it as waterproofing, but where was the earliest documented oil sands mining operation?

• Alberta
  
• Russia
  
• France
  
• Venezuela
  

Surprisingly, northeast France was the site of the first operating oil sands mine.

What is the composition of oil sands?

• Oil and sand
  
• Bitumen
  
• Sand and bitumen
  
• Sand, clay, bitumen and water
  

As the name implies, oil sands are composed of sand (and clay), not consolidated rock. Each sand grain is surrounded by water, then a film of bitumen. When in doubt, choose the longest answer!

What is bitumen?

• The same as oil sands; the two terms are synonymous
  
• Extra heavy oil that must be heated or diluted before it will flow
  
• Oil-soaked shale
  
• A coal-like hydrocarbon
  

Bitumen is oil that is so heavy and viscous that it won’t flow under normal conditions. In fact some bitumen has the consistency of a hockey puck.

Alberta’s oil sands deposits make Canada’s oil reserves the second largest in the world behind Saudi Arabia. How many barrels of oil are contained in Alberta’s oil sands?

• About 110 billion barrels
  
• About 130 billion barrels
  
• About 150 million barrels
  
• About 170 billion barrels
  

Alberta has 34.2 billion barrels of mineable oil sands and 135.6 billion barrels of oil recoverable using in situ methods, for a total of 169.8 billion barrels. Of course this amount fluctuates with the price of oil and implementation of new technologies.

Did Canada produce more oil by conventional means or from oil sands operations in 2009?

• Conventional Production
  
• Oil Sands Production
  

In 2009, Canada’s oil sands production amounted to 1.33 million barrels per day, while conventional production totalled 1.22 million barrels per day.

How many active oil sands projects are there in Canada?

• 51
  
• 71
  
• 91
  
• 101
  

There are 91 active oil sands in Alberta, of which five are mining projects and 86 are in situ projects.

Alberta’s oil sands extend across approximately 140,000 square kilometres. How much of this area will be affected by surface mining methods?

• 2 per cent
  
• 22 percent
  
• 42 percent
  
• 62 percent
  

Only two per cent of the total oil sands area will be impacted by oil sands mines. The oil sands are buried too deeply under the other 98 per cent of the area and will have to be produced using in situ methods.

Which produces the most greenhouse gases in Canada?

• Oil sands operations
  
• Transportation
  
• Conventional oil and gas operations
  
• Electricity and heat generation
  

Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t the oil sands. It’s transportation, which emits about 25 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gases. Conventional oil and gas operations are second at 18 percent, and electricity and heat generation is third at 16 percent. Oil sands operations are seventh at five per cent.

Oil sands operations require enormous amounts of water. How much of the water used is recycled?

• Close to 20 per cent
  
• About 45 per cent
  
• Slightly less than 70 per cent
  
• Almost 90 per cent
  

Almost 90 per cent of the process water used is recycled. In fact, oil sands operations only draw about one per cent of the flow of the Athabasca River. Other sources include deep, saline ground water.

The oil sands industry has a tremendous economic impact. Each dollar invested in the oil sands creates how many dollars’ worth of economic activity?

• $11
  
• $9
  
• $7
  
• $5
  

One dollar invested creates nine dollars’ worth of economic activity, a third of which is actual economic value.