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Oil sands, tar sands, crude bitumen, or bituminous sands, are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. Oil sands are either loose sands or partially consolidated sandstone containing a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay, and water, soaked with bitumen, a dense and extremely viscous form of petroleum.
The Athabasca oil sands, also known as the Athabasca tar sands, are large deposits of bitumen, a heavy and viscous form of petroleum, located in northeastern Alberta, Canada. These reserves are one of the largest sources of unconventional oil in the world, making Canada a significant player in the global energy market.
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The Edwards Aquifer is one of the most prolific artesian aquifers in the world. Located on the eastern edge of the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas, it is the source of drinking water for two million people, and is the primary water supply for agriculture and industry in the aquifer's region. Additionally, the Edwards Aquifer feeds the Comal and San Marcos Springs, provides springflow for recreational and downstream uses in the Nueces, San Antonio, Guadalupe, and San Marcos river basins, and is home to several unique and endangered species.
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Tar Sands Blockade is a grassroots coalition of affected Texas and Oklahoma people and climate justice organizers who use peaceful and sustained civil disobedience to stop the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. Tar Sands Blockade used nonviolent direct action to stop construction of the pipeline throughout East Texas including banner drops, lockdowns, and tree sits. They are best known for a large scale tree sit outside Winnsboro, Texas.
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The 2013 Mayflower oil spill occurred on March 29, 2013, when the Pegasus Pipeline, owned by ExxonMobil and carrying Canadian Wabasca heavy crude from the Athabasca oil sands, ruptured in Mayflower, Arkansas, about 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Little Rock releasing about 3,190 barrels of oil. Approximately 3,190 barrels of oil and water mix was recovered. Twenty-two homes were evacuated. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified the leak as a major spill.
The Sandow Lakes Ranch is a 33,800-acre ranch in Texas, U.S. It spans three counties, including Milam County, Texas, There are 14 lakes on the ranch and "48,379 acre feet of water" from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer. It was acquired by Alcoa in the 1950s. In 2016, Alcoa listed it for US$250 million.
Unconventional reservoirs, or unconventional resources are accumulations where oil and gas phases are tightly bound to the rock fabric by strong capillary forces, requiring specialised measures for evaluation and extraction.
References
- ↑ "Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer". Texas Water Development Board. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- 1 2 Mitchell, Kenny (2012-07-24). "Tar Sands in the Basin: Politics and Protests". The New York Times . Retrieved 2012-11-12.
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