When the first mine opened alongside the pristine Athabasca River in 1967, oil extracted from oil sands (also known as tar sands) was too expensive to compete with liquid crude. But now, with oil prices hovering at about $100 US per barrel, the costly and environmentally taxing process of pulling bitumen out of the clay mixture makes it economically feasible. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/environment/la-me-gs-photos-show-alberta-tar-sands-expanding-rapidly-20111227,0,6620311.story?track=rss
Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times –Greenspace by Dean Kuipers
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