26 PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY, ECONOMICS, AND POLITICS
the use of a single physical property is subject to the errors inherent in
the analytical method by which the property is determined and must
be used with caution (Chapter 4).
While conventional crude oil flows naturally and can be pumped
without being heated or diluted, heavy crude oil usually requires
thermal stimulation to cause recovery. In fact, a more appropriate
definition of heavy oil is that it is it is recoverable in its natural state
by conventional oil well production methods including currently
used enhanced recovery techniques. By analogy, tar sand bitumen
it is not recoverable in its natural state using enhanced (tertiary)
recovery techniques (Section 5.4).
The term extra heavy oil has been introduced fairly recently without reasonable justification and often serves to confuse the real issues
of nomenclature. It is used to define the material (such as tar sand
bitumen) that occurs in the near-solid state and is incapable of free
flow under ambient conditions. Yet a definition of such material has
been available for four decades (Section 1.5) and use of the term
extra heavy oil only serves to confuse matters even further by introducing another unknown in the simple arena of terminology and
definitions.
1.4.4 Tar Sand Bitumen
Throughout this text, frequent reference is made to tar sand bitumen, but because commercial operations have been in place for
over 40 years (Spragins, 1978; Speight, 1990) it is not surprising
that more is known about the Alberta, Canada tar sand reserves
than any other reserves in the world. Therefore, when discussion is
made of tar sand deposits, reference is made to the relevant deposit,
but when the information is not available, the Alberta material is
used for the purposes of the discussion.
The term bitumen (also, on occasion, referred to as native asphalt)
includes a wide variety of naturally occurring reddish brown to
black materials of semisolid, viscous to brittle character that can
exist in nature with no mineral impurity or with mineral matter
contents that exceed 50% by weight. Bitumen is frequently found
filling pores and crevices of sandstone, limestone, or argillaceous
sediments, in which case the organic and associated mineral matrix
is known as rock asphalt (Abraham, 1945; Hoiberg, 1964). Tar sand
bitumen is a high-boiling material with little, if any, material boiling below 350°C (660°F). The term oil sand is also used in the same
the use of a single physical property is subject to the errors inherent in
the analytical method by which the property is determined and must
be used with caution (Chapter 4).
While conventional crude oil flows naturally and can be pumped
without being heated or diluted, heavy crude oil usually requires
thermal stimulation to cause recovery. In fact, a more appropriate
definition of heavy oil is that it is it is recoverable in its natural state
by conventional oil well production methods including currently
used enhanced recovery techniques. By analogy, tar sand bitumen
it is not recoverable in its natural state using enhanced (tertiary)
recovery techniques (Section 5.4).
The term extra heavy oil has been introduced fairly recently without reasonable justification and often serves to confuse the real issues
of nomenclature. It is used to define the material (such as tar sand
bitumen) that occurs in the near-solid state and is incapable of free
flow under ambient conditions. Yet a definition of such material has
been available for four decades (Section 1.5) and use of the term
extra heavy oil only serves to confuse matters even further by introducing another unknown in the simple arena of terminology and
definitions.
1.4.4 Tar Sand Bitumen
Throughout this text, frequent reference is made to tar sand bitumen, but because commercial operations have been in place for
over 40 years (Spragins, 1978; Speight, 1990) it is not surprising
that more is known about the Alberta, Canada tar sand reserves
than any other reserves in the world. Therefore, when discussion is
made of tar sand deposits, reference is made to the relevant deposit,
but when the information is not available, the Alberta material is
used for the purposes of the discussion.
The term bitumen (also, on occasion, referred to as native asphalt)
includes a wide variety of naturally occurring reddish brown to
black materials of semisolid, viscous to brittle character that can
exist in nature with no mineral impurity or with mineral matter
contents that exceed 50% by weight. Bitumen is frequently found
filling pores and crevices of sandstone, limestone, or argillaceous
sediments, in which case the organic and associated mineral matrix
is known as rock asphalt (Abraham, 1945; Hoiberg, 1964). Tar sand
bitumen is a high-boiling material with little, if any, material boiling below 350°C (660°F). The term oil sand is also used in the same