Oil Sands Discovery Centre, Fort McMurray, AB
Athabasca Tar Sands, Northern Alberta - See How They Get the Oil Out
Jan 13, 2009
The Discovery Centre tells the story of the people, equipment, science and history of the oil sands. The display on reclamation shows some of the environmental impacts and how they are handled. This family-friendly, indoor interpretive centre is a great first stop for visitors to the Fort McMurray area. Even experienced oil sands workers will learn something new.
Many people wonder, "How do they get the oil out of the oil sand?"
Oil Sand is a Sticky Combination of Bitumen, Sand, Clay and Water
The oil sands (tar sands) of the Athabasca region hold one of the world's largest reserves of petroleum, between 1.7 and 2.5 trillion barrels, according to the Centre's website. ("The Oil Sands Story: The Resource")
A Discovery Centre visitor can hold oil sand in his hand, smell it, and feel how the bitumen (the oily part) makes the sand stick together. The complex mixture of hydrocarbon, clay, sand and water is challenging to work with.
Centre staff show visitors the easy way to get the oil out: add hot water and stir. Stirring sand and water in a glass beaker is much easier than getting oil out of millions of cubic metres of sand. After about six months, a quarter of the demonstrator's spoon has worn off. That's what happens to the big oil sands equipment too. The coarse sand is hard on everything.
Giant Machines are Used in Above-Ground Oil Sands Mining
Some oil is recovered using underground SAGD (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage), and some comes from the big oil sands operations are open pit mines.
Everything about the oil sands is big. There's a mining truck indoors at the Discovery Centre, with tires 3 metres high. Visitors can climb upstairs into the cab and practice driving around the mine using the simulator. Outside, in good weather, visitors can stand in the bed of a 150-ton truck.
Kids' Lab is a Hands-On Area for Children
Hands-on displays and activities challenge kids' knowledge and skills in a fun way. It's a very easy layout for children to explore independently, for both readers and pre-readers. Kids can try on hard hats and pretend to operate diggers to move sand around.
In warm weather, visitors can touch retired oil sands mining equipment in the industrial artifact garden. On daily summer tours, visitors find out how oil sands mining started and how the equipment has changed. Check for a current schedule.
Travel Details for Oil Sands Discovery Centre
Open: Year-round. Closed on Good Friday, Dec. 24 - 26, 2008 and Jan. 1, 2009.
Fall / Winter (Day after Labour Day, 2008 until May 14, 2009): Closed Mondays. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday.
Summer (Until Labour Day, 2009): Open 7 days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Adults (18 - 65) $6.00, Senior (65 and over) $5.00, Youth (7 - 17 years old) $4.00, Child (under 6) free, Family $20.00. Discounts (20%) for pre-booked tour groups of 15 or more. Please call for more details.
Wheelchair accessible, some closed captioning, Braille information cards available at desk.
Oil Sands Discovery Centre, 515 MacKenzie Boulevard, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, T9H 4X3
(780) 743 - 7167 (Toll-free in Alberta via Government of Alberta switchboard, 310-0000)
Fort McMurray in the Winter Offers Northern Lights Viewing and Good Eating
Visitors to Fort McMurray can tour to see the Northern Lights, and enjoy the natural setting of the place. There are some comfortable and delicious places to eat.
Contact Fort McMurray Tourism (1-800-565-3947) for local information, and Travel Alberta (1-800- ALBERTA) for Northern Alberta travel tips. Both organizations provided assistance to the writer.
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