油砂是一种含有原油的砂状矿藏,其成分包括砂、沥青、矿物质、土和水。其中沥青是油砂内所含的原油,它与一般传统原油相比,具有很高的粘稠性甚至是准固态,属重油。 油砂资源在世界各地都有分布,分布最丰富的地区为加拿大阿尔伯达省。据报道,阿尔伯达省的油砂田面积达10万平方公里,如果将油砂储油量计入已探明石油储量,则其石油储量可达1760多亿桶,仅次于沙特阿拉伯的储量,居世界第二,从而成为可与中东媲美的石油储藏地。西方一些媒体称,阿尔伯达省有望成为取代中东的世界未来主要产油区。 加拿大阿尔伯达省的油砂资源,蕴含于下白垩统砂岩及上泥盆统至密西西比统灰岩和白云岩中,主要分布在北部的阿萨巴斯 Oil sands are a type of sand-like deposit containing crude oil consisting of sand, bitumen, minerals, earth and water. Among them, bitumen is the crude oil contained in the oil sands. Compared with the traditional crude oil, the bitumen has high viscosity and even quasi-solid state, which belongs to heavy oil. Oil sand resources are distributed all over the world, the most abundant distribution area of ​​Alberta, Canada. It is reported that the area of ​​oil sands in Alberta amounts to 100,000 square kilometers. If the oil sands reserves are counted as proven oil reserves, the oil reserves reach more than 176 billion barrels, second only to Saudi Arabia’s reserves , Ranking second in the world, making it an oil reserve comparable to the Middle East. Some western media said that Alberta is expected to become the world’s future major oil-producing region that will replace the Middle East. Oil sands resources in Alberta, Canada, are found in Lower Cretaceous sandstones and Upper Devonian to Mississippian limestone and dolomite, mainly in the northern Athabasca