API : An American Petroleum Institute measure of specific gravity
Banked Cubic: A measurement of volume used to state the volume of in-situ material moved during
Metres (BCM) mining operations
Bitumen : Petroleum that exists in the semisolid or solid phase in natural deposits – it is the
molasses-like substance which can compromise anywhere from 1 to 18% of the oil sand
Bucketwheel : A machine that scoops up oil sand from a windrow and places it on conveyors to transfer
Reclaimer to extraction
Coking : A process used to break down heavy oil molecules into lighter ones by removing the
carbon that remains as a coke residue
Conventional :Petroleum found in liquid form, flowing naturally or capable of being pumped without
Crude Oil further processing or dilution
Cyclofeeder : Receives oil sand feed and prepares it in slurry form for transport to extraction
Dragline : A large machine which digs oil sand from the mine pit and piles it into windrows
Density : The heaviness of crude oil, indicating the proportion of large, carbon-rich molecules,
generally measured in kilograms per cubic metre (kg/m3) or degrees on the American
Petroleum Institute (API) gravity scale; in Western Canada oil up to 900kg/m3 is
considered light to medium crude – oil above this density is deemed as heavy oil or
bitumen
Desulphurization: The process of removing sulphur and sulphur compounds from gases or liquid
hydrocarbon mixes
Extraction : The process of separating the bitumen from the oil sands
Fine Tailings : Essentially muddy water – about 85% water and 15% fine clay particles by volume
produced as a result of extraction
Fluid Coking : A process by which bitumen is continuously cracked to produce lighter hydrocarbons
and coke
Gas Oil : The higher boiling point component of crude oil
Gypsum : A mineral used as a soil amendment in consolidated tails technology
Heavy Oil : Dense, viscous oil, with a high proportion of bitumen, which is difficult to extract with
conventional techniques and is more costly to refine
Hydrocarbons: A large class of liquid, solid or gaseous organic compounds, containing only carbon and
hydrogen, which are the basis of almost all petroleum products
Hydrotransport : Oil sand from the mine operation is mixed with hot water and caustic and the oil
sand slurry is then transported by pipeline to the extraction plant where it feeds
directly into the Primary Separation Vessel
Hydrotreater : A unit which removes sulphur and nitrogen from the components of crude oil by the
catalytic addition of hydrogen
In situ : In its original place; in position; in situ recovery refers to various methods used to
recover deeply buried bitumen deposits, including steam injection, solvent injection and
firefloods
LC-Fining : Expanded ebulating bed hydroprocessing technology used to continuously crack bitumen
into lighter products through the catalytic addition of hydrogen
Mature Fine : When tailings is deposited at the disposal site, it separates and settles further to create
Tailings a layer of clarified water on top that is used in extraction and a dense mixture of clay, silt
and water on the bottom
Muskeg : A water soaked layer of decaying plant material, one to three metres thick, found on top
of the overburden
Naphtha : any of various volatile, often flammable, liquid hydrocarbon mixtures used chiefly as
solvents and diluents
Oil Sand : Sand containing bitumen
Oil Sand : A long-term agreement with the provincial government which permits the leaseholder to
Lease extract bitumen, other metals and minerals contained in the oil sands existing within the
specific lease area
Overburden : Layer of rocky, clay like material that lies under muskeg
Petroleum : A naturally occurring mixture composed predominantly of hydrocarbons in the gaseous,
liquid, or solid phase
Residuum : A residual product from the processor distillation of hydrocarbons
Sour Oil : Crude oil containing free sulphur, hydrogen sulphide or other sulphur compounds
Steam-Assisted : A recovery technique for extraction of heavy oil or bitumen that involves drilling
Gravity Drainage a pair of horizontal wells one above the other; one well is used for steam injection
(SAGD) and the other for production
Synthetic Crude Oil : A mixture of hydrocarbons, similar to crude oil, derived by upgrading bitumen
from oil sands
Tailings : A combination of water, sand, silt and fine clay particles that are a byproduct of
removing the bitumen from the oil sand
Upgrading : The process of converting heavy oil or bitumen into synthetic crude oil
Viscosity : The resistance to flow or “stickiness” of a fluid
