# Canadian Oil **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 28, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-oil/226428 "2004-01-28T15:57:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CheekyMonkey613](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e480ec/32.png) [@CheekyMonkey613](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheekyMonkey613)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-oil/226428/1 "2004-01-28T15:57:33Z")
I heard somewhere (sorry no cite) that Canada (province of Alberta) has the second greatest amount of oil, next to Saudi Arabia. Why aren’t we drilling like there’s no tomorrow? ---
**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-oil/226428/2 "2004-01-28T16:12:33Z")
But…but…we are!!! 🙂 [The Oil Sands Discovery Centre is located in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada and presents the history, science and technology of Alberta’s Oil Sands - the world’s largest single deposit of oil.](http://www.oilsandsdiscovery.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-oil/226428/3 "2004-01-28T16:24:04Z")
The [Athabasca Tar Sands](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athabasca_Tar_Sands) are estimated to contain roughly 30% of the world’s oil. It’s not possible to turn this into regular gasoline (at least economically), but [folks are trying](http://www.syncrude.com/who_we_are/01_02.html) as we speak. Oh, you don’t drill for this stuff, just dump it into big trucks. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-oil/226428/4 "2004-01-28T17:40:36Z")
Sort of like all of the oil that’s locked in the shale in the Rockies. Nice to know it’s there but getting it out economically is problematic at this stage of the game. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-oil/226428/5 "2004-01-28T17:44:10Z")
Oil in place and recoverability are two different birds altogether. Not to mention the fact that thick, tarry oil in friable sand blows your recovery costs to heck and back.