mineable oil sands

Mineable oil sands are natural deposits of a mixture called bitumen, a heavy, thick form of crude oil embedded in sand, clay, and water. When these deposits are close to the surface, companies can extract them through surface mining, similar to open-pit mining. The process involves removing large amounts of earth, then separating the bitumen from the sand and other materials using heat, water, and chemicals. Once separated, the bitumen can be refined into various petroleum products like gasoline and diesel. Mining oil sands is energy-intensive and has environmental impacts, including land disruption and greenhouse gas emissions.