Albian Sands

{{Short description|Canadian oil sands mining company}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Albian Sands Energy Inc.

| logo =

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| image = ALBIAN SANDS 2011 (5743426517).jpg

| image_caption = CNRL Albian Village and Jack Pine Mine, north east of Fort McMurray, Alberta Canada

| type = Joint venture[https://mining.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/AlbianSandsEnergyInc2006Letter.pdf Albian Sands] on Mining Association of Canada

| industry = Mining

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| hq_location_city = Calgary

| hq_location_country = Canada

| area_served = Canada

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| owner = {{plainlist|

• Shell Canada (10%)
• CNRL (70%)
• Chevron Canada (20%)

}}

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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}

Albian Sands Energy Inc. is a mining company which operates the Muskeg River Mine and Jack Pine Mine, an oil sands mining project located {{convert|75|km|mi}} north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. It is a joint venture between Shell Canada (10%), CNRL (70%) and Chevron Canada (20%).

The company's legal headquarters are located in the Shell Centre in Calgary, Alberta. Albian Sands got its name from the Albian Boreal Sea, which during the Albian age of the Cretaceous (over 100 million years ago), moved over the McMurray sands and deposited a blanket of marine shale on its floor which trapped the hydrocarbons of the McMurray Formation. The oil sands resources of the Muskeg River Mine are a legacy of the Albian Sea.

{{Cite web

| title = About Us

| publisher=The Athabasca Oil Sands Project

| year = 2008

| url = http://www.albiansands.com/about_us.htm

| access-date = 7 February 2008

| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080207173209/http://www.albiansands.com/about_us.htm| archive-date= 7 February 2008 | url-status= live}}

At full production, Albian Sands can produce {{convert|340000|oilbbl/d|m3/d}} of crude bitumen, a naturally occurring semi-solid form of crude oil. The mine product, diluted bitumen or dilbit, is sent to be upgraded at the Scotford Upgrader in Fort Saskatchewan. The Muskeg River Mine stands on a Shell Canada lease containing more than {{convert|5|Goilbbl|m3}} of mineable bitumen, of which it is expected to recover {{convert|1650|Moilbbl|m3}} of bitumen over the next 30 years. The Muskeg River Mine, Jack Pine Mine and the Scotford Upgrader together comprise the "Athabasca Oil Sands Project (AOSP)".{{Cite web

| title = Albian Sands

| publisher=The Athabasca Oil Sands Project

| year = 2008

| url = http://www.albiansands.com/

| access-date = 7 February 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080207173205/http://www.albiansands.com/| archive-date= 7 February 2008 | url-status= live}}

A proposed future mine expansion would increase production by 100,000 bbl/day.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/050/documents_staticpost/cearref_16259/MK-PRO-0001.pdf |title=Application for Approval of the Muskeg River Mine Expansion Project |page=571 |year=2005

}}

{{Cite report |url=http://www.neb-one.gc.ca/clf-nsi/rnrgynfmtn/nrgyrprt/lsnd/pprtntsndchllngs20152006/pprtntsndchllngs20152006-eng.pdf

|title= Canada's Oil Sands – Opportunities and Challenges to 2015: An Update |publisher=National Energy Board |date=June 2006 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309103633/http://www.neb-one.gc.ca/clf-nsi/rnrgynfmtn/nrgyrprt/lsnd/pprtntsndchllngs20152006/pprtntsndchllngs20152006-eng.pdf |archivedate=9 March 2008}}

{{Cite web |year=2005 |title=Muskeg River Mine Expansion (MRME) – Albian Oil Sand Project |url=https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/052/details-eng.cfm?pid=16259&pedisable=true |access-date=5 February 2008}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

The {{convert|100000|oilbbl/d|m3/d}} (incremental) expansion project received regulatory approval in late 2006.[http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2006/21/c9953.html "Muskeg River Mine Receives Regulatory Approval"]{{Dead link|date=October 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} 21 December 2006

At the mine site, the 175 megawatt MRM Cogeneration plant owned 70% by ATCO Power and 30% by SaskPower supplies process steam and electricity to the mine. 50% of the electricity produced is surplus to mine needs and is sold into the Alberta power grid.{{Cite web

| title = Athabasca Oil Sands Project

| publisher=hydrocarbons-technology.com

| year = 2007

| url = http://www.hydrocarbons-technology.com/projects/athabasca/

| access-date = 7 February 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080214222023/http://www.hydrocarbons-technology.com/projects/athabasca/| archive-date= 14 February 2008 | url-status= live}}

[http://www.saskpowerinternational.com/spi/invest/muskeg.shtml "MRM Cogeneration Station"] Sask Power International accessed 7 February 2008 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927030123/http://www.saskpowerinternational.com/spi/invest/muskeg.shtml |date=27 September 2007 }} The Corridor Pipeline which transports diluted bitumen from the Muskeg River Mine to the Scotford Upgrader is owned by Inter Pipeline Ltd. To accommodate its workforce, the project has built a 2460-room "village" with service and recreation facilities.{{Cite web|url=http://www.albertaconstructionmagazine.com/articles.asp?ID=483 |title=Top Projects Alberta Construction Magazine (November 2007) |publisher=Albertaconstructionmagazine.com |date= |access-date=19 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707103350/http://www.albertaconstructionmagazine.com/articles.asp?ID=483 |archive-date=7 July 2011 }}

The project is using satellite based imaging to ensure transparent reporting of its land use.{{Cite web|url=http://www.eomd.esa.int/files/docs/131-176-149-30_20071011135614.pdf |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091225171347/http%3A//www.eomd.esa.int/files/docs/131%2D176%2D149%2D30_20071011135614.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 December 2009 |author=Dean, Andy M. |author2=Hughes, Simon |author3=Gibbons, Wade |author4=Tsui, Olivier |author5=Syed, Aneeqa |author6=Dow, Duncan |author7=Boivin, Thomas |title=Mine development and reclamation: Monitoring sustainable development using satellite imagery |publisher=European Space Agency |year=2007 |access-date=19 April 2011 }}