Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 3.1
World distribution of heavy oil and bitumen resources (after: Meyer
et al., 2007)
Region
Heavy Oil
Bitumen
Estimated
Total
Original
Oil In-Place
(BBO)
Discovered
Original
Oil
In-Place
(BBO)
Estimated
Total
Original
Oil In-Place
(BBO)
Discovered
Original
Oil
In-Place
(BBO)
Eastern
Hemisphere
1,617.4
1,617.4
854.96
771.46
Western
Hemisphere
1,781.0
1,750.0
4,650.0
3,740.0
World
3,398.4
3,367.4
5,504.96
4,511.46
Africa
83.1
83.1
46.0
13.5
East Asia
168.0
168.0
10.5
10.5
Europe
75.3
75.3
17.0
17.0
Middle East
971
971
0.0015
0.0015
North America
651.0
650.0
2,390.0
1,670.0
Russia
182.0
182.0
347.0
296.0
South &
Central
America
1,130.0
1,100.0
2,600.0
2,070.0
South Asia
17.6
17.6
0.0
0.0
Southeast Asia
& Oceania
68.0
68.0
4.46
4.46
Transcaucasia
52.4
52.4
340.0
340.4
bitumen resources. Whereas the numbers outside of North America are
quite speculative, they do give an idea of the potential resource waiting for
the right technology to recover it.
The shallowest unrecoverable oil reservoirs, such as the Shallow
Athabasca Tar Sands, of Alberta, and McKittrick Field, of California, may
be mined, if surface hydrocarbon extraction from the mined rock is eco-
nomic. Various forms of steam-assisted recovery may work well for deeper
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