Oilsands through the hourglass: Defining moments that shaped an economic juggernaut
The Canadian oilsands industry is beset with environmental concerns and low crude prices. Nonetheless, production is expected to grow. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers estimates that oilsands output will reach 3.7 million barrels per day in 2030 from 2.4 million bpd last year.
Some key dates in the history of the oilsands:
1719: A Cree man named Wa-Pa-Su presents an oilsands sample for trade at the Hudson’s Bay Company to Henry Kelsey, who was the first recorded European to see it.
1923: Dr. Karl Clark of the Alberta Research Council develops a process that uses hot water to separate oil from oilsands, which he patents in 1928.