Oil sands primarily provide bitumen, a heavy oil that is processed to produce fuels like gasoline and diesel.
Understanding Oil Sands
Oil sand is a naturally occurring resource composed of a mixture of sand, clay or other minerals, water, and bitumen. Bitumen is a type of crude oil that is extremely heavy and viscous, meaning it does not flow easily at room temperature.
What Oil Sands Yield
Based on the provided information, oil sands provide the raw material that is essential for producing key transportation fuels.
Here's what they provide:
- Bitumen: The primary component of oil sands that is valuable. It's a heavy, thick form of oil.
- Refinable Products: Once the bitumen is extracted and processed, refineries can convert it into usable fuels.
Specifically, the reference states that bitumen extracted from oil sands "must be processed before it can be used by refineries to produce fuels such as gasoline and diesel."
Therefore, oil sands are a source of bitumen, which is ultimately transformed into widely used fuels like gasoline and diesel through complex processing steps.
