The Athabasca region in northern Alberta, Canada, is a region of bare plains and scraggly forests. However, it also has a certain value to the Oil and Gas industry. Its value is in its tar-sands, a fine sand infused with thick black crude oil, right on the surface of the land, and going hundreds of meters deep. After great experimentation, a few companies have developed ways to remove the oil from the sand and sell it (erm, the oil that is). These operations are large scale and amazing to see.

Two companies mining the sands are Syncrude and Suncor. This article describes Syncrude's operations.

Mining the Sand; or Where to See the World's Biggest Shovels

The sand is drawn from open pit mines using two processes. The first being the scoop and bucketwheel system. In this system, a scoop drops hundreds of feet down the side of the pit, and grabs approximately 150 tonnes of sand, and forms a pile. The "scoop" itself is well over eight feet high and is made of steel. It is suspended from a large metal truss, similar to a crane arm, with thick cables. One operator controls the rotation of the machine, and the action of the scoop. The scooper, however, does have two control cabs.

The scooper is huge, as a researcher testifies:

You can not imagine how big this thing is. Walking around it, you crane your neck up to see the top of the crane-arm, and suddenly you feel like an ant in a sandbox. Only, this is God's sandbox, and these are God's toy trucks!

MORE TO COME...