oil sand

noun

Geology.

1. a sand or sandstone containing oil or tarry residue in the pore spaces.

oil sand

noun

1. a sandstone impregnated with hydrocarbons, esp such deposits in Alberta, Canada

oil sand

1. A stratum of sand or sandstone containing petroleum that can be extracted by way of wells. The term is also applied to limestone and dolomite strata that contain petroleum.

Word History and Origins

Origin of oil sand¹

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

Diluted bitumen, or dilbit, is a natural oil sand found in sand deposits.

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Among Beaton’s concerns is that her book will feed into stereotypes about Alberta’s oil sand workers.

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The USC Sea Grant Program reported that 5,544 gallons of oil, 13.6 barrels of tar balls and 546,782 pounds of “oil sand and debris” had been collected from the Southern California coast as of Nov. 8.

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Their compact and effective gray blocks, each 1.9 ounces, are made mainly from coconut oil, sand, activated charcoal and fir needle oil.

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The northern Alberta oil sands spew three to five times the global average emissions per barrel of oil equivalent, according to Rystad Energy, because extracting crude from Alberta’s gumbo-like deposits of oil, sand and clay requires additional energy.

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