IKhanada ineyesithathu ngobukhulu emhlabeni oovimba beoyile, ubukhulu becala ibekwe kwisanti yeoli.Nangona isanti yeoli kunye neediphozithi ze-shale zifumaneka kwihlabathi liphela, isanti yeoli yaseAlberta imanzi, nto leyo eyenza ukuba kutsalwe ibhitumene kusetyenziswa amanzi ashushu nje kuphela.Funda kabanzi malunga nale idiphozithi eyodwa, kunye nezinye iikhemikhali zayo kunye neempawu zomzimba.
Isanti ye-oyile yidipozithi yesanti ekhululekileyo equlethe uhlobo olubonakalayo lwepetroleum eyaziwa ngokuba yibhitumene.Ezi zidiphozithi zesanti zingadityaniswanga ziquka ikakhulu isanti, udongwe kunye namanzi azaliswe yibhitumene.Iisanti ze-oyile ngamanye amaxesha zibizwa ngokuba yi-tar sands okanye i-bituminous sands.
Ukwakhiwa ngokuthe ngqo kwesanti yeoli yaseAlberta inokwahluka kakhulu, nakwindlela efanayo yokwakheka komhlaba.Idiphozithi yesanti yeoli eqhelekileyo iqulethe malunga ne-10% yebhitumene, i-5% yamanzi kunye ne-85% yezinto eziqinileyo.Nangona kunjalo, umxholo webhitumene unokuba phezulu ukuya kuma-20% kwezinye iindawo.
Izinto eziqinileyo eziqulethwe kwidiphozithi yesanti yeoli ininzi ye-quartz silica sand (ngokuqhelekileyo ngaphezu kwe-80%), kunye neqhekeza elincinci le-potassium feldspar kunye nodongwe oluhle.Iiminerali zodongwe ngokuqhelekileyo ziquka i-kaolinite, i-illite, i-chlorite kunye ne-smectite.Iidiphozithi ezinomxholo wezohlwayo eziphezulu zikholisa ukuba nomxholo ophantsi webhitumene, kwaye zithathwa ngokubanzi njenge ore ekumgangatho ophantsi.Izohlwayo ziqulethwe kwisigaba samanzi sediphozithi.
Isiqulatho samanzi sinokwahluka kakhulu, ukusuka kwiqanda ukuya kuthi ga kwi-9%.Ngokubanzi, amacandelo anomxholo ophezulu wamanzi nawo athande ukuba nebhitumene encinci kunye nezohlwayo ezininzi.Amanzi aqulethwe kwidiphozithi yentlabathi ye-oyile (edla ngokubizwa ngokuba ngamanzi adibeneyo) ahamba nenani leeyoni ezinyibilikayo, eziquka isodiyam, potassium, calcium, chloride kunye nesulphate.Izohlwayo zikholisa ukudityaniswa ndawonye ngaphakathi kwidiphozithi, ngamanye amaxesha kuthiwa yilensi yodongwe.
Ubulumko obuqhelekileyo kukuba iinkozo zesanti zigutyungelwe ngoluhlu lwamanzi, nangona le ngcamango ingakaze ingqinwe.Amanzi, isanti, udongwe kunye nebhitumene zixutywa kwidiphozithi yesanti yeoli.