Aia ʻo Canada i ke kolu o ka nui o ka mālama ʻaila ʻaila ma ka honua, aia ka hapa nui ma ke one ʻaila.ʻOiai ʻike ʻia nā ʻaila ʻaila a me nā waihona shale ma ka honua holoʻokoʻa, ʻo ka ʻaila ʻaila Alberta he wai-wai, no laila hiki ke ʻoki ʻia ka bitumen me ka wai wela wale nō.E aʻo hou e pili ana i kēia waihona kūʻokoʻa, a me kekahi o kāna mau mea kemika a me ke kino.
ʻO ke one ʻaila kahi waiho one ākea i loaʻa kahi ʻano ʻaila ʻeleʻele loa i kapa ʻia ʻo bitumen.He one, pālolo a me ka wai i hoʻopiha ʻia me ka bitumen.ʻO ke one ʻaila i kapa ʻia ʻo ke one tar a i ʻole ke one bituminous.
Hiki ke ʻano like ʻole ke ʻano o ke one ʻaila o Alberta, ʻoiai i loko o ka hoʻokumu ʻana o ka honua.Aia i loko o kahi waihona ʻaila maʻamau he 10% bitumen, 5% wai a me 85% paʻa.Eia naʻe, hiki ke kiʻekiʻe o ka bitumen ma kahi o 20% ma kekahi mau wahi.
ʻO nā mea paʻa i loko o ka waihona ʻaila ʻaila ka nui o ke one quartz silica (ʻoi aku ma mua o 80%), me kahi hapa liʻiliʻi o ka pālolo pālolo a me nā pālolo maikaʻi.ʻO nā minelala pālolo ka mea maʻamau i ka kaolinite, illite, chlorite a me smectite.ʻO nā waihona i loaʻa i ka ʻiʻo kiʻekiʻe ka loaʻa ʻana o ka bitumen haʻahaʻa, a ke manaʻo ʻia nei he ʻano haʻahaʻa haʻahaʻa.Aia nā uku i loko o ka pae wai o ka waihona.
Hiki ke ʻano like ʻole ka nui o ka wai, mai ka aneane ʻole a hiki i ka 9%.Ma keʻano laulā, ʻoi aku ka liʻiliʻi o ka bitumen a ʻoi aku ka uku o nā ʻāpana me ka nui o ka wai.ʻO ka wai i loko o ka waiho ʻana o ke one ʻaila (i kapa ʻia ʻo connate water) e lawe pū me ia i nā ion soluble, me ka sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride a me sulphate.Hoʻopili pū ʻia nā uku i loko o ka waihona, i kekahi manawa i kapa ʻia he lens pālolo.
ʻO ka naʻauao maʻamau, ua uhi ʻia nā ʻili o ke one me kahi papa wai, ʻoiai ʻaʻole i hōʻoia ʻia kēia manaʻo.Hoʻohui ʻia ka wai, ke one, ka pālolo a me ka bitumen i loko o ka waihona ʻaila ʻaila.