The oil sands extraction plants in Northern Alberta are massive
users of natural gas to generate steam for the various extraction
processes. Some involve mining and extraction plants, others
involve in situ heating of the bitumen by injecting steam into wells
and extracting the bitumen from near by wells.
It has been suggested that construction of CANDU nuclear plants
could reduce the green house gas generation and save the natural gas
for markets like the United States. One of the problems is the
distances over which the various projects are distributed and the
ability to pipe steam over long distances.
How far can steam be transported by pipelines? Given the
environmentally friendly nature of nuclear generated electricity, are
electrically powered steam boilers practical on an industrial
scale? The intent is to minimize the number of nuclear plants
required or to maximize the effectiveness of a single one as I realize
that electricity can probably be transmitted more efficiently over long
distances than steam.
I apologize, that was two questions.