At Senate hearings Wednesday, Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Richard Lugar of Indiana reiterated support for the proposed 1,700-mile long Keystone XL pipeline. Crossing six states, it would bring oil from Alberta's tar sands to the US, a plan environmentalists say would accelerate climate change.
Jeff McIntosh / AP / File
The Albian Sands project, north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, is a leading effort in the push to turn oil-laden sand into useable crude. Alberta's tar sands cover an area equivalent to almost half of Colorado, representing potentially vast oil reserves.