1. n. [Enhanced Oil Recovery]

A strip-mining process involving the removal and subsequent processing of tar sand from shallow reservoirs containing heavy, viscous oil. The oil is mostly bitumen and does not flow at reservoir conditions. For strip mining to be economic, the reservoir must be shallow and have high oil saturation. Strip mining is energy intensive, both in mining the tar sand and in its subsequent processing. Large amounts of waste material, called gangue, are produced. Companies are usually required to landscape the area when mining is completed.