Providing the equivalent of 10% of a region's oil requirements -- without drilling -- seems like a pipe dream. But that's exactly what is happening at the Muskeg River Mine, 345 miles north of Edmonton, Alberta.

Using shovels, trucks, and the world's strongest conveyor belt, Albian Sands Energy digs and transports more than 336,000 tons of oil and sand mix daily from just below the surface of the Athabasca Oil Sands, the largest known hydrocarbon basin on earth -- larger than the Saudi Arabian oil reserve.

A Goodyear Flexsteel ST7000 steel-cable conveyor belt -- the highest total-strength belt ever produced, constructed for this project -- transports the oil and sand mix to a process that uses warm water to separate them, producing 155,000 barrels of bitumen daily. Bitumen is natural, thick oil comprised mainly of hydrocarbons.

The 315-ton conveyor belt, with a 6,000 lb per in. width operating tension, has a full width minimum breaking strength of 4 million pounds.

More than 1.6 billion barrels of bitumen will be recovered over the next 30 years at this site, according to Bernie Billingsley, ore-preparation maintenance supervisor for Albian Sands Energy, operator of the Muskeg River Mine.

"Deposits just beneath the earth's surface make this region ideal for oil sand mining," explained Billingsley. "But it's an abusive environment for a conveyor belt, as 14,000 tons of raw material pound its surface hourly. . . . The Goodyear belt is performing very well."

The 5,000 ft belt was produced in seven equal rolls, using a patented system to evenly tension and space 124 steel cords running the length of each belt segment, according to Dennis Hare, marketing manager for Goodyear's conveyor belt business.

"Precision cable tensioning and spacing give longer life expectancy to this mining lifeline, as it transports the oil and sand mix from crushers to stockpile," said Hare.

Goodyear consultant Conveyor Belt Technology assembled the 94 in. wide belt, using two on-site splice methods, including Goodyear's new Splice Preform -- a patented technology that allows reduced splicing time and improved splice performance, said Hare. The world's largest vulcanizer, designed for this project to cure the belt splices, measures 26 x 9 ft and weighs 24 tons.

"Goodyear is proud to be a part of the operation," said Hare, "but we're not done. We continue to advance conveyor belt technology for all mining operations."

In June, the Albian Sands Energy mining operation became the first of its kind to be ISO 14001 certified, ensuring that an environmental management system is in place. "We are committed to maintaining the integrity of the surrounding region, community, and environment," said Billingsly.