Suncor sends its first tanker of Western Canada heavy crude to Europe

Reuters ^ | Sep 23, 2014 | Reuters

[thackney]

Pitch being from timber distillation

Pitch is also an older term for bitumen.

world's longest-running laboratory experiment
http://smp.uq.edu.au/content/pitch-drop-experiment

In 1927 Professor Parnell heated a sample of pitch and poured it into a glass funnel with a sealed stem. Three years were allowed for the pitch to settle, and in 1930 the sealed stem was cut. From that date on the pitch has slowly dripped out of the funnel - so slowly that now, 83 years later, the ninth drop is only just fully formed.

[dennisw]

Thanks...Flat asphalt roofs are also called bitumen roofs. Also called built up roofs

You probably know this but today’s common shingles are woven fiberglass impregnated with asphalt

[dennisw]

Great experiment! Can you imagine what it feat it was in ancient times to build boats. To cut and hew wood planks so closely and seal them with pitch? And no power tools.

And there had to be a pitch making industry ....distilling pine wood. The only difference is today we “mine” oil and distill it into useful products

[thackney]

Long history using bitumen as well to seal boats.

http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198406/bitumen.-.a.history.htm