No, I think the steam actually is recycled. Under in situ projects, the steam is formed underground and either comes out as a mix with the bitumen or is recycled underground. That's why it has to happen at a certain depth. It has to be deep underground; otherwise, as Dr. Hamza was saying, you can't contain the steam. I don't think there is enough water in the Athabasca River to run steam projects without recycling the water.
On October 19th, 2006. See this statement in context.