Using a cold water agitation test (CWAT), different grades of oil-sand solids were separated into three fractions with respect to their insoluble organic carbon content (IOCC). Solids enriched with humic matter (IOCC ~36%) were present in association with bitumen, whereas solids with an IOCC of about 5% occurred suspended in the aqueous phase. The IOCC of the remaining solids was very low (<0.3%). Comparison of and atomic ratios of the different solid fractions rich in organic matter with corresponding results for different types of kerogen indicated that oil-sand organic matter has the same origin as kerogen type III. On the basis of 13C n.m.r. data the oil-sand humic matter was found to be of similar maturity as subbituminous coal. It has been shown that solids associated with bitumen have high concentrations of Ti, Zr and Fe. Solids occurring in the form of an aqueous suspension were enriched with alumina.