Oil Sands Reclamation From the Ground Up : A Suncor Energy Perspective Lelaynia Cox, RPF and Cecilia Jeje, PhD College of Alberta Professional Forest Technologists April 14, 2011
Overview Oil sands mining perspective Planning through to operations Current practices Future challenges 1
Suncor Energy Inc. Oil Sands 2
Oil Sands at a Glance Mining Extraction Upgrading Separate the bitumen from the sand using hot water 3 Remove the ore from the ground Upgrade the bitumen into diesel, kerosene and gas oil
Environmental Setting Suncor s oil sands operation is located in northeastern Alberta, at approximately 57 latitude. In the Boreal Mixedwood ecological area, with temperatures ranging from over 30 C in the summer to below 40 C in the winter. Annual precipitation is 434 mm with net potential evapotranspiration of about 0. 4
What is Reclamation? Pond 1, 2004 Pond 1, 2010 5 Goal: To achieve maintenance-free, self-sustaining ecosystems with a capability equivalent to pre-development conditions.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) An EIA must be submitted to the regulators prior to a project being approved. A Closure Conservation & Reclamation Plan (CC&R) is submitted as part of the EIA The CC&R Plan includes descriptions of the following: Regulatory Framework, Regional Planning and Consultation Requirements for the Closure Plan Design and approach for the Closure Plan Closure Water Management Soil Management Revegetation Wildlife Habitat Establishment Biodiversity Establishment Reclamation and Closure Plans Timber Salvage Landform Development Reclamation Monitoring and Research Mitigation strategies to reduce the effect of mine operations 6
Reclamation Plans Suncor must submit a Life of Mine Closure plan including: Revegetation Plan Forest Resource Plan Wetlands Reclamation Plan Biodiversity Plan Mine Reclamation Plans are submitted every 3 years which show reclamation plans for the next 5 years and link it to the Life of Mine Closure Plan. Soil Salvage and Placement Plans are submitted annually detailing the upcoming year s program. Suncor has submitted a Wetlands Research Plan, Wetland Monitoring Program, Waterfowl Protection Plan, Fish & Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Plan, and Wildlife Habitat Corridor Research & Monitoring Program. 7
Inter-disciplinary Planning Tree Clearing - Foresters Drainage - Hydrologists Soil Salvage Agrologists Mining Engineers Landform Grading Geotechnical Engineers Soil Placement Agrologists Tree and shrub Planting Foresters Wetland Reclamation - Biologists Monitoring Researchers, Consultants 8
Landform Design Landscape design view of Dyke 11A from Super Test hill Post mine reclamation View of Dyke 11A from Super Test hill July 2005 9
Preparation for Mining Tree Clearing and Soil Salvage 10
Landform Grading Pre-sloping Establish effective drainage to shed water from structure to minimize erosion Natural, non-engineered appearance 1970s practice Current practice 11
Reclamation Material Salvage: Capping Overburden Low-sodic overburden Typically 4-5 m directly below peat layer Overburden rated as unsuitable must be capped at 100 cm depth prior to coversoil placement Overburden Face Capping Overburden Placement Capping Overburden Salvage 12
Reclamation Material Salvage: Peat/Mineral Peat/mineral mix soil 60:40 peat:mineral Salvaged during frozen conditions Salvage depth 60-400 cm Direct placement is preferred technique Stockpile coversoils Salvage from Mine Face Advance From Stockpile 13
Reclamation Material Salvage: Upland Soils Aspen/White Spruce Mixedwood Forest: Luvisols Jack Pine Forest: Brunisols Salvaged in winter, spring, fall LFH salvage depth 5-20 cm Subsoil (B & C horizons) salvage depth 20-50 cm Upland Soil Brunisol Upland Soil Salvage 14
Reclamation Material Placement 15
Wildlife or snag Trees Wildlife Habitat Features Rock Piles Rock Coarse piles Woody Debris 16 Natural Features
Wetland Reclamation 17
Revegetation: Native Seed Collection Tree and shrub seeds collected from Suncor lease or surrounding area Collected according to standards in Alberta Forest Genetic Resource Management and Conservation Standards (Second Revision of STIA) 18
Revegetation: Nurse Crop Seeding Early 1980s-2009: Annual Barley 2010: Oats and seven native grasses Offers erosion control Increases seedling survival: shade in summer, thermal protection in winter Conducted with equipment or by hand 19
Revegetation: Fertilization Overburden sites: 4 years Tailings sand structures: 5 years Fixed-wing application New reclamation areas: 23.5-25-8 @300kg/ha Maintenance areas: 31.5-16-5 @250 kg/ha Research & Development: teabags, alfalfa pellets, compost 20
Revegetation: Planning & Growing Planting prescription developed using 2 nd edition of Guidelines for Reclamation to Forest Vegetation in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region Stand types based on soil moisture and nutrients, crown closure and overstory species Stock grown in Smoky Lake, Alberta Recent numbers Trees 1+0 615 Shrubs 1+0 415 21
Revegetation: Tree & Shrub Planting 6 tree species (jack pine, white spruce, trembling aspen, balsam poplar, white birch, black spruce) 13 shrub species (eg. blueberry, red-osier dogwood, green alder, kinnikinnick, buffaloberry) Aquatic species (eg. water sedge, marsh cinquefoil) Spring (June) planting 22
Reclamation Monitoring: Soils Annual Soil Assessments Conduct survey during the first year on newly reclaimed site and then re-surveyed every 5 years there after. Land Capability Classification System (LCCS) Industry standard tool to evaluate land quality as a function of soil & landscape parameters. Conducted 1 year after initial reclamation. Long Term Soil/Veg Plots (CEMA) 23
Reclamation Monitoring: Vegetation Survival surveys one year after planting, up to 5 years Regeneration Surveys Long Term Soil/Veg Plots (CEMA) 24
Reclamation Monitoring: Insects & Weeds Insects: YHSS, spruce budworm, forest tent caterpillar Vegetation Control: focus on control of noxious weeds (Canada thistle, common tansy, scentless chamomile) 25
Reclamation Monitoring: Wildlife amphibian breeding call surveys breeding songbird point counts owl call playback surveys, raptor sightings browse-pellet surveys, winter track counts remote camera work Canadian toad telemetry study Reclamation and corridor areas Regional wildlife research monitoring program 26
Future Challenges Reclamation of Dried MFT Tailings Pond Reclamation 27
Questions? 28 Suncor Oil Sands Reclamation Team, 2010
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