Sustainable development is critical to the long-term success of the Syncrude Project. Throughout its 30-year history, Syncrude’s commitment to sustainability is evident in its investment of time and resources to minimize environmental impacts. Operating under some of the most stringent environmental laws in the world, Syncrude devotes more than $40 million annually towards the development of new technologies and more efficient processes. Syncrude is continuing to explore new ways to reduce impacts on land, water and air. More details about Syncrude’s activities can be found in its Sustainability Report, available at www.syncrude.com. For more information on the oil sands industry, visit www.canadasoilsands.ca.
Air
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are a global issue and reducing the emissions associated with hydrocarbon production and consumption is crucial. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major greenhouse gas. Efforts are focused on improving energy efficiency to reduce these emissions on a per barrel of production basis. This is known as reducing emissions “intensity”. CO2 intensity for the oil sands industry has fallen by 27% since 1990.
The industry also is exploring the potential for carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. If successful, a portion of the captured CO2 will be used for enhanced oil recovery in the conventional oil industry and the remainder will be sequestered indefinitely in secure geological formations. The CO2 capture is envisaged as removing the equivalent of about four million cars from the road. The province of Alberta has committed $2 billion for the development of CCS technology, the largest investment in the world.
Continuous monitoring in the Fort McMurray region indicates that air quality around the oil sands operations is better than all North American cities reviewed by the Alberta Clean Air Strategic Alliance. Alberta’s air quality standards are the most stringent in Canada. Extensive modeling indicates that the Fort McMurray region’s air quality will remain within these strict standards, even after all projected oil sands development has occurred.
REDUCING SYNCRUDE’S EMISSIONS
Syncrude is working to develop innovative technologies to reduce its GHG emissions and is exploring new ways to reduce its energy consumption, which in turn, translates to lower per barrel costs. For example, Syncrude reduced flaring by 50% in 2007 as compared to 2006.
Alberta was the first jurisdiction in North America to legislate industrial GHG emission reductions. The law requires Syncrude to reduce its per barrel emissions of GHGs by 12% from the average of its annual per barrel emissions between 2003 and 2005. If Syncrude can’t meet this target, it must purchase offset credits or pay into a government emissions reduction technology fund. Syncrude met 90% of its reduction target for 2007 and offset the remainder by paying into the technology fund. Syncrude also is a member of the Integrated CO2 Network (ICON), which is exploring the viability of a large-scale Canadian carbon dioxide capture, transportation, and storage network.
Since 1985, Syncrude has reduced sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions per barrel by more than 60%, and total SO2 emissions by 16%. During the same time frame, oil production more than doubled.
An additional $1.6 billion also is being spent on the Syncrude Emissions Reduction (SER) project to further reduce stack emissions of sulphur compounds. Combined with other environmental investments, this should result in a 60% reduction in sulphur emissions from current approved levels once the project is fully operational. In addition, particulate emissions should be reduced by 50%. This substantial investment is directed solely at reducing emissions and will not result in an increase in crude oil production.
Land The total land available for mining bitumen covers about 3,400 square kilometers, or 0.1% of Canada’s boreal forest. To date, about 500 square kilometers have been disturbed during more than 40 years of oil sands mining. Alberta laws require that disturbed land be reclaimed to a sustainable landscape with productivity that is equal or greater than which existed prior to development. Development projects are not approved by regulators without a comprehensive closure and reclamation plan that details the final land use, much of which will include a self-sustaining boreal forest capable of supporting native vegetation and wildlife. Producers must set aside funds to pay for this redevelopment.
The laws also include the reclamation of tailings ponds. Tailings are a mixture of water, clay, sand and residual bitumen produced through the oil sands extraction process. Tailings are stored in large settling basins (or ponds). The ponds enable the recycle of water back into plant processes and are an active part of the operation.
In 2009, Alberta introduced new requirements that will challenge the oil sands mining industry to reduce tailings and accelerate their reclamation. The industry is exploring methods to improve the effectiveness of tailings systems in order to comply with these new requirements.
SYNCRUDE – INDUSTRY LEADER IN RECLAMATION
A critical component of Syncrude’s operation is the reclamation of areas disturbed by mining. To date, about 22% of disturbed land has been reclaimed and five million trees and shrubs planted. Syncrude leads the industry with more than 4,500 hectares reclaimed. In 2008, Syncrude’s Gateway Hill was the first reclaimed area in the oil sands to receive official certification from the Alberta government.
Syncrude is actively researching new technologies to incorporate tailings materials into reclaimed landscapes, with the implementation of two methods currently underway. The first is water capping of mature fine tails to form a fresh-water lake; 20 years of research indicates that this method is conducive to establishing and supporting a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Tailings materials are now being deposited and the fresh water layer will be added in 2012. The second involves creating a dry landscape by depositing a layer of capping sand over a foundation of composite tailings. Soil capping and planting is expected to occur from 2010 to 2015. It is envisioned that this area will evolve into one similar to its pre-disturbance state – a mixture of indigenous aspen, and white spruce forests, grassland and marshy wetlands.
Water
Major strides have been made by the oil sands industry to reduce fresh water consumption and the research is continuing. Alberta Environment regulates the amount of water that industries can use.
The Athabasca River is the largest river flowing through the oil sands region and is the primary source of fresh water for operations. Strict limits for water withdrawals are set by the Alberta government based on fluctuating levels of the river. During low flow winter months, federal and provincial government authorities implement restrictions that are revisited weekly.
Less than 3% of the average annual flow of the Athabasca River can be withdrawn by existing and approved oil sands projects; the industry typically uses less than 1% of the river’s average annual flow. If all mining projects currently planned go forward, that figure is projected to grow to 2%. Even with the anticipated growth in oil sands activity, the Athabasca River basin is expected to remain one of the least used in Alberta.
WATER MONITORING & RESEARCH
The Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program is a multi-stakeholder group that assesses and responds to potential effects of oil sands development on rivers and lakes in the region. It is one of the largest programs in the world in terms of chemical, biological and geographic scope. Monitoring by this group of the upstream and downstream water quality, as well as fish species and habitat, has not detected any significant changes in the Athabasca River or other water bodies.
New technologies for managing water use are being pursued by the Centre of Oil Sands Innovation (COSI), founded by Imperial Oil in partnership with the University of Alberta and Alberta Ingenuity, with funding from public and private groups. One area being investigated is an extraction process for oil sands mining that would significantly reduce fresh water use and could result in the production of dry or “stackable” tailings, which potentially could eliminate the need for large tailings ponds.
SYNCRUDE - EFFICIENT USER OF WATER
The Syncrude Project uses water in three ways – as process cooling water, to generate steam for bitumen processing and as drinking water. Syncrude does not release any process water into the Athabasca River.
Syncrude circulates about 4,000 cubic metres of water through its plant every hour and utilizes two cubic metres of fresh water for each cubic metre of crude oil produced. About 80% of all water used at Syncrude comes from a continuous recycle loop. Syncrude imports 20% of its water from the river for cooling and to generate steam, of which roughly one-third evaporates into the atmosphere through cooling towers and is returned to the hydrologic cycle. Syncrude is continuing to explore ways to improve water efficiency. In 2007, Syncrude reduced its water intensity by 10% per barrel of production as compared to 2006.