Reclamation in oil sands mining
- Syncrude Canada Ltd., Alberta (Canada)
The cycle of land disturbance for mining activities, followed by reclamation of those disturbed areas, is an integral part of the production of oil from the mineable oil sands. The Syncrude reclamation objective is a landscape which is stable, biologically self-sustaining, and has a productive capability at least equal to the pre-disturbance level. In preparing plans which achieve this objective, Syncrude must consider many technical and social issues. Technical issues include reclamation material quantity and quality, soil moisture regimes, species selection and diversity, drainage systems and quality control. Social issues revolve around the land use needs and aspirations of the people living in our region now and in the future. Incorporation of fine tails and process-affected water into the various elements of the final landscape introduces additional considerations. The recent decision to create, beside the relocated Highway 63, a Base Mine Lake over a deposit of fine tails highlights a set of reclamation issues around the {open_quotes}wet{close_quotes} elements of the landscape. Similarly, mixing of fine tails with coarse tails or overburden introduces particular reclamation concerns around the {open_quotes}dry{close_quotes} landscape elements resulting from placement of those materials. This paper explores these issues, and the Syncrude planning, research and development, and community consultation processes to resolve them.
- OSTI ID:
- 229649
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9502114--Vol.2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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