Abstract:

The Oil sands mining sector is one of the last major industrial sectors in Canada that does not have federal effluent treated release regulations. While Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has announced a plan for a regulation by 2025, the urgency for the sector that has been unable to treat and release water back to the environment for more than 50 years of operations remains. This presentation will share Suncor’s water management journey for the past two decades, including demonstrating how our Base Plant mine operation has achieved >75% reduction of river water withdrawal since 2003 and recycle rates of 91%. It will also discuss how water management extends from today to the end of mine life, through to full reclamation and closure.

To achieve Suncor’s Base Plant life of mine closure plan, we must be able to remove ~1.7 billion m³ of water from site, while managing water quality of planned pit lakes and reducing long term liability of dams in the closure landscape. To reduce long-term dam liabilities, phreatic surfaces of tailings beaches must be lowered and maintained at appropriate levels, which requires removal of water. In addition, continued water inputs, including but not limited to precipitation must be managed.

Suncor uses a multifaceted water management approach that includes a variety of technologies and projects that extend Suncor’s track record of water use reduction, water reuse and the need for treated mine water release. The water management program evaluates water management alternatives through balancing environmental, social and governance (ESG), and economic considerations, while considering factors such as regulatory certainty, operational complexity, and timing of implementation.

As the end of mine life approaches, there is less flexibility to accommodate the storage of additional water volumes and achieve other requirements. The need to fully consider all potential water management options and approaches are therefore necessary, including treated water release. Further delay of the Federal Oil Sands Effluent Regulation only creates larger water quality and water quantity management issues. Our focus is on a broad water management approach that considers desired environmental and closure outcomes, the watershed and downstream users.

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Janice Linehan