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Market Spotlight: Suncor Energy
In a groundbreaking announcement on Juen 17th, Suncor Energy reported that it received approval for its tailings management plan from the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB). The plan proposed the expansion of a new approach to tailings management called TROTM—something the company has been working on for a while.
Kirk Bailey, Executive Vice President, Oil Sands was reported as saying “This is great news and a significant milestone in addressing one of the greatest reclamation challenges in oil sands mining. We are confident that our TROTM technology will help us meet the expectations of stakeholders around accelerating the pace of reclamation, while also reducing our costs over the long term.”
Suncor has been working on the technology since 2003, and now will rapidly accelerate the implementation of it across existing operations. Bailey said that the company expects to invest more than $1 billion to implement the new technology, which will potentially reduce tailings reclamation time by decades. Of course, implementation of the tailings management plan shows Suncor’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, by restoring natural habitats. The company plans to complete the reclamation of its first tailings pond to a solid surface later this year.
Suncor plans to continue to work closely with stakeholders so that they understand the new technology and can communicate any concerns they have.
About the technology
Tailings are a mixture of fine clay, sands, water and residual bitumen produced through the oil sands extraction process, which, as they settle, eventually form mature fine tailings (MFT). This substance takes decades to firm up sufficiently for reclamation. However, during the TROTM process, MFT is mixed with a polymer flocculent and then deposited in thin layers over sand beaches with shallow slopes. The drying process occurs over a matter of weeks, which allows for more rapid reclamation. The product that comes out of this process can be reclaimed in place or moved to another location.
About Suncor
In 1967, Suncor pioneered by executing the commercial development of Canada’s Athabasca oil sands — one of the world’s largest petroleum resource basins. Since then, the company has grown to become a globally-competitive, Canadian-based integrated energy company with a balanced portfolio of high quality assets, a strong balance sheet and significant growth prospects:
Near Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, Suncor extracts and upgrades oil sands into high-quality, refinery-ready crude oil products and diesel fuel.
In Western Canada, Suncor explores for, develops and produces natural gas.
The international and offshore business focuses on operations in the North Sea (United Kingdom, Netherlands and Norway) and the East Coast of Canada (where the company participates in every major oil development project). Suncor also holds building material positions in the growth areas of Libya, Syria and Trinidad and Tobago.
Across Canada and Colorado, Suncor’s downstream operations market the company’s refined products to industrial, commercial and retail customers. They have refineries in Edmonton, Alberta, Sarnia, Ontario, Montreal, Quebec and Commerce City, Colorado. The company sold about 15 per cent of all petroleum products sold in Canada in 2008.
suncor.com
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