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OSLI's Regional Water Management Solutions (RWMS) program is investigating the possibility of recycling tailings water between oil sands mining and in situ operations in the Lower Athabasca River Watershed to economically improve the regional environmental net effect of oil sands water use.

"By taking a regional approach to water management, the oil sands industry could balance its water use, greenhouse gas production, land disturbance and waste produced," says Prit Kotecha, manager water strategy and solutions, Suncor Energy, who led the RWMS program for OSLI's Water Management Working Group.

The biggest opportunity that the RWMS identified is recycling water from oil sands surface mining operations (e.g. tailings pond water) to reduce groundwater currently used as make-up to generate steam at most in situ operations. Tailings water is becoming available at mining operations due to the development of advanced tailings technologies like TRO^TM and Consolidated Tailings (CT) technologies.

Kotecha says co-operation among oil sands operators in developing the Regional Water Management Solutions project is intended to produce a more economically attractive solution with lower environmental impact and a high degree of security of make-up water supply and tailings water disposal.  The project is also intended to reduce industry's current water use and increase overall water recycling by expanding water reuse across mining and in situ operations throughout the watershed.

"The idea is to maximize our ability to recycle water between oil sands operations and reduce overall water use," says Kotecha.

To determine the feasibility of using tailings water to generate steam at in situ facilities, OSLI conducted screening tests over a six-month period in 2010-2011 at its Tailings Water Treatment Pilot Plant, constructed near Fort McMurray.  Tests were conducted on water treatment processes used by other industries, as well as leading-edge technologies, including: filtration, membrane, biological and oxidation technologies.

The tests indicated that wastewater from tailings ponds may be safely and efficiently used to produce steam at in situ operations.  Further review of these studies is required prior to firm conclusions, but early indicators are favourable.

Kotecha says RWMS studies also indicated in situ operations could produce steam using groundwater that comes to the surface during mining as well as wastewater from the upgraders used to help process bitumen into synthetic crude oil.

In addition to testing water treatment processes, throughout 2010 and 2011 the RWMS program also:

• developed a conceptual design of full-scale pipelines and facilities required to connect operators;
• assessed the commercial viability of the design and implementation; and
• identified regulatory requirements, timelines and potential risks.

About 75 to 80 per cent of water used by mining operations is now captured as wastewater, treated and reused at their own operations, with fresh water from the Athabasca River being used to make up for water lost to tailings. In situ oil sands operations recycle approximately 85 to 95 per cent of water used, and use fresh or saline groundwater to make up for water losses.

In 2012, RWMS will approach other oil sands operators interested in the collaborative project so planning and design can be adjusted accordingly.

"OSLI is just a catalyst — we're looking at sharing water between all operators within the watershed."

Comments

• Chris Powter
  December 15, 2011, 3:26 pm
  The following OSRIN report will provide more information for those interested in Phase I of the project:
  
  Godwalt, C., P. Kotecha and C. Aumann, 2010. Oil Sands Tailings Management Project. OSRIN Report No. TR-7. 64 pp. Available online at http://hdl.handle.net/10402/era.22536
• Paul Aguas
  December 16, 2011, 10:49 am
  I would like to receive updates on this project.

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