Estimation of fines and solids content in tailings oil sands deposits is imperative for tailings planning as well as reporting tailings inventory to the regulator. This report reviews the development of a proper procedure for the engineering assessment of uncertainty in reported tailings mass/ volume as a function of data spacing.
This document provides oil sands mining operators with guidelines for the audit and assessment process consistent with the requirements set out in the Performance Management documents from COSIA. There is a requirement for a 5-year audit and assessment by an independent team of audit/assessors. Through this process, the audit and assessment team will: 1. Assess the reasonableness of the relevant plans and reports. 2. Provide an opinion as to whether the mine closure plan is realistic and the progressive management of FFT is on track to the desired closure outcome.
The goal of the study considers operational approaches that would increase fines capture to reduce the amount of fines that cause formation of MFT. This study includes a review of case studies to understand fines capture rates in existing facilities, processes controlling beach fines capture, and the operational changes that may increase fines captures. A high level review of available modeling tools are used to asses if operational factors are appropriately addressed within the models.
Innovation flourishes at the intersection of great challenges meeting compelling solutions. Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) is an alliance of oil sands producers focused on accelerating the pace of improvement in environmental performance in Canada's oil sands through collaborative action and innovation. COSIA's membership accounts for over 90% of the oil sands product in Canada. Canada's oil sands producers are competitors and rivals; but they are also partners in a made-in-Canada collaboration model that is helping to redefine, globally, how companies can innovate together, and accelerate solution development to address some of the world's biggest challenges. COSIA companies are working aggressively to accelerate the pace of environmental performance improvement in the oil sands. Canada's oil sands industry is committed to reducing all aspects of its environmental footprint, reclaiming all lands affected by operations, and maintaining biodiversity. To create breakthrough science and technologies, COSIA brings together leading thinkers from industry, government, academia and the public. In addition, COSIA members themselves work together, each sharing considerable in-house expertise, innovation and intellectual property within the alliance, and dedicating substantial funds to COSIA's many environmental performance projects. The unique characteristics of oil sands tailings provide member companies with an opportunity to seek out innovative tailings management and technology solutions for responsible and sustainable growth of this key global energy resource. This keynote address will elaborate on each of the Environmental Priority Areas (EPA), with an emphasis on the Tailings EPA. It will provide the audience with a brief history, achievements, current technical challenges, and opportunities for collaboration to close remaining knowledge and technical gaps to accelerate the pace of environmental performance improvement.
Explore the following case studies for examples of current and past projects undertaken through COSIA
This report identifys and recommends a standard method for measuring the in situ undrained shear strength (or appropriate equivalent measurement methods) for all tailings deposit types that are technically and statistically appropriate for AER reporting.
An Analysis of Impacts on Mine Planning, Land, GHGs, Costs, Site Water Balances and Recycle Water Chloride Concentrations. COSIA requested Norwest to develop generic models to examine the relative impacts of different FFT management processes on mining and tailings capital and operating costs (capEx and OpEx), reclamation and closure costs, and environemtnal impacts. The models were based on two virtual mine scenarios selected to represent a range of conditions typical of the surface mine sites of the Athabasca oil sands region.
This guideline sets out procedures for determining the volume of fluid tailings contained within tailings deposits. It is intended to provide guidance to operators of oil sands mines to meet the objective of controlling fluid tailings volumes to an approved plan consistent with the tailings management facility (TMF) and as outlined in Guidelines for Performance Management of Oil Sands Fluid Fine Tailings Deposits to Meet Closure Commitments. It is aimed at standardizing sampling and measurement of fluid tailings including the fluid fine tailings in conventional tailings settling ponds as well as treated deposits that may have significant coarse sand content but are still in a fluid state.
The purpose of this document is to provide oil sands mining operators with guidelines for creating FFT management plans, consistent with the intent of Directive 074 and other government policy and regulations. The purpose of FFT management plans is to facilitate closure of oil sands mines by accelerating the conversion of FFT into stable closure landscapes.
Industry recommended practices for estimating fluid tailings volumes and tailings performance, in response to the 2009 Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) Directive 074 (D074). The scope of best practices focuses on four areas: Fines measurement, FFT volume determination, deposit characterization, sampling and geostatistics.