Progressive Land Reclamation as the Design and Operational Basis for the Kearl Oil Sands Mine

摘要

Development of the oil sands in northeastern Alberta is an important contributor to the economies of both Alberta and Canada, but this type of hydrocarbon resource is often perceived by some as representing daunting environmental challenges. One particular area of stakeholder focus is the nature of the surface land footprint associated with mineable oil sands developments. This paper will provide the facts and context of progressive reclamation in Canada’s mineable oil sands industry with a focus on the Kearl Oil Sands Mine operated by Imperial Oil Resources Ventures Limited (Imperial Oil). It will demonstrate how progressive land reclamation has been integrated into the mine planning process for Kearl from the outset of project planning and how the soil, overburden, groundwater, surface water, vegetation and wildlife resources are considered throughout the life of the mine from a reclamation perspective. Nearly 22,000 ha of land will be disturbed over 40+ years of operation of the Kearl Oil Sands Mine. Imperial Oil is committed to progressive reclamation of the disturbed land throughout the life of the mine. As part of Kearl’s long-term vision for reclamation success, Imperial Oil is currently salvaging, segregating and storing soil and collecting and banking native seeds so that these valuable reclamation materials are readily available in the future. Ongoing mine closure planning and the integration of progressive reclamation from the outset of the mine planning process has identified opportunities, vulnerabilities and technical constraints to mine closure.