CREATING VALUE AND IMPROVING ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE BY THE RECOVERY OF VALUABLE PRODUCTS FROM TAILINGS FROM THE ATHABASCA OIL SANDS IN ALBERTA, CANADA

摘要

The Athabasca oil sands of Alberta are estimated to contain in the order of 1.7~ * 10~(12) barrels ofrnhydrocarbons making them one of the largest hydrocarbon accumulations anywhere in the world.rnToday, these hydrocarbons are being recovered from this resource by both surface mining and insiturnproduction techniques. The National Energy Board of Canada estimates that over 300 ~* 10~9 barrelsrnare recoverable using this technology. This gives Canada a hydrocarbon reserve that is second onlyrnto that of Saudi Arabia.rnTitanium Corporation Inc is developing a project to recover valuable products from the tailingsrnfrom the surface mining oil sands operations that are among the largest mining operations in thernworld. Titanium’s project began as a project to recover heavy minerals of titanium and zircon fromrnthis resource. The occurrence of these heavy minerals in the oil sands and their concentration intornone of the tailings streams has long been known and is well recorded in the literature. However asrnthis project has evolved, the scope has been expanded in response to needs as they have arisen.rnThe project now involves the recovery of heavy minerals as well as hydrocarbons from that tailingsrnstream, along with recovery and recycling of water in that tailings stream to provide water forrnTitanium’s process and to reduce water imports from the Athabasca River by the oil sands operators.rnThe recovery of hydrocarbons, that would otherwise have gone to tailings, effectively reduces thernemissions of the oil sand operations and results in significant reductions in emissions of CO_2, NOx,rnVolatile Organic Carbons (VOC’s) and methane. Under an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) thesernemissions reductions would have a tangible value. In addition, the recycling of water will assist oil sandrnoperators in reducing imports of water from the Athabasca River which is becoming a contentiousrnissue. It will also assist in meeting the requirements of the recently issued Directive 074 regardingrnreductions in tailings volumes and long-term storage of mature fine tailings.rnThis paper will give some brief background to the oil sands of Alberta and their significance inrnthe North American economy. It will highlight the uniqueness of the oil sands mineral assemblagernand the mineral processing challenges that this assemblage presents. This paper will discuss thernemissions reductions and other environmental improvements that could be possible through thisrnproject and it will discuss the support and encouragement being given by the Federal Government ofrnCanada and the Provincial Government of Alberta and various industry partners.