Areas of expertise
Oïl Sands Environmental Technology Innovation
Specialized services
Facilitation of Collaborative Technology Development
Key Research Priorities
Water EPA - Mine Water Return to the Athabasca River watershed Active
Return of treated Oil Sands Process Water (OSPW) and mine depressurization water to the natural surface water during operations. Depressurization water salt management, treatment technologies, residuals management and return.
Key Topic(s)
- Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) of treated OSPW and depressurization water releases to the Athabasca
- Treatment for detoxification using passive (low energy) treatment technologies for OSPW and depressurization waters
- Pilot release of OSPW.
Partners & Collaborators
All COSIA members
Benefits
Mine water return is required for final mine closure. The sooner it is initiated sooner mines can reach final reclamation.
Water EPA - Oil Sands Pit Lakes Active
Provide sound science to demonstrate that pit lakes and other treatment options will successfully remediate water quality for release to natural surface water.
Key Topic(s)
- Demonstration of acceptable configuration including MFT as an Acceptable Lake Substrate
- Demonstration of adaptive management techniques
- Biological Establishment Rates and Water Quality Trajectories
Partners & Collaborators
All COSIA members
Benefits
The demonstration of pit lake as an effective remediation technology will reduce closure timing uncertainly.
Tailings EPA - Tailings Technology Optimization and Commercialization Active
Improve efficiency of current technologies that includes real time monitoring and current processes, environmental effects, and improvement of predictions of deposition and fines capture.
Key Topic(s)
- Commercially ready online instrumentation.
- Assessment of the Environmental Net Effects (ENE) of new technologies for life of mine
Partners & Collaborators
COSIA Members
Benefits
- Improved performance of existing equipment and technology at site to achieve flexibility and robustness in chosen technologies and commercial systems.
- Ability to bring promising lab scale and pilot technologies through to commercialization.
Tailings EPA - Tailings Improving Deposit Performance Active
Improve existing or advancing new methods of accelerating deposit consolidation and capping for both sand-dominated and fines-dominated deposits while balancing Environmental Net Effects and costs.
Key Topic(s)
- Capping of fines-dominated tailings deposits.
- Consolidation enhancement and adaptive management
Partners & Collaborators
COSIA Members
Benefits
Ensure that the caps are placed in a manner that is cost effective, safe, and which supports the success of the reclamation activities to deliver self-sustaining landscapes.
Tailings EPA - Tailings in Pit Lakes Active
Ex-situ treatment of fluid tailings prior to placement in pit lakes and in-situ tailings amendments prior to and after placing the water cap.
Key Topic(s)
- Ex-situ treatment of fluid tailings prior to placement in pit lakes
- In situ treatment of fluid tailings in pit lakes
Partners & Collaborators
COSIA Members
Benefits
Environmentally and cost-effective ways of treating tailings before and/or after placement in pit lakes to increase the storage capacity of pit lakes and minimize the impact of the tailings on the water column.
GHG EPA - Energy Efficiency Active
Alternatives for Optimized Hot Water Production, Optimized Steam Generation and Use for Extraction Process, Extraction Process Improvements and Technologies to Reduce Energy Use, Reduce Direct Electrical Demand
Key Topic(s)
Priorities around Fugitive Emissions, hot water production, and new truck technologies.
Partners & Collaborators
COSIA members with mines
GHG EPA - Mobile Fleet GHG reductions Active
Low/No Carbon Alternate to diesel Fuel, Optimize Fleet Utilization and Design, Mine Fleet Engine Efficiency Improvements
Key Topic(s)
Priorities around Fugitive Emissions, hot water production, and new truck technologies.
Partners & Collaborators
COSIA members with mines
GHG EPA - Fugitives Emissions from Oil Sands Mining Active
Uncertainty in Area Fugitive Emissions Quantification, Reduce Fugitive Emissions from Tailings Ponds, Reduce Fugitive Emissions from Mine Face
Key Topic(s)
Priorities around Fugitive Emissions, hot water production, and new truck technologies.
Partners & Collaborators
COSIA members with mines
GHG EPA - Materials Handling Active
Optimize Ore Handling & Quantify Benefits, Optimize Other Materials Handling, Existing and Novel Tailings Handling
Key Topic(s)
Priorities around Fugitive Emissions, hot water production, and new truck technologies.
Partners & Collaborators
COSIA members with mines
Lands EPA - Progressive Reclamation Active
Identification of additional technologies and techniques to assist in reclamation of land to its pre-disturbance state.
Key Topic(s)
Develop Tailings Reclamation Strategies
Partners & Collaborators
COSIA Members
Benefits
When treated tailings are integrated into the reconstructed closure landscape, the environmental risks are understood and managed, and the resultant ecosystems are sustainable. The behaviour of dried tailings is understood.