Ikelic - Alliance Digital Repository

OIL SANDS
The company said the largest part of the produc
tion Increase is likely to occur in 1997, after a
scheduled maintenance turnaround. The expan
sion plans are subject to regulatory approvals.
####
SYNCRUDE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
APPROVED
In September 1992, Syncrude Canada Ltd.
(Syncrude) applied to amend its existing Ap
proval No. 5641 for the Mildred Lake Oil Sands
Plant. In its application Syncrude sought ap
proval for:
- An
- An
- An
- Conceptual
increase in Its current Synthetic
Crude Oil (SCO) production limit from
10.0 to 12.6 million cubic meters per year
(m3/yr)
extension, to December 31, 1997, of
the lapse date for an approval to expand
the plant to produce an additional
5.0 million m3/yr of SCO
extension of its approval expiration
date from December 31, 2018 to
December 31 , 2025
The processing of bitumen from off-lease
sources at its Mildred Lake facility and
for shipping of bitumen to other process
ing facilities
mining, lease development,
and reclamation plans, including fine tail
Background
ings reclamation
The Syncrude project was first approved by the
Energy
Board)
Resources Conservation Board (the
in 1968 and commenced production in
1977. The project comprises an open-pit mine
utilizing draglines, bucketwheel reclaimers and
conveyers to transport bituminous sands to an
3-2
extraction plant where the bitumen is separated
from the sand using a modified hot water
process. Wastes from the extraction plant, which
include coarse sand, fine tailings and water, are
currently directed to two large tailings sites for
temporary
storage. The produced bitumen is
hydrocrack-
upgraded to SCO using fluid coking,
ing and hydrotreating processes. Byproduct sul
fur and petroleum coke are also produced.
The Syncrude facility currently
produce up
1988,
has approval to
to 10.0 million m3/yr of SCO. In
approval was granted to add facilities to
produce an additional 5.0 million cubic meters of
SCO annually. The approval stipulated that ex
pansion was to commence by the end of 1992.
Interim amendments to the lapse date were
granted in both 1992 and 1993. These interim
amendments also approved increases in the an
nual SCO production limit and authorized
Syncrude to process off-lease bitumen in the
1992 and 1993 calendar years.
The 1987 Expansion Project application was
reviewed through a consultative process which
included representatives of Syncrude, the Fort
McKay First Nation, and various regulatory
agencies. This group, which became known as
the Syncrude Expansion Review Group or SERG,
was able to address the issues and concerns of
the Fort McKay First Nation without the need for
a public hearing process.
A somewhat different approach was used by
Syncrude during the preparation of this applica
tion. Syncrude identified key stakeholder groups
with which it intended to individually consult in
order to identify and, if possible, address areas of
concern. The key stakeholder groups identified
were: the Fort McKay First Nation, the City of
Fort McMurray, and various environmental as
sociations. In order to simplify Its dealing with
the environmental associations, Syncrude ap
proached the Alberta Environmental Network and
asked it to set up a committee of interested or
ganizations. The Syncrude Environmental As
sessment Coalition (SEAC) was formed as a
result. Separate consultation processes were in
itiated with each of these three stakeholder
THE SYNTHETIC FUELS REPORT, JANUARY 1995