Pierre River Mine Project

AIR ERCB SIRS 40 – 45
Section 6.1
Request 43d What is Shell’s position on providing detailed configuration of the pollution
control technologies for the AER unit to the ERCB, when a final selection has
been made?
Response 43d Shell will provide the appropriate design details of the AER process to the
applicable regulatory agencies, including the ERCB, once a final design basis has
been selected.
Question No. 44
Request Volume 1, Section 10.1, Page 10-156, Supplemental Information Responses.
Shell states, “If asphaltene recovery operations are not initiated, TSRU tailings
will be incorporated into fluid fine tailings mixes. Some of these fluid fine tailings
will be incorporated into NST and some will be stored in water capped mature
fine tailings (MFT) end-pit lakes”.
44a What are the implications for air emissions in the region if the TSRU tailings is
incorporated into the NST deposit? Will there be a significant increase in the
estimated air emissions for the project?
Response 44a If the TSRU tailings are incorporated into the NST deposit the actual VOC
emissions will be higher than if they are deposited sub-aqueously in the ETDA
due to the capping effect of the water. However, as outlined below, the calculated
air emissions used in the EIA for the region will remain unchanged.
The primary source of air emissions from the ETDA or in-pit NST cells is due to
unrecovered solvent. The unrecovered solvent is associated with asphaltenes and
the tailings solvent recovery unit (TSRU) tailings. The Shell VOC emission
estimates are based on the conservative assumption that diluent losses will be
four barrels of diluent per 1,000 barrels of bitumen produced. This assumption
does not differentiate between solvent loss due to unrecovered asphaltenes or
TSRU tailings. Therefore, the calculated fugitive emission rates would remain
unchanged if asphaltene recovery operations were not initiated.
Request 44b If yes, what is the per cent increase in air emissions for the project?
Response 44b See the response to ERCB SIR 44a.
6-22 Shell Canada Limited April 2010
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