scholarly journals Field Testing of Selected Salt-Tolerant Screened Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera L.) Clones for Use in Reclamation around End-Pit Lakes Associated with Bitumen Extraction in Northern Alberta

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 572
Author(s):  
Yue Hu ◽  
David Kamelchuk ◽  
Richard Krygier ◽  
Barb R. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Field Testing ◽  
Extraction Process ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Populus Balsamifera ◽  
Improvement Program ◽  
Balsam Poplar ◽  
Mine Sites ◽  
Bitumen Extraction ◽  
Northern Alberta

For the oil sands mine sites in northern Alberta, the presence of salty process affected water, a byproduct of the hot-water bitumen extraction process, is anticipated to pose a challenge on some reconstructed landforms. The fundamental challenge when re-vegetating these sites is to ensure not only survival, but vigorous growth where plants are subjected to conditions of high electrical conductivity owing to salts in process affected water that may be contained in the substrate. Finding plants suitable for high salt conditions has offered the opportunity for Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc. (Al-Pac) to investigate the potential role of using native balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera L.) as a key reclamation species for the oil sands region. Two years of greenhouse screening (2012 and 2013) of 222 balsam poplar clones from Al-Pac’s balsam poplar tree improvement program, using process affected discharge water from an oil sands processing facility in Ft. McMurray, has suggested an opportunity to select genetically suitable native clones of balsam poplar for use in reclamation of challenging sites affected by process water. In consideration of the results from both greenhouse and field testing, there is an opportunity to select genetically suitable native clones of balsam poplar that are tolerant to challenging growing conditions, making them more suitable for planting on saline sites.

Self-lubricated transport of bitumen froth

1999 ◽  
Vol 386 ◽  
pp. 127-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
DANIEL D. JOSEPH ◽  
RUNYAN BAI ◽  
CLARA MATA ◽  
KEN SURY ◽  
CHRIS GRANT
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Gradient ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Pipe Wall ◽  
Extraction Process ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Turbulent Pipe Flow ◽  
University Of Minnesota ◽  
Lubricating Layer ◽  
Direct Measurements ◽  
The University

Bitumen froth is produced from the oil sands of Athabasca using the Clark's Hot Water Extraction process. When transported in a pipeline, water present in the froth is released in regions of high shear, namely at the pipe wall. This results in a lubricating layer of water that allows bitumen froth pumping at greatly reduced pressures and hence the potential for savings in pumping energy consumption. Experiments establishing the features of the self-lubrication phenomenon were carried out in a 25 mm diameter pipeloop at the University of Minnesota, and in a 0.6 m diameter pilot pipeline at Syncrude, Canada. The pressure gradient of lubricated flows in 25 mm, 50 mm and 0.6 m diameter pipes closely follow the empirical law of Blasius for turbulent pipe flow; the pressure gradient is proportional to the ratio of the 7/4th power of the velocity to the 5/4th power of the pipe diameter, but the constant of proportionality is about 10 to 20 times larger than that for water alone. We used Reichardt's model for turbulent Couette flow with a friction velocity based on the shear stress acting on the pipe wall due to the imposed pressure gradient to predict the effective thickness of the lubricating layer of water. The agreement with direct measurements is satisfactory. Mechanisms for self-lubrication are also considered.

Methanogenic potential of tailings samples from oil sands extraction plants

2002 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip M Fedorak ◽  
Debora L Coy ◽  
Myrna J Salloum ◽  
Marvin J Dudas
Keyword(s):  
Methane Production ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Sulfate Reducing Bacteria ◽  
Extraction Process ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Electron Donors ◽  
Sulfate Reducing ◽  
Settling Ponds ◽  
Reducing Bacteria ◽  
Composite Tailings

Approximately 20% of Canada's oil supply now comes from the extraction of bitumen from the oil sands deposits in northeastern Alberta. The oil sands are strip-mined, and the bitumen is typically separated from sand and clays by an alkaline hot water extraction process. The rapidly expanding oil sands industry has millions of cubic metres of tailings for disposal and large areas of land to reclaim. There are estimates that the consolidation of the mature fine tails (MFT) in the settling ponds will take about 150 years. Some of the settling ponds are now evolving microbially produced methane, a greenhouse gas. To hasten consolidation, gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) is added to MFT, yielding materials called consolidated or composite tailings (CT). Sulfate from the gypsum has the potential to stimulate sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) to out-compete methanogens, thereby stopping methanogenesis. This investigation examined three MFT and four CT samples from three oil sands extractions companies. Each was found to contain methanogens and SRB. Serum bottle microcosm studies showed sulfate in the CT samples stopped methane production. However, if the microcosms were amended with readily utilizable electron donors, the sulfate was consumed, and when it reached approximately 20 mg/L, methane production began. Some unamended microcosms were incubated for 372 days, with no methane production detected. This work showed that each MFT and CT sample has the potential to become methanogenic, but in the absence of exogenous electron donors, the added sulfate can inhibit methanogenesis for a long time.Key words: consolidated tailings, composite tailings, methanogens, oil sands, sulfate-reducing bacteria.

Thermal properties of oil sands fluid fine tailings: laboratory and in situ testing methods

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 428-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn A. Dompierre ◽  
S. Lee Barbour
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Properties ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Field Testing ◽  
Extraction Process ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Fine Tailings ◽  
Oil Sands Mining ◽  
Fluid Fine Tailings

Fluid fine tailings (FFT) are soft tailings produced by the bitumen extraction process associated with open-pit oil sands mining. Oil sands mine operators have proposed the use of end pit lakes (EPLs) to contain soft tailings and Syncrude Canada Ltd. has developed the first EPL in the industry. This EPL, referred to as Base Mine Lake, contains FFT transferred from an above-ground tailings facility in a mined-out pit. The FFT was placed at elevated temperatures relative to natural groundwater temperatures in the region, so the FFT will act as a long-term source of heat. Evaluation of the thermal regime within the EPL requires the characterization of the thermal properties of FFT. Laboratory testing was undertaken to measure the thermal properties (thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity) of the FFT over a range of water contents and to evaluate the effect of bitumen content on the thermal properties. Field testing was also undertaken to verify that these properties were similar in the undisturbed FFT, measured at a larger scale.

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