NSERC IRCC in Oil Sands Tailings Management

NSERC IRCC 油砂尾矿管理

• 批准号: 534019-2018
• 负责人: Bajic, Jelena
• 金额: $ 14.57万
• 依托单位: Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Industrial Research Chairs for Colleges Grants
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=719970
• 关键词: NSERC; IRCC; Oil; Sands; Tailings

The accumulation of fluid fine tailings (FFT) in the oil sands industry is a major risk for operators and stakeholders alike. Industry regulations require operators to progressively treat tailings deposits so that they are ready to reclaim within 10 years of end of mine life. With the first two mines set to close in 2032, this requires oil sands operators to treat more than 1 BM3 of fluid fine tailings by 2030 while reducing the total amount of fluid tailings produced from ~1 barrel FFT/barrel oil produced to ~0.75 barrel FFT/barrel oil produced to meet their regulatory approvals. This aggressive goal has created a particular need for increased process optimization and new technology development. Dr. Kaminsky, the NSERC Industrial Research Chair for Colleges (IRCC) in Oil Sands Tailings Management at NAIT, is a neutral third-party working to help validate and de-risk these new technologies to achieve the goal of developing comprehensive solutions to the FFT problem. Dr. Kaminsky is well known in the industry as the "Queen of Clay" and her passion for the importance of clays in oil sands tailings has led to multiple presentations, conferences and papers on the subject. Clays are the biggest driver of FFT development. Hence, over the next five years the Chair's research program will explore the importance of clays in tailings management through three themes: Clay Chemistry Fundamentals, Chemical Amendments, and Physical Processes.In particular, the Chair program will look for new technologies to measure clays, model the impact of clays on tailings production and treatment and develop screening methods to assess the effectiveness of chemical amendments and physical processes in curtailing clays ability to hold water and create FFT. Over the initial five years of the program 45 students will be trained in the area of tailings treatment and clay measurements through this program. Furthermore, Dr. Kaminsky is committed to the transfer of research findings and the training of industry personnel and SME practitioners through the delivery of workshops, technical notes, white papers and hands on laboratory training.

油砂行业中流体细尾矿 (FFT) 的积累对于运营商和利益相关者来说都是一个主要风险。 行业法规要求运营商逐步处理尾矿沉积物，以便在矿山寿命结束后 10 年内做好回收准备。前两个矿山将于 2032 年关闭，这要求油砂运营商到 2030 年处理超过 1 BM3 的流体细尾矿，同时将约 1 桶 FFT/桶石油生产的流体尾矿总量减少到约 0.75 桶生产的 FFT/桶油是为了满足监管部门的批准。这一雄心勃勃的目标特别需要加强流程优化和新技术开发。 Kaminsky 博士是 NAIT 油砂尾矿管理领域的 NSERC 大学工业研究主席 (IRCC)，他是一个中立的第三方，致力于帮助验证和降低这些新技术的风险，以实现开发 FFT 综合解决方案的目标问题。 卡明斯基博士在业内被誉为“粘土女王”，她对油砂尾矿中粘土重要性的热情导致了有关该主题的多次演讲、会议和论文。 Clays 是 FFT 发展的最大推动力。因此，在未来五年中，主席的研究计划将通过三个主题探讨粘土在尾矿管理中的重要性：粘土化学基础知识、化学修正和物理过程。特别是，主席计划将寻找测量粘土的新技术，模拟粘土对尾矿生产和处理的影响，并开发筛选方法来评估化学改良剂和物理过程在限制粘土保水和产生 FFT 能力方面的有效性。在该计划的最初五年中，45 名学生将通过该计划接受尾矿处理和粘土测量领域的培训。此外，卡明斯基博士还致力于通过举办研讨会、技术说明、白皮书和实验室实践培训来传播研究成果以及对行业人员和中小企业从业人员进行培训。