Mitigating GHG emissions from oil sands tailings through redox processes

通过氧化还原过程减少油砂尾矿的温室气体排放

基本信息

批准号：
543693-2019
负责人：
Siddique, Tariq
金额：
$ 9.47万
依托单位：
University of Alberta
依托单位国家：
加拿大
项目类别：
Collaborative Research and Development 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=720774
关键词：
Mitigating GHG emissions oil sands

项目摘要

Surface mining of oil sands has a significant environmental footprint. Currently tailings ponds contain more than 1 billion m3 of fluid fine tailings (FFT) that need to be reclaimed. Expression of porewater from settling FFT contributes oil sands process-affected water to the water cap volume and chemistry. Tailings ponds are anaerobic and harbor microbial communities that degrade residual hydrocarbons in FFT producing greenhouse gases (GHG), primarily methane. Similarly, methanogenesis can continue in end-pit lakes where FFT is reclaimed under water and the conditions are aerobic near the surface. The overarching objective of this current project is to reduce net GHG emissions. A two-pronged strategy will be employed: 1) to understand the role of iron minerals and other redox compounds (nitrate and sulfate) in the inhibition of methanogenesis and 2) to understand the roles of these alternative electron acceptors, along with molecular oxygen (O2), in the oxidation of produced methane. Exploring the metabolic potential of indigenous microorganisms and investigating linkages between methanogenesis and iron, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling in the FFT will help develop strategies that will include in situ amendments of redox compounds and ex-situ application of redox processes to inhibit methanogenesis and stimulate methane oxidation. The approach will mitigate GHG emissions from tailings ponds and future end-pit lakes in the Athabasca Oil Sands region in Alberta, Canada.

油砂的地面开采具有明显的环境足迹。目前，尾矿池塘中包含超过10亿平方米的流体细尾矿（FFT），需要回收。沉降FFT中孔隙水的表达为石油盖的体积和化学贡献贡献了油砂。尾矿池塘是厌氧和港口微生物群落，可在FFT产生温室气体（GHG）中降低残留碳氢化合物，主要是甲烷。同样，甲烷发生可以继续在水下回收FFT的端湖湖泊，并且在表面附近有氧虫是有氧的。当前项目的总体目标是减少净温室气体排放。将采用两种策略：1）了解铁矿物质和其他氧化还原化合物（硝酸盐和硫酸盐）在抑制甲烷发生中的作用，以及2）在生产甲烷的氧化中，了解这些替代电子受体以及分子氧（O2）以及分子氧（O2）的作用。探索原住民微生物的代谢潜力，并研究甲烷发生与铁，氮和FFT中的硫磺循环之间的联系，将有助于制定策略，包括氧化还原化合物的原位修正案以及对氧化还原过程的原位修正案，以抑制甲烷生成和刺激甲烷生成和刺激甲基甲烷氧化。这种方法将减轻加拿大艾伯塔省阿萨巴斯卡油砂地区的尾矿池塘和未来末端湖泊的温室气体排放。