Land

Landforms involving the planting of 467,000 seedlings were constructed on 318 hectares of former mining land in 2004, a new record for the placement of reclamation material. An additional 335 hectares of land that had previously been reclaimed as temporary also were converted to permanent, bringing to 653 hectares Syncrude’s total reclamation rate for 2004. Total reclamation expenditures were almost $15 million in 2004 compared to $11 million in 2003.

Almost 25 per cent of Syncrude’s Mildred Lake site has now been reclaimed even though some of the mines on the site have a remaining life of about 35 years. About two per cent of the site is reclaimed each year. At the Aurora mine site, which has been in operation since 2000, about 16 hectares were reclaimed, bringing to 23 hectares the total of reclaimed land on this newly established mine site. Also see discussion on land reclamation liability.

Syncrude’s reclamation efforts are supported by a long-term, large scale, and leading-edge research program. This work recently led to the development of a suite of tools that allow for the design and construction of landforms that mimic natural systems. Also see discussion on Watershed Research Program.

Good Advice

Toward excellence in land reclamation practices, Syncrude receives guidance from its Syncrude Land Reclamation Technical Advisory Panel, which is comprised of external experts in the field. The advisory panel is a management tool used by Syncrude to meet its reclamation responsibilities; it provides advice on land management technology as well as policy and practice.

Land Reclamation

	2005 Target	2004 Actual	2004 Target	2003	2002	2001	2000
Land Disturbed
(cumulative hectares)	19,117	18,653	18,465	18,335	17,653	16,685	15,576
Land Reclaimed
(cumulative hectares)	4,416	4,055	3,704	3,402	3,215	3,024	2,931
Net Land Disturbed
(cumulative hectares)	14,701	14,598	14,761	14,933	14,438	13,661	12,645
Seedlings Planted
(per year)	724,000	467,000	500,000	315,000	233,028	118,597	241,000

Support for New Tailings Research Facility

Support for New Tailings Research Facility Syncrude is a partner in the funding and staffing of a new $2.2 million tailings research facility that will help oil sands developers find new ways to manage the tailings produced by their operations. The facility, which opened in October, is allowing pilot-scale research into environmentally superior methods of depositing tailings into reclaimed landscapes. Among other goals, it is hoped work done at the facility will provide management options that avoid the current need for large tailings settling basins and enable progressive reclamation in active mines. The facility is a joint initiative among government, the University of Alberta and industry.

Recognition for Watershed Research Program

Syncrude’s Peat and Golden Pond Watershed Research Initiative, a multi-disciplinary research program that is studying the movement of water on reclaimed landscapes, was recognized at the 2004 National Post Design Exchange Awards. Findings from the research are enhancing Syncrude’s ability to establish diverse ecosystems on reclaimed sites.

Coordination Fosters Reduced Land Use

Coordination between Syncrude and forestry company Alberta Pacific under the Integrated Land Management (ILM) Program of the Alberta Chamber of Resources has succeeded in reducing the two companies’ development footprint by 1,000 hectares over the period 2000-2004. The ILM program aims to foster greater land use coordination among resource developers to reduce the cumulative impacts of resourcebased land use in Alberta. Alberta Pacific met its timber harvest needs in part through the clearing of land for Syncrude’s Aurora north and south mines.

For more information on the Integrated Land Management Program, visit www.acr-alberta.com/Projects/ILM_backgrounder.htm