Sustainable Growth Actions and Results

Sustainable growth remains a key objective for Syncrude.

We understand that we have many stakeholders who wish to stay informed about the impacts of our operation. We discuss some areas of common interest in this section. Further information on the work undertaken in 2007, and our future plans, are discussed throughout the balance of this report.

	Actions	Expected Results
Production and Product	Increase production to current productive design capacity of 350,000 barrels per day Improve product quality in all volumes of Syncrude crude oil blend	Sustained production at higher levels through increased upgrading capacity and long-life mines Meet market demand for premium quality product with lower sulphur and nitrogen content Downstream refineries will meet increasing environmental regulations and more easily produce cleaner burning fuel and more environmentally-friendly petroleum products
Employment	Create and support strategic education and training programs Implement Workforce Development strategies Provide supportive work environment	Workforce sustainability through education and training initiatives that create qualified new employees and retain current employees
Infrastructure Needs	Continued work with regional associations and governments to highlight the risks presented by the lack of public infrastructure and services needed to support a growing local community Ongoing investments in community infrastructure	Increased infrastructure funding for health, education, roads, and recreation Improved quality of life in the Wood Buffalo region Approval from stakeholders and regulators to expand operations
Air Quality	Investment in emissions reduction technology for existing cokers	Reduction in total SO₂ emissions by 60% from current approved levels and reduction in particulate matter by 50%, upon completion of the Syncrude Emissions Reduction Project
Land Reclamation	Continued land reclamation progress Continued work with Land Reclamation Technical Advisory Panel of external experts Ongoing guidance from and dialogue with Aboriginal Elders Reduce volumes of mature fine tailings (MFT) by introducing supplemental MFT conversion technology	Successful reclamation of East Mine area with composite tailings as the landform foundation Successful reclamation of West Mine area into a lake through water capping of mature fine tailings Future land reclamation progress consistent with closure plans and endorsed by stakeholders
Water	Technology development and process improvements aimed at reducing fresh water consumption and increasing recycled water use	Optimized and efficient use of fresh water resources
Energy and Climate Change	Investment in technology that will reduce energy consumption and improve bitumen recovery and upgrading yields Dedicated energy efficiency specialists and energy conservation assessments on processes and equipment Continued assessment of the viability for large scale carbon capture and storage through participation in the Integrated CO₂ Network (ICON) and work with the Alberta government on carbon capture and sequestration	Continued reduction in energy intensity Further reductions in emissions of CO₂ per barrel of production
Aboriginal Relations	Continued focus on six key commitment areas of our Aboriginal Development program: Corporate Leadership Employment Business Development Education Community Development Environment	Continued dialogue and cooperation on operations, environmental stewardship and development plans Increased secondary and post-secondary graduation rates Increased Aboriginal representation in the workforce Continued development of sustainable Aboriginal business enterprises
Safety	Continued investment in training, awareness activities, incentives and other initiatives to facilitate further improvements in workplace safety	Progress toward our objective of an injury-free workplace