2023 Field Tour

Pathways Alliance Inc. (Pathways), with Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), arranged a field tour to bring together oil sands operators, Pathways’ members, and academics to share their knowledge, practices, and technology to accelerate the dissemination of knowledge and information. Participants had the opportunity to learn firsthand about the projects and associated conservation and reclamation practices. The field tour occurred on August 29th and 30th, 2023 at the Syncrude Mildred Lake Mine and ConocoPhillips Surmont in-situ facilities. At Syncrude, tour locations included 2 landform types: an above-grade overburden disposal area (South Bison Hills) and an in-pit tailings structure (East In-Pit Closure Valley). These landforms are at different stages in progressive reclamation and are comprised of upland forests and wetlands. Locations at ConocoPhillips included a range of sites, including some that were visited in 2017. Recent reclamation practices encompassed a new large-scale topsoil depth study and the reclamation of an old plant site.

Key Topics: (1) Closure /Reclamation Planning – material availability, budget limitations, and managerial support; (2) Direct Placement and Stockpiling – direct placement best; stockpiling necessary but challenging; (3) Temporary Reclamation – less weed control, controls erosion, minimizes propagule loss, improves biodiversity and material quality; resalvaging grassy stockpiles challenging; (4) Rough and Loose Surfaces – best practice, minimize compaction/erosion. create biodiverse microsites; (5) Monitoring Programs – inform strategies for revegetation, soil handling, landscape design, reclamation certification; (6) Revegetation – discussed planting trees, shrubs, other plants. Innovations: planting under canopies, hitchhiker planting, placement of upland surface soil "islands"; (7) Weed Management – grasses hinder tree growth more than broad leaved weeds. Canopy closure controls weeds. Higher densities control weeds faster; (8) Wetland Reclamation – planned and opportunistic wetlands show the adaptability of nature; (9) Best Practices – discussed established and evolving techniques and importance of involving local community end land users.