Heliporable Reclamation

To avoid road reconstruction and minimize land disturbance, Cenovus piloted a heliportable program to carry out site reclamation, contaminated site remediation, and removal of contaminated soils. The program tested whether heliportable equipment could expand access to remote locations beyond the traditional winter work season, while reducing environmental impacts and overall project costs. Field staff and modified equipment were flown to sites daily, saving up to three hours of work per day during reduced daylight periods. The pilot projects included settling area recontouring and reclamation, soil mounding and recontouring, Phase II environmental site assessments, effective rooting zone studies, and spill remediation.

The pilot demonstrated multiple benefits, including reduced water use, elimination of watercourse crossings, a smaller environmental footprint, longer workdays, an expanded field season, and significant cost savings. Projects were completed 25% under budget, and participating companies expressed interest in repeating the approach. However, limitations included the need for extensive pre-planning and the risk of not having backup equipment if only one machine was flown in. Overall, the heliportable program proved to be an effective and efficient method for conducting environmental projects in remote areas.