Oil Sands Exploration Reclamation Projects Summary

This project aimed to summarize and quantify past reclamation activities on Oil Sands Exploration (OSE) sites in the Cold Lake region, assess pre-disturbance site types, and correlate these characteristics with reclamation outcomes. Work included compiling location, site type, construction, and reclamation data for disturbances completed since 2010, and analyzing historical relationships between site conditions, construction methods, treatments, and current restoration status. Sixteen lowland, six upland, and twenty transitional sites from OSE programs in 2011–2013 were assessed. Findings were intended to inform biophysical models of site succession and guide best practices that reduce reclamation costs, accelerate recovery, and improve certainty of outcomes. This project consolidates several existing projects including the Christina Lake OSE (CLOSE), Restoration of OSE Well-sites (ROSE) Program, Historical Mounding Program, High Planting Trial Program, LiDEA Pilot Vegetation Monitoring Program, and LiDea II Regeneration surveys years one and two.

The review found several recurring issues, including excessive coarse woody debris (CWD) impeding revegetation, uneven CWD distribution, debris left at well centers, settling and pooling at well sites, slow regeneration on lowlands, and cracking from compaction problems. Transitional sites often required secondary re-contouring, and lowlands experienced persistent water pooling. Recommendations included mounding well centers in high-water-table lowlands, avoiding unnecessary cuts, improving CWD management, ensuring complete cement removal, and strengthening coordination between construction and environmental teams. These results highlight the value of further assessing historical OSE sites to refine construction and deactivation practices, reduce costly rework, and promote more successful reclamation outcomes.