NSERC IRCC in Oil Sands Tailings Management

NSERC IRCC 油砂尾矿管理

• 批准号: 534019-2018
• 负责人: Bajic, Jelena
• 金额: $ 14.57万
• 依托单位: Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Industrial Research Chairs for Colleges Grants
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=698503
• 关键词: NSERC; IRCC; Oil; Sands; Tailings

The accumulation of fluid fine tailings (FFT) in the oil sands industry is a major risk for operators and stakeholders alike. Industry regulations require operators to progressively treat tailings deposits so that they are ready to reclaim within 10 years of end of mine life. With the first two mines set to close in 2032, this requires oil sands operators to treat more than 1 BM3 of fluid fine tailings by 2030 while reducing the total amount of fluid tailings produced from ~1 barrel FFT/barrel oil produced to ~0.75 barrel FFT/barrel oil produced to meet their regulatory approvals. This aggressive goal has created a particular need for increased process optimization and new technology development. Dr. Kaminsky, the NSERC Industrial Research Chair for Colleges (IRCC) in Oil Sands Tailings Management at NAIT, is a neutral third-party working to help validate and de-risk these new technologies to achieve the goal of developing comprehensive solutions to the FFT problem. Dr. Kaminsky is well known in the industry as the "Queen of Clay" and her passion for the importance of clays in oil sands tailings has led to multiple presentations, conferences and papers on the subject. Clays are the biggest driver of FFT development. Hence, over the next five years the Chair's research program will explore the importance of clays in tailings management through three themes: Clay Chemistry Fundamentals, Chemical Amendments, and Physical Processes. In particular, the Chair program will look for new technologies to measure clays, model the impact of clays on tailings production and treatment and develop screening methods to assess the effectiveness of chemical amendments and physical processes in curtailing clays ability to hold water and create FFT. Over the initial five years of the program 45 students will be trained in the area of tailings treatment and clay measurements through this program. Furthermore, Dr. Kaminsky is committed to the transfer of research findings and the training of industry personnel and SME practitioners through the delivery of workshops, technical notes, white papers and hands on laboratory training.

油砂行业中流体细尾矿（FFT）的积累是运营商和利益相关者的主要风险。 行业法规要求操作员逐步处理尾矿存款，以便他们准备在矿井生命结束的10年内收回。随着前两个矿山将于2032年关闭，这需要油砂操作员在2030年之前处理超过1 bm3的流体细尾矿，同时减少了从〜1桶FFT/桶油产生的液体尾矿的总量，这些流体尾矿产生的量为〜0.75桶/桶/桶，以符合其监管机构。这个积极的目标已经特别需要增加流程优化和新技术开发。 NSERC工业学院（IRCC）在NAIT的油砂尾矿管理中，Kaminsky博士是一家中立的第三方，旨在帮助验证和降低这些新技术，以实现针对FFT问题的全面解决方案的目标。 卡明斯基博士在该行业中被称为“粘土女王”，她对粘土在油砂中的重要性的热情导致了有关该主题的多次演讲，会议和论文。粘土是FFT开发的最大驱动力。因此，在接下来的五年中，主席的研究计划将通过三个主题：粘土化学基础，化学修正案和物理过程探索粘土在尾矿管理中的重要性。 尤其是，主席计划将寻找新技术来测量粘土，对粘土对尾矿生产和治疗的影响进行建模，并开发筛选方法，以评估化学修正案和物理过程在削减粘土能力中持有水和创建FFT的能力的有效性。在该计划的最初五年中，45名学生将在尾矿治疗和粘土测量方面接受培训。此外，Kaminsky博士致力于通过提供研讨会，技术笔记，白皮书和实验室培训的动机来转移研究结果以及行业人员和中小企业从业人员的培训。