NSERC IRCC in Oil Sands Tailings Management

油砂行业中流体细尾矿(FFT)的堆积是运营商和利益相关者面临的主要风险。行业法规要求运营商逐步处理尾矿矿藏，以便在矿山寿命结束后10年内做好回收准备。随着第一批两个矿山将于2032年关闭，这要求油砂运营商在2030年之前处理超过1BM3的流体细尾矿，同时将~1桶FFT/桶油产生的流体尾矿总量减少到~0.75桶FFT/桶油，以满足监管部门的批准。这一雄心勃勃的目标产生了对增加工艺优化和新技术开发的特别需求。卡明斯基博士是NAIT油砂尾矿管理学院(IRCC)NSERC工业研究教授，他是一个中立的第三方，致力于帮助验证和降低这些新技术的风险，以实现为FFT问题开发全面解决方案的目标。 卡明斯基博士在业界被称为“粘土女王”，她对粘土在油砂尾矿中的重要性的热情导致了关于这个主题的多个演讲、会议和论文。粘土是FFT发展的最大推动力。因此，在接下来的五年里，主席的研究计划将通过三个主题探讨粘土在尾矿管理中的重要性：粘土化学基础、化学改良剂和物理过程。 特别是，主席计划将寻找新的技术来测量粘土，模拟粘土对尾矿生产和处理的影响，并开发筛选方法来评估化学改良剂和物理过程在限制粘土保持水分和产生FFT方面的有效性。在该计划的最初五年中，45名学生将通过该计划接受尾矿处理和粘土测量领域的培训。此外，卡明斯基博士致力于转让研究成果，并通过提供研讨会、技术说明、白皮书和实验室培训来培训行业人员和中小企业从业者。

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.