Innovation Anthology #365:
Syncrude Canada Ltd. is focusing a lot of its research on new ways to reclaim water used in the processing of bitumen.
According to technology development manager Jim Lorentz, one new method is a technology called accelerated dewatering. It involves mixing gypsum into oil sands tailings.
JIM LORENTZ: Accelerated dewatering is another exciting technology where we again add that same water treatment chemical to the clay material from the tailings ponds. We place it in a basically a pit and we decant the water off it as the water is expressed to the surface.
This decanting process allows water that’s expressed to the surface to be collected in a perimeter like ditch where then its drained off. You’ve got to take these clay materials out of the tailings pond so you can let natural environmental conditions like the sun and underdrainage dry the materials.
Jim Lorentz says accelerated dewatering is a slower process than some of the others the company is investigating. But it allows natural gravity and natural conditions to do the work. And the energy input is minimal.
Thanks today to Syncrude
FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY
I’M CHERYL CROUCHER
Guest
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Sponsor
Syncrude
Program Date: 2011-01-04