Dr. Ron Currie was project lead for a study conducted at NAIT Applied Research Centre for Oil Sands Sustainability (NARCOSS) to help develop a standard for Alberta's oil sands producers to measure fines at all stages of oil sands production from oil sands cores to fluid fine tailings. The Alberta Energy Regulator requested a standardized test to support their D-74 reporting requirements. The Fines Measurement Working Group (FMWG), chaired by Robert Mahood (Shell), within COSIA Tailings EPA (Environmental Priority Area) authorized NARCOSS to engage in this study.
Dr. Currie reports on the committee's research and their recommendations for fines measurement. A key recommendation is to pay attention to dispersion, otherwise problems with total mass balances arise,
While a work in progress, the research by the Fines Measurement Working Group has defined important components of a standard for measuring fines and provides recommendations for further testing work.
Dr. Currie's presentation was part of the International Oil Sands Tailings 2014 Conference Dec. 8-10, 2014 at Lake Louise, Alberta organized by the Oil Sands Tailings Research Facility, University of Alberta.
Tags
