Dr. Aref Najafi is a Technology Development Engineer with Canadian Natural Resources Limited.
He described the tailings research at CNRL as they develop an open-pit oil sands mine in NE Alberta. The research is to confirm that the tailings management process selected for their holding pond will perform as anticipated. CNRL is using thin lift drying of flocculated tailings. The tailings will subsequently be submerged as the tailing pond fills over the mine's operation. Questions about wave action and re-suspension of fine clays with submergence are part of the research objectives.
Videos of some research tests are included.
Dr Najafi's presentation was part of the 2014 Oil Sands Tailings Conference, organized by the Oil Sands Tailings Research Facility, University of Alberta at Lake Louise, Alberta, Dec. 7-10, 2014.
