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Syncrude is committed to managing air emissions to protect human and ecological health in the region. The Wood Buffalo region enjoys good air quality, and we will responsibly manage our operations and implement new processes and technologies to help maintain this in the years ahead.
Air quality is independently monitored by the multi-stakeholder Wood Buffalo Environmental Association (WBEA). If an ambient air exceedence occurs, all operators in the region are notified. At Syncrude, we conduct a site-wide investigation into any possible sources from our operation. If one is identified, procedures are implemented to minimize air quality impacts.
We are committed to staying within the emissions limits of our operating license and will reduce production rates to do so. If we are aware of a plant upset that could cause odours or temporarily elevate emissions from our operation, we will always inform local stakeholder communities of the situation and our efforts to resolve the issue.
Emissions from Syncrude of sulphur dioxide (SO2) continued to decrease and in 2014 were at the lowest level in our operating history. This is attributed to the commissioning of our new $1.6 billion emissions reduction project in December 2013. When combined with previously deployed emissions management technology, this project has reduced our SO2 emissions by 69 per cent from 2005 levels. Our focus for 2015 is to ensure the reliable operation of this project and its related units.
SO2 emissions originate mainly from two fluid cokers built in the 1970s as part of our original operations. Emissions from a third coker that commenced operation in 2006 are routed through a flue-gas desulphurization unit (FGD). Other sources of SO2 include flaring and diverter stacks which are used only during coker unit or plant upsets. Flaring in 2014 increased from the previous year due to upsets within the upgrader and start-up of the emissions reduction project.
When it is necessary to flare or divert gas, we adhere to regulatory requirements and take every possible action to reduce the duration of each incident. This includes decreasing production rates if required.
Sources of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions at Syncrude are the main and secondary stacks in our upgrader and mining equipment. Due primarily to the installation of higher-tier engines into medium-duty support equipment over the last few years, emissions from our mine mobile equipment decreased by approximately 13 per cent from 2010 levels.
Our primary goals with respect to minimizing NOx emissions are to move the maximum volume of material while consuming the least amount of fuel, and to have engines that continue to reduce emissions per litre of fuel consumed. This is achieved through capital turnover and the purchase of new haul trucks when equipment reaches end-of-life. We also focus on fuel quality, engine selection, operating and maintenance practices, mine plan efficiency and knowledge sharing activities.
Through a third party, fugitive emissions studies occur once every five years to provide assurance that we are capturing all possible sources. The last study was completed in 2013 and results are now incorporated into our data. In 2014, the Government of Alberta introduced a new directive to improve the accuracy and consistency of fugitive greenhouse gas emissions reporting in the oil sands industry. Applied under the Specified Gas Emitters Regulation (SGER), the directive set out standard procedures for quantifying emissions from mine faces and tailings ponds, and encouraged these procedures to be also used in sampling for other air quality indicators, such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). As a result, our emissions numbers have increased in comparison to previous years and research is currently underway to better identify specific sources and potential reduction strategies. We have also restated our data for 2013 (see graph and table).
Some sources of VOCs at Syncrude include naphtha losses to our Mildred Lake tailings settling basin and hydrocarbon vapours from storage tanks.
To reduce naphtha losses, wastewater streams are directed through two Naphtha Recovery Units (NRUs), a technology developed by Syncrude in the mid-1980s. We remain within government regulations for naphtha losses and continue to examine how we can improve recovery in the future. Naphtha recovery over the reporting period was just under 85 per cent.
A leak detection and repair program has been in place at Syncrude since 1992. As required by our operating approval, this program monitors for vapour leaks according to the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Code of Practice. The system enables us to minimize VOC releases.
Significant efforts are made to reduce ambient air exceedences through reliable and stable operations, and fewer plant upsets. In 2014, there were 33 exceedences reported by air monitoring stations operated by the Wood Buffalo Environmental Association. Of these, 12 were attributed to Syncrude.
WBEA communication protocols inform Syncrude immediately of any ambient air exceedences. This triggers a site-wide investigation into possible Syncrude sources that may be contributing to elevated readings. If one is identified, procedures are implemented to minimize air quality impacts, which can include reducing production rates. A follow-up report is submitted to Alberta Environment and Parks within seven days.
To help prevent the release of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) to the atmosphere, we conduct ongoing maintenance to heating and ventilation systems, air conditioners and cooler units. In 2012, we replaced all HVAC units with ones that operate on non-ozone depleting refrigerant. As a result, we’ve had no exceedences above regulatory limits.
The Wood Buffalo Environmental Association (WBEA) independently monitors air quality and terrestrial environmental effects in the region. WBEA is headquartered in Fort McMurray and the 38 Association members are comprised of environmental non-government organizations, First Nations, Métis Locals, governments, health agencies and industry. Syncrude is a founding member and an employee currently serves as Association President. WBEA operates 17 continuous monitoring stations and 22 passive stations, which measure between three and 10 air quality parameters.
In 2014, WBEA became a working partner of the Alberta Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Agency (AEMERA) and is funded largely by it. Also, two new members – the Conklin Resource Development Advisory Board and Connacher Oil and Gas Ltd. – joined the Association during the year.
To determine the impact of air emissions upon forests, WBEA monitors 25 permanent jack pine forest health plots throughout the region and into Saskatchewan. Twenty-two of these plots measure monthly passive concentrations of five air pollutants. Six of the plots continuously measure meteorology and other variables affecting forest growth, with the use of tall meteorology towers. In addition, 25 separate edge plots have been established to detect any early warning of change in key indicators, well before an impact can be measured.
The Fort McKay Berry Focus Group is a partnership between community members of Fort McKay and WBEA’s Terrestrial Environmental Effects Monitoring (TEEM) program. The program engages community members and Elders in an ongoing berry monitoring study, in which they share their observations and pass on their traditional knowledge of regional berry health to scientists. In 2014, several planning workshops and berry patch visits were held. Five berry patches were instrumented with passive air pollution monitors and continuous meteorology. Berries were sampled in August, for analysis of contaminants and health promoting constituents. Results have been shared with Elders and will be publicly released in 2015.
WBEA monitors regional odours with specialized odour analyzers and an ongoing Community Odour Monitoring Program enables local volunteers to track and report odours. Results are published regularly at www.wbea.org.
Local stakeholders report odour concerns to the 24-hour Alberta Environment hotline at 1.800.222.6514. Government authorities then notify local industrial operators of the complaint and require them to assess their operations for possible sources of odours and take remediating action. The regulator informed Syncrude of three odour complaints during 2014, which were attributable to our operation. The odour sources were investigated and steps taken to promptly resolve them.
In the event of an operational upset or scheduled maintenance which could cause odours or affect air quality, we update the public through the Wood Buffalo Air Information Line at 1.866.685.3699.
Ongoing efforts by the Wood Buffalo Environmental Association aim to improve the identification and measurement of odours in the region. For details, visit www.wbea.org.
| Ozone-depleting substances 1 (kg of CFC11 equivalent/year) |
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| Sulphur dioxide (thousand tonnes/year) |
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| Sulphur dioxide emission intensity (kg/m3 production) |
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| Sulphur dioxide emission intensity (tonnes/thousand barrels production) |
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| Nitrogen oxides (thousand tonnes/year) |
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| Nitrogen oxides emission intensity (kg/m3 production) |
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| Nitrogen oxides emission intensity (tonnes/thousand barrels production) |
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| Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)1 (thousand tonnes/year) |
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| VOC emission intensity1 (kg/m3 production) |
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| VOC emission intensity1 (tonnes/thousand barrels production) |
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| PM - Total particulate matter (tonnes/year) |
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| PM10 - Particulate matter <= 10 microns (tonnes/year) |
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| PM2.5 - Particulate matter <= 2.5 microns (tonnes/year) |
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| Sour gas diverting (tonnes/day SO2) |
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| Flaring (emergency and non-emergency) (million standard m3) |
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| Flaring Intensity (emergency and non-emergency) (m3/m3 production) |
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1 Syncrude reports annually to the National Pollutant Release Inventory. A comprehensive annual breakdown of substances reported, including VOCs, can be found at http://www.ec.gc.ca/inrp-npri/ and typing "Syncrude" in the Facility Name search field.
| Diverter stack usage (hours/year) |
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| Sour gas flaring (tonnes/day SO2) |
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| Main stack sulphur dioxide (hours greater than 16.4 tonnes per hour) |
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| Main stack sulphur dioxide (90-day rolling average >245 tonnes) |
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| Main stack nitrogen oxides (# of hours > 1.5 tonnes per hour) |
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| Main stack opacity (# hours > 40) |
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Ambient air exceedences H2S hourly
(#) |
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Ambient air exceedences H2S 24-hour period
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Ambient air exceedences SO2 hourly
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Ambient air exceedences SO2
24-hour period
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Odour incidents
(# attributed to Syncrude) |
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