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ARTICLE · 06 FEBRUARY 2009

New Oil Sands Tailings Requirements Increase Regulatory Scrutiny

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
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Energy Resources Conservation Board Directive 074: Tailings Performance Criteria and Requirements for Oil Sands Mining Schemes was released on February 3, 2009, setting out industry-wide performance criteria for the reduction of fluid fine tailings and the formation of trafficable deposits for all oil sands operators.

CanadaEnergy and Natural Resources
Shawn Denstedt
Shawn Denstedt
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Energy Resources Conservation Board Directive 074: Tailings Performance Criteria and Requirements for Oil Sands Mining Schemes was released on February 3, 2009, setting out industry-wide performance criteria for the reduction of fluid fine tailings and the formation of trafficable deposits for all oil sands operators. Failure to comply with these new requirements could lead to enforcement actions from the Energy Resources Conservation Board.

Background

Tailings are a waste by-product of oil sands extraction processes which are generally composed of water, sand, silt, clay and residual bitumen. Tailings are sent to tailings ponds where solids settle and water is recycled. Coarse solids settle rapidly, but fluid fine tailings can remain in suspension for several years, if not indefinitely. According to the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB), Alberta's inventory of fluid fine tailings requiring long term containment is now 720 million cubic meters. Although

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