Bursic 2:00
L04
THE OPTIONS TO MINE FOR OIL IN CANADIAN TAR SANDS WHILE
REMAINING ENVIRONMENTALLY ETHICAL IN THE ENGINEERING
FIELD
Austin Grill (adg73@pitt.edu)
INTRODUCTION: THE ETHICAL
SCENARIO OF BEGINNING WORK ON A
NEW LANDMASS OF TAR SANDS
In this scenario I am working for Shell Canada, an oil
company which is currently operating a mine in the
Muskeg River and the Scotford Upgrader at Fort
Saskatchewan in Alberta, Canada. Shell is looking to
expand its business to a mine in Jackpine. I am an engineer
hired by the company to determine the best method of
extracting the bitumen from the tar sands. Shell wants an
economical option that will be cheap so that the enterprise
can be as profitable as possible by reducing costs.
As the engineer for this particular project it is my job to
analyze the options there are to proceed and report back to
the company with my decision. Methods of tar sand
removal that have been practiced include open pit mining
and in-situ extraction. Open pit mining is similar to
quarrying in that excavation occurs at the surface. This
form of mining the bitumen, the oil, can be controversial
because it accounts for 370 million cubic meters of water
every year that is used to clean the mixture and separate the
purified oil. That equates to 5 liters of water for every liter
of oil, and 780 liters of water for every barrel of oil.
The tailings ponds result from this process contain
many contaminant particles, including potentially harmful
heavy metals, particulates, and lingering hydrocarbons. By
current methods, all of the water used to purify the bitumen
goes into these tailings ponds.
In-situ mining is used to extract oil which is too deep in
the ground to excavate. Also referred to as the solvent
extraction method, in-situ mining utilizes the viscosity of
the bitumen hydrocarbon by injecting a solvent into the
mixture. The oil along with the solvent the drains into a
well where the two can easily be separated. This method
requires much less water than the open pit mining method
and thus does not leave as large a mass of tailings ponds
(1).
To make an ethical decision on the issue I have
consulted multiple engineering codes of ethics, including
that of the National Society of Professional Engineers
(NSPE) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
(AICE). For my Shell assignment the portions of the Code
of Ethics for Engineers from the NSPE which will be
relevant are II.1, where it is stated that “engineers shall
hold paramount the … health … of the public,” section II.2
which refers to engineers remaining within their discipline,
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering
2013-10-01
section II.3.c which details the unethical nature of speaking
with bias particularly regarding a situation as this where the
engineer is being paid, and section III.2.d which
encourages “sustainable development in order to protect
the environment for future generations,” (2). The code
from the AICE includes a statement concerning the
protection of the environment which also must be
considered in this decision (3).
I will also look at environmental ethics and specifically
how engineering relates to environmental ethics (4). One
ecologist highlights the lack of knowledge on the effects of
tar sands, and begins to look at the effects of the tar sands
on communities downstream from the tailings ponds (5).
It is important for me to see how the public views the
situation as well from a perspective where the speaker does
not profit from the mining, so I will include an article from
a nearby citizen. The issues that surround tar sands and
fossil fuels are not solely in how the oil is mined but what
the overall effects are, so I will analyze the ethics of tailings
ponds on the nearby areas as well as the large quantities of
carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by the process.
I will use these along with other sources to come to a
decision regarding the ethical mining solution for Shell
Canada.
OPEN PIT MINING VS. SOLVENT
EXTRACTION METHOD: IS EITHER
ONE ETHICAL?
The tailings ponds left from open pit mining are
essentially the waste dumps of the process of harvesting the
oil. The harmful pollutants from the tailings ponds pose
many problems, as these dumping grounds are in fact
ponds filled with biologically harmful material. This poses
threats to wildlife mistaking the tailings ponds for safe
drinking water. An even greater health risk is present for
humans as the contaminated water leaks into the rivers and
surrounding land and seeps through the soil into the
groundwater [6].
Ecologist David Schindler comments on this
occurrence, opining that the industrial pollution from the
tar sands is causing the slightly higher rates of cancer in the
communities downstream from the tar sands. It has been
shown that fish eggs laid on sediment soiled with oil
typically die, and survivors are left with major
abnormalities. This type of harm is the situation fish are in
Austin Grill
which are in the tar sands or the tailings ponds. The tailings
ponds do not effectively sustain life, and kill animals every
year, pointing to the logical conclusion that any of what is
in these liquid dumping grounds seeping into the local river
and water system would be detrimental to human life in the
region (5). The polluted water directly affects the public
because they rely on that water to survive, but also because
they often eat fish from the river, which are likely also
contaminated. The consumption of the fish can be deadly
depending on how much biomagnification there is in the
river from the different animals increasing their
concentration of pollutants as the food chain goes higher.
The fish from the river is the main source of protein for
those living near by the water. It is too early to know for
sure but health risks may be a part of the future of these
towns (7).
This entire result violates many engineering codes of
ethics. It disregards public health, which is directive II.1
in the NSPE Code of Ethics (2). It also strictly goes against
the AICE Code of Ethics, which states, “members shall
hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public
and protect the environment in performance of their
professional duties,” (3). The tailings ponds and their
pollution into the river system violate both requirements of
this cannon. The tailings ponds endanger the public and
disrupt the entire ecosystem around them, making them
harmful to the environment as well.
The second option, the solvent extraction method, uses
much less water than the open pit mining method and thus
results in fewer tailings ponds, nowhere near the 66 square
miles of tailings ponds in northern Alberta, Canada
required for the open pit mining (8). In the solvent
extraction the oil drains into a well and is easily separated
from the solvent. This method, though utilized for bitumen
oil buried deep in the ground, can function closer to the
surface as well. Currently no companies perform the
solvent extraction method closer to the surface because it
is more expensive, but it is more ethical to spend the extra
money and protect the environment and nearby
communities.
I will further justify this statement with a quote from
Sarah Bell, author of “Engineers, Society, and
Sustainability.” “Engineering is a modern profession that
has been implicated in vast ecological destruction and is
central to implementing ecological modernization policies.
… Engineers should be aware of and accountable for their
role in modernization, ecological destruction, and
structures of domination,” (4). In other words, it is my duty
as the engineer to develop the best plan of action while
causing the least disruption to the surrounding
environment. In the context of the tar sands, I need to
structure the process of extraction which will have the least
effect on the ecosystem of the area. Engineers, while they
are to be ethical at all times, sometimes make poor
decisions, and this is when accountability needs to be
taken, as is consistent with the Codes of Ethics put out by
both the NSPE and the AICE.
Thus far in the Canadian tar sands engineers have not
been very ethical, and they have not been forced to be
either. According to a study by Peter Lee of Global Forest
Watch Canada and Kevin Timoney of Treeline Ecological
Research, “enforcement action … was taken in less than
one per cent of the more than 4,000 cases where a tar sands
facility violated an operating condition,” (8). The plants
and the authorities themselves are unethical, making it that
much more important that I as the engineer maintain my
integrity and hold firm on my decisions and my course of
action.
As there always is with oil and the topic of fossil fuels,
carbon dioxide levels and emissions are eyed closely for
each fuel and every process. Citizens in Canada are
concerned that the expansion of the mining will cause
greater CO2 emissions. These emissions are estimated to
total nearly two and a half megatons of carbon dioxide
every year (9). With these forms of mining, carbon dioxide
is released prior to the use of the fuel as well as during
combustion. This is a result of how much dirtier oil is in
the tar sands as compared to other oil mines.
SOLUTIONS TO THE REMAINING
ISSUES: CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS
AND THE MOST ETHICAL MANNER OF
MINING
By capturing the CO2 produced throughout the process
of mining and cleaning, Shell can reduce their emissions as
well as integrate the company with alternate forms of
energy.
Professor Andrew Bocarsly of Princeton
University has been working on using the gas as a fuel
since 2009. By mimicking Professor Bocarsly’s process of
producing methanol (a molecule which can be used as a
fuel) form the carbon dioxide Shell will contribute to
aiding the global effort for lower greenhouse gas emissions
(10).
Once the oil is mined, it still must be cleaned and
purified. Tar sands contain little oil for how much
excavation and land destruction occurs in the process.
Contents of Tar Sands
Bitumen
Water
9% - 13%
3%-7%
Mineral Solids
80%-85%
Only about one in every ten particles is bitumen. There
is some water in the sands as well, but mostly it consists of
mineral solids (11). This is the reason millions of cubic
meters of water are used each year to clean the bitumen.
All of the other particles contained in the tar sands are what
are present in the water when the oil is extracted. Because
of all these extra particles the water is much polluted,
2
Austin Grill
causing the health problems for water life and people living
downstream.
I have come up with an ethical solution to the unclean
water. Rather than attempt to isolate the water in tailings
ponds, Shell should use a centrifuge to separate the
particles in the mixture. This method of cleaning the water
would be more expensive, due to additional infrastructure
and maintenance costs, than the currently used methods of
cleaning the water, but the water would be cleaner and the
purification would occur more quickly. If Shell invests on
the infrastructure the centrifuges could be used for the oil
mined in either manner: open pit mining or the solvent
extraction method.
The centrifuge is useful because it separates
components of mixtures. The functionality of a centrifuge
comes from spinning it around at high speeds, adding force
to the particles and causing them to separate more quickly
than if they settled due to gravity. More dense molecules
will move to the bottom, and less dense molecules will
move to the top due to the sedimentation principle. The
components of a mixture experience one G of force due to
the gravitational pull, but in a centrifuge will experience a
force much larger. The bitumen would come to the top and
could be removed separately from the rest of the mixture.
The water would be next, and there would still be
particulate matter suspended in the water, but there would
be less of it than before.
The centrifuge not only abides by all of the ethics in
each Code of Ethics I have read, but it also brings the entire
production of the oil from bitumen sands into an ethical
light. It significantly reduces if not eliminates any health
risk to the public. The harmful contaminant particles like
the heavy metals would be removed from the water and the
water would be safer. Removing the pollutants from the
environment also aids the ecosystem and protects the area
for future generations, as is encouraged in the NSPE Code
of Ethics (2).
The remaining water could still go to tailings ponds if
it is still not clean enough. The final portion of the mixture
would contain a sludge-like combination of heavy metals
and particulate matter, but 70%-85% of this sludge is
water. This sludge could be treated by adding calcium
sulfate (CaSO4), commonly referred to a gypsum, and
sand. The reaction that follows produces a solid sediment
that can be used in the process of land reclamation from the
environmental damage done by mining. The other result
of the reaction if pure water as it is essentially squeezed out
of the mixture as the reaction occurs. This water could be
reintroduced into the environment, used for public
consumption, or reused in the next round of bitumen sand
extractions. In this way the process also gives back to the
environment in a way adding more security in keeping with
an ethical agenda.
CONCLUSION: MINIMIZE THE OPEN
PIT MINES AND TAILINGS PONDS
My ethical analysis is that tailings ponds cause too
many environmental concerns to be permitted, especially
when there are other potential options for the process of
extracting oil. The solvent extraction method is much
cleaner than the open pit mining method. I recommend the
solvent extraction method over open pit mining with
tailings ponds. If water is purified using the centrifuge and
the calcium sulfate, open pit mining is acceptable. In either
case the carbon dioxide gas should be collected to convert
to fuel as afore mentioned.
Shell should economically analyze the cost of my two
recommended options and choose which would be best for
them. The ideal option is to mine solely with the solvent
extraction method. The second option is to mine what is
necessary with the solvent extraction method, but excavate
the sands closer to the surface with the open pit mining
method, then using a centrifuge and gypsum to clean the
water and potentially reuse it.
REFERENCES
[1] O. Gerald. (2011, September). “Solvent Extraction
Method Shows Promise for Recovering Bitumen from Tar
Sands.” Chemical Engineering. (Online article).
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA3145760
03&v=2.1&u=upitt_main&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w
[2] (2013). “NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers.”
National Society of Professional Engineers. (Online
Article).
http://www.nspe.org/Ethics/CodeofEthics/index.html
[3] (2013). “Code of Ethics.” The Global Home of
Chemical Engineers. (Online Article).
http://www.aiche.org/about/code-ethics
[4] S. Bell. (2011, September 9). “Engineers, Society, and
Sustainability.” Morgan and Claypool Publishers.
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/pitt/docDetail.action?docID=105
35245
[5] D. Schindler. (2010, November 25). “Tar Sands Need
Solid Science.” Comment. (Online Article).
http://search.proquest.com/docview/815998008/fulltextP
DF?accountid=14709
[6] T. Gray. (2013, September 27). “The Tar Sands Don’t
Have to Pollute the Water. So Why do they?” The Globe
and Mail. (Online article).
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/the-tar-
3
Austin Grill
[10] C. Zandonella. (2012, June14). “Startup Born in
Princeton Lab turns Carbon Dioxide into Fuels.”
Princeton University. (Online Article).
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S33/95/96G
16/index.xml?section=featured
sands-dont-have-to-pollute-the-water-so-why-dothey/article14564780/?service=print
[7] S. Bocking. (2012). “Schindler’s Pissed.” Alternatives.
(Online article).
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA3026640
73&v=2.1&u=upitt_main&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w
[11] M. Gray, Z. Xu, and J. Masliyah. (2010, March).
“Physics in the Oil Sands of Alberta.” Physics Today.
(Online Article). http://www.fmf.unilj.si/~podgornik/download/PhysicsTodayMarch2009.pdf
[8] E. Struzik. (2013, August 5). “With Tar Sands
Development, Growing Concern on Water Use.”
Environment360. (Online Article).
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/with_tar_sands_development
_growing_concern_on_water_use/2672/
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
[9] C. Linnit. (2012, October 2). “First Nation
Challengers Shell Canada’s Jackpine Mine Expansion,
Citing Constitutional Treaty Rights.” DeSmogBlog.com.
(Online Article).
http://www.desmogblog.com/2012/10/01/first-nationchallenge-shell-canada-s-jackpine-mine-expansion-citingconstitutional-treaty-rights
I would like to thank Ms. Nicole Faina for her help in
directing me on this assignment and for helping me
understand necessary details.
4