Wasser Berlin International
GWP Forum: Challenges in North America
Alberta’s Water Challenges and Opportunities
March 25, 2015
Alexander J.B. Zehnder
Scientific Director Water Resources
Alberta Innovates - Energy & Environment Solutions (AI-EES)
Acknowledgements:
John Zhou, AI-EES
Kim Sturgess, Alberta WaterSmart
Alberta
A few facts:
• 10% of Canada’s population
• 7% of Canada’s Land Area
• 2% of Canada’s Water
• 35% of Canada’s Agricultural Export
• > 80 % of Canada’s Fossil Fuel Production
• ~ 18% of Canada’s GDP
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Alberta Innovates –
Energy and Environment Solutions (AI-EES)
Who We Are?
•“…Technology arm of the
Government of Alberta in
energy and environment”
What We Do?
• Identify, evaluate, select
technologies and partners
• Invest in research and
technology
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Strategic Focus
• Recovery technologies
Energy
• Partial upgrading
Technologies • Tight resources
• Value addition
Water &
Environmental
Management
Renewable &
Emerging
Technologies
• Water resources and use
• Tailings reclamation
• Land management
• GHG capture
• Renewable energy
• ‘Scout’ for emerging
technologies
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Alberta’s Water Universe
- Oil sand mining
- Oil sand in situ
- Hydraulic fracturing
- Water and wastewater treatment
- urban
- rural and remote communities
- Water reuse and storm water use
- Irrigation and agriculture
- Watershed protection
- Environmental monitoring
Alberta WaterPortal, 2015
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Companies in the Alberta’s Water Sector
Alberta WaterPortal, 2015
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Industries
in Alberta’s Water Technology Sector
Multinational Corporations ~ 15
International Technology Companies ~ 12
Canadian Technology Companies~ 24
Local Service Providers ~712
Alberta WaterPortal, 2015
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Oil sands deposits and commercial operations
Mining and In situ projects: Commercial and Pilots
Over $20 billion new investments in 2011/12
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The nature of the oil sands resource
Production
Technology
Mining
In Situ
19%
200 Production
2012
5
bbls/day
1,007,000
625,412
81%
924,000
Reserves
Oil Sands as “Technology Oil”
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Shovel & Truck
Surface Mining
Hydraulic Pipeline
Transport
Tailings
Gravity Separators
Tailings
Pond
In-Situ Extraction
Bitumen
Steam
Dil-Bit
Canadian &
U.S. Refineries
Diluent
SAGD
Coke
•Stockpiled
Synthetic
Crude Oil
SCO
Bitumen
Key environmental concerns in
oil sands development
GHGs
Upgrading
Air Quality
Tailings
Mining
Extraction
Tailings
Dil-Bit in
Pipelines
Land
Disturbance
Biodiversity
In-situ Site
Development
Bitumen derived products
Water Use
Steam Generation
H2O Treatment
Water
Quality
Reservoir
Produced
Fluids
Wastes
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SAGD: Water Treatment and Steam Generation
Is Central to the Operation
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Water Treatment
• De-oiling (hydraulic fracturing flow back, EOR
fluids, thermal recovery, etc.)
• Silica removal
• DOC removal
• High temperature RO membrane
• Evaporative technology
• Zero liquid discharge
• In-situ steam generation
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Water Treatment in Thermal Recovery
Improved Disposal
and ZLD
Better
Evaporators
Steam
Boiler blow-down
Dewatering
Disposal water
Silica waste
Option 1
De-Oiling
Oil/Water
Separation
Reservoir
Oil
Hi-Temp
Membrane
Option 2
DOC Removal
Evaporator
Drum Boiler
Steam
Generation
Improvements
Make-up water
Make-up water
Warm Lime
Softener
OTSG Boiler
Silica waste
Disposal water
Dewatering
Boiler blow-down
Steam
Improved Disposal
and ZLD
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Water Reuse in Edmonton
• Reclaimed wastewater for
process applications to
Suncor’s 135,000 bbl/day
Edmonton refinery (cooling
water and hydrogen
production)
• Capacity of 15 ML per day
• Approx. 50%* of total water
withdrawn for use in
Suncor’s Edmonton Refinery
was from Gold Bar
• 5.5 km pipeline from the
Gold Bar WWTP to the
Suncor Refinery
*Based on 2010 figures
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Arsenic in Groundwater
XC Le, et al. 2013
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Arsenic in Treated Water
XC Le, et al. 2013
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Water and Agriculture
Water (km3)
Water consumed in Alberta
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Virtual water consumed in Alberta
9
Virtual water exported
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Thank you for your attention!
www.ai-ees.ca
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