Taking action in support of our vital natural resource sector

What does oil sands reclamation look like in Canada? That's a good question, and an important one to explain in full considering that Canada’s oil sands has long been in the crosshairs of anti-oil and gas activists looking to de-market our oil and prevent it from getting to world consumers.

A common method used by these groups to smear the industry is to post pictures of open pit mines and tailings ponds in various online mediums, giving off an impression to the unknowing viewer that is what the entirety of Alberta's oil sands looks like.

Unsurprisingly, they skip using photos of minimal disturbance in-situ operations and reclaimed oil sands sites because such photos show environmentally progressive and responsible development that doesn’t fit their oppositional narrative, which is devoid of balance.

• Top 3 Trans Mountain Myths Debunked
• 3 Pragmatic Questions for Anti-Resource Development Activists
• Yes, Newfoundland & Labrador Oil is Low-Carbon and Good for the World

And unfortunately, out-of-context pictures of zoomed-in oil sands mining operations are sometimes even used by media across Canada to represent the sector as a whole. This is in addition to international coverage that often lacks balance and also uses mining imagery to convey a negative message, which is surprising considering that:

> Only 3% of Alberta’s oil sands land surface area can be mined

> The remaining 97% can only be developed using in-situ methods like steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) with minimal land disturbances

> Only 20% of reserves are shallow enough to be extracted via mining operations

> In-situ extraction represents just over half of current oil sands production

You would think a newspaper in Alberta, for example, would use photos for oil sands-related articles to better represent the majority of potential land area development, like this one of a Cenovus steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) operation at Christina Lake:

Cenovus - Christina Lake SAGD operation

SAGD paints a much more appropriate image of what most development looks like as in-situ is responsible for about half of oil sands production. Also, as in-situ methods are projected to be used more extensively in the coming years, it gives us a glimpse at what the majority of future oil sands development will look like.

Oil Sands Reclamation is Required

Oil sands development is subject to some of the strictest environmental regulatory standards in the world which requires 100% reclamation after operations cease, meaning that the land used by industry is returned to a “self-sustaining ecosystem with local vegetation and wildlife.”

In-situ oil sands operations create just 10-15% of the land disturbance compared to mining and must be fully reclaimed. All land disturbed by mining operations also must be reclaimed as required by the Alberta Energy Regulator.

So, the question still remains: what exactly does oil sands reclamation look like? Here are several pictures of reclaimed oil sands and reclamation underway by various energy companies in Alberta.

25+ Photos of Oil Sands Reclamation

Syncrude - Reclamation project

Syncrude - Oil Sands reclamation Sandhill Fen watershed

Suncor - Mound tree planting

Suncor - Wapisiw Oil Sands tailings pond reclamation site

Suncor - Energy pond 1 in August of 2010

Syncrude - Gateway Hill, certified reclaimed oil sands land

Syncrude - Bill's Lake, oil sands reclamation site

Syncrude - Mildred Lake - before reclamation

Syncrude - Mildred Lake - after reclamation

Suncor - Nikanotee Fen - oil sands reclamation site

Suncor - Nikanotee Fen - oil sands reclamation site (COSIA)

Suncor - Wapisiw Lookout - reclaimed oil sands tailings pond (Deborah Jaremko)

Suncor - Wapisiw Lookout - reclaimed oil sands tailings pond (Deborah Jaremko)

Suncor - Wapisiw Lookout - reclaimed oil sands tailings pond (Deborah Jaremko)

Suncor - Wapisiw Lookout - reclaimed oil sands tailings pond (Deborah Jaremko)

Syncrude - Sandhill Fen oil sands wetland reclamation (Canadian Press, Roth and Ramberg)

Syncrude - Sandhill Fen, five years after reclamation began (David Thurton, CBC)

Syncrude - Herd of 300 Bison thrive on reclaimed oil sands land

Syncrude - Herd of bison on previous oil sands mine

Syncrude - 300 bison, 100 new bison calves thrive on reclaimed oil sands land (Gavin Young, Calgary Herald)

Syncrude - oil sands land reclamation in the works

Cenovus - Christina Lake, reclaimed oil sands borrow pit #8

Cenovus - Drilling wellsite reclamation underway (Reclaimit ltd.)

Suncor - reclaimed oil sands site

Suncor - reclaimed oil sands site

CNRL - Ongoing reclamation at Horizon oil sands mine

Canadian Oil Sands Companies Lead the Way

Canadian oil sands companies are held to some of the highest regulatory standards in the world. Oil sands reclamation, where replanting forests is front and centre, is just one of the activities these companies engage in, showing their commitment to sustainably producing the energy we need while also protecting the environment.

According to a recent study by Global Advantage Consulting Group, Canada's oil and gas sector is the country's largest spender on clean technology, accounting for 75% of the $1.4 billion spent annually.

As long as the world needs oil - which it will for a very long time – Canada’s environmentally conscious oil sands producers are an ideal supply source. We are environmental leaders, and the world needs more Canadian energy!

Join Us Today!

Canada's #oilsands poised for age of optimization, lower emissions, production growth and massive continued contributions to Canadian government revenues. #CdnPoli https://t.co/NXB2ewHrgl

— Oil Sands Action (@OilsandsAction) May 31, 2023