The rise of tailing ponds and how to make it stop

Some process emulsions seem impossible to break. But is there a better answer than storing them in retention ponds?

Without AppIntel, how would you find the novel approaches other operators are using for tailings management? You can quickly find all the industry applications that deal with this subject just by typing tailings into the AppIntel search box. How else can you find what other operators are trying?

Image attributed to Magnus Manske

One operator, tired of trucking unresolved emulsion to disposal facilities, looked for another solution. So he tried a novel approach: injecting them back into the reservoir. Despite concerns with plugging of injectors, this type of recycle seems effective.

Get his application documents in moments from our self-serve, secure check out.

How to find your competitor's tailings management applications

AppIntel has a natural language search similar to google. Just type in your search terms and AppIntel searches through all the documents for applications that match your request -- and it happens in seconds. You can search this way only in AppIntel.

How will you find these applications any other way?

Inject your unresolved emulsions

His novel approach of injecting them back into the SAGD reservoir worked for the his particular kind of waste.

He found little resultant plugging of injectors. They are counting on the steam and heat process in the reservoir to treat the unresolved emulsion mixture of clay fines, water and oil.

Testing showed good regain of injectivity and production rates seem unaffected. It seems to be working and you can read all about it in their application documents.

5 things we can't do without AppIntel

Without AppIntel you can't find similar floods. Using AppIntel's search engine you can search for tailings near 85-4W4 .

Without AppIntel you can't get application documents within moments -- you need to wait days for weeks for service from the AER.

Without AppIntel you can't search by UWI. Up to 30% of applications don't have UWI's. At Appintel we add them.

Without AppIntel you can't tell if there are any confidential documents associated with an application. How do you get confidential documents released if you don't know they exist?

Without AppIntel you won't get an email alert when someone submits an application within 20 miles of your operation. You won't get an email when someone submits an application with find tailings pond somewhere in the document.

Process water recycle requirements

Most regulatory approvals of new mines, projects, and plants require significant water recycle and set limits on additional water reuse. Achieving the high recycle required by regulation is a significant problem.

Operators are spending lots of capital and investing lots of time in regulatory negotiation. You can learn from their struggles if you can see their applications.

Why reinvent the regulatory wheel?

Other operators have already pioneered tailing pond management. If you learn from their field tests, you can be a quick copy of their success. And you can avoid their mistakes.

Reading the applications of others can tell you how they designed their tailing pond strategy. Even better, you can learn how the regulatory aspects of tailing ponds are changing.

Alerts - Keeping abreast of the tailings regulatory shifts

The only way to stay abreast of regulatory change is to read the AER applications of other operators. Technical papers don't expose new technology quickly enough. Technical forums don't reveal enough detail.

Now you can get an email each time an applicable application is submitted. You can set AppIntel to send you an email when an application includes fine tailings .

Tags: Disposal, Thermal, Compliance, Facilities, Heavy Oil

Granger Low   20 Sep 2017

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