Bulletin – Water Disposal – In Situ Oil Sands
The AER released a new edition of Directive 081: Water Disposal Limits and Reporting Requirements for Thermal In Situ Oil Sands Schemes. It consolidates various aspects of water management requirements for thermal in situ oil sands operations. It sets water disposal limits and includes guidance for reporting facility water streams to Petrinex. The goal is for operators to minimize the use of high-quality non-saline make-up water by recycling produced water efficiently and using alternative water sources where possible. Efficient water treatment, recycling, and disposal at thermal operations will optimize overall water use and energy efficiency.
A draft of the directive was released on June 20, 2019, and public feedback was accepted through July 19, 2019. A summary of the feedback, including AER responses, is available on the directive’s webpage.
