Suncor recognizes the importance of addressing the tailings challenge associated with the development of oil sands mines. Oil sands mines produce tailings — left over material produced during the extraction process that separates bitumen from the oil sand. We have developed a new tailings technology called TROTM (Tailings Reduction Operations) that’s a significant advance in tailings management and reclamation. We believe our TROTM technology will help us meet provincial regulatory requirements and, just as importantly, the changing expectations of our stakeholders.
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Tailings Ponds, An Ongoing Challenge
Oil sands mines produce tailings that are a mixture of water, clay, sand and residual bitumen producing during the extraction process. When tailings are released to a pond, the heaviest material — mostly sand — settles to the bottom, while water rises to the top. The middle layer, the mature fine tailings (MFT), is made up of fine clay particles suspended in water. Some of these particles settle, but much remains suspended. The challenge is that MFT does not settle within a reasonable timeframe. As a result, Suncor has needed more and larger oil sands tailings ponds over the years.
In the 1990s, we pioneered consolidated tailings technology to help speed up the consolidation of MFT into a soil-like deposit that can be re-vegetated and reclaimed. Since then we have developed a new technique called Tailings Reduction Operations, which promises significant improvements.
A New Approach to Tailings Management
The implementation of the TROTM process involves converting fluid fine tailings more rapidly into a solid landscape suitable for reclamation. In this process, MFT is mixed with a polymer flocculent, then deposited in thin layers over sand beaches with shallow slopes. The resulting product is a dry material that is capable of being reclaimed in place or moved to another location for final reclamation. This drying process occurs over a matter of weeks, allowing for more rapid reclamation activities to occur.
The new process is expected to improve tailings management going forward, and can also be used to reduce existing tailings inventory at Suncor’s operations.
Watch a video to see how our TROTM process works 
Regulatory Approval Received For Tailings Management Plan
In June 2010, Suncor received approval for its tailings management plan from the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB). The plan proposed the expansion of our new TROTM tailings management approach.
Suncor has been researching, developing and testing the TROTM technology since 2003. We will rapidly accelerate the implementation of this technology across its existing operations and expect to invest more than $1 billion to implement our TROTM process.
View our press release
View the ERCB press release
Review Suncor’s TRO application on the ERCB website
Consulting with Stakeholders
Suncor has been working closely with key stakeholders to ensure they understand the proposed new process and technology and the company understands any concerns they may have.
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