Updated December 2023
On this page, we provide the following performance data:
Oil sands mining involves excavating oil sands using trucks and shovels and transporting it to extraction plants to separate the bitumen from the sand. Large amounts of readily available water are needed for processing and upgrading facilities to separate bitumen from Alberta's oil sands.
Oil sands mining uses more nonsaline water than any other extraction technology. Nonsaline water is preferred because it dilutes the salt in the oil sands and enhances the bitumen separation process.
What is make-up water for an oil sands mining project?
Make-up water is nonsaline water used in bitumen extraction and processing when companies need more water than can be recycled from tailings and storage ponds.
The Athabasca River is the primary source of make-up water for oil sands mining. Despite the industry's dependence on this river for nonsaline water, companies withdraw significantly less water than the weekly limits set by Alberta Environment and Protected Areas.
Make-up water also comes from groundwater and surface runoff within a mine site.
How do we measure performance?
We look at how efficiently a company uses water to determine performance. Water use intensity and water recycling are used to indicate efficiency. Every project is unique, and a company's water use efficiency depends on several factors, including the project stage (e.g., construct, operate), production targets, and processes used to separate bitumen from oil sands.
There are currently eight operational oil sands mines in the Athabasca region (see table):
| Operator | Mine |
|---|---|
| Canadian Natural Resources Limited | Horizon |
| Canadian Natural Upgrading Limited | Jackpine |
| Canadian Natural Upgrading Limited | Muskeg River |
| Imperial Oil Resources Limited | Kearl |
| Suncor Energy Incorporated | Base Plant (Millennium and North Steepbank) |
| Suncor Fort Hills | Fort Hills |
| Syncrude Canada Limited | Mildred Lake |
| Syncrude Canada Limited | Aurora North |
Oil Sands Mining Water Use – Sector Summary
Oil sands mining operators used about 25% of their nonsaline water allocation in 2022 (see the following figure).
The following map shows where in Alberta oil sands mining operators are withdrawing nonsaline water as a source of make-up water. Zoom in to see more.
Total Water Use
In 2022, almost 1043 million cubic metres (m3) of water was used to produce nearly 657 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) from oil sands mining. The 2022 production volume exceeded 2021 (646 million BOE) and 2020 (604 million BOE). See the following figure. Of the total water used, 80% was recycled, and the rest was make-up water from nonsaline sources.
From 2013 to 2022, overall hydrocarbon production increased because of new projects coming online and improvements and expansions at older projects. Water use in this period also generally increased, closely following production.
Rather than relying on nonsaline water, companies mostly used recycled water to meet their needs. Recycled water use increased by 37% between 2015 and 2022. Recycled water volume data from 2013 and 2014 was only available for some oilsands mines; therefore, recycled water and total water use volumes for these years appear smaller than they were.
When reviewing this data, it is important to note the following:
- The 2013 and 2014 recycled water volumes reflect the volumes reported by Canadian Natural Resources Limited and Canadian Natural Upgrading Limited only.
- The Kearl mine started in 2013 and did not report recycled water use until 2015.
- The Fort Hills mine started in late 2017 and did not report recycled water use until 2018.
- Suncor and Syncrude recycled water volumes were unavailable for 2013 and 2014. On average, the volume of recycled water for Suncor and Syncrude combined is 339 000 000 m3.
The year 2020 was an anomaly for the oil sands mining sector. Oil sands production was lower in 2020 compared with previous years because of the global drop in oil demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, 2020 was a very wet year with more precipitation than previous years, resulting in more surface runoff at the mine sites. This extra surface runoff led to an increase in the make-up water volume in 2020 compared with previous years. Typically, surface runoff within the oil sands mine areas is not released but stored in ponds. These volumes are reported as licensed withdrawals or diversions regardless of whether the volumes are required for operations or used in that year.
This trend was reversed in 2021, and 2022 saw the stabilization of production and make-up water use.
Make-Up Water
In oil sands mining, make-up water consists of Athabasca River water, groundwater, and surface runoff that collects within a project's footprint. Surface water bodies within the mine footprint and surficial aquifers pumped for mine dewatering are also reported as licensed withdrawals or diversions. Removal of these waters is necessary to manage water in and around the mine site. These waters are frequently used in processing operations since this water must be collected and stored on site rather than released. Their use reduces the need for make-up water withdrawn from the Athabasca River or other sources.
In 2022, 43% (90 million m3) of the total make up water used came from groundwater and surface runoff and 57% (122 million m3) from the Athabasca River. Athabasca River water is used to supplement groundwater and surface runoff to meet the needs of the mines. The increase in make-up water usage in 2020 resulted from the increased precipitation in the region and the amount of surface runoff and groundwater that had to be managed (used) at the mine sites.
Between 2013 and 2022, the volume of Athabasca River water used as make-up water exceeded the volume from surface runoff and groundwater, except for 2020. During this period, two mines started up, which increased the Athabasca River water use by 19%. Since 2018 (when all mines were operational), the volume of Athabasca River water used as make-up water has decreased by 22%.
From 2013 to 2022, the total make-up water use increased by 17%.
Water-Use Intensity
Water use intensity for oil sands mines represents the volume of total make-up water needed to produce one BOE regardless of the size of the operation.
From 2013 to 2022, water use intensity varied from 1.06 to 4.56 BOE. Only intensities for fully operational facilities are included; therefore, the intensity for Kearl in 2013 and Suncor Fort Hills in 2017 were excluded. In 2013 and 2017, these mines were still in their start-up phase and only produced a small volume of bitumen. From 2013 to 2022, Syncrude had the highest average water use intensity, and Suncor had the lowest intensity. In 2022, Imperial had the lowest water use intensity (1.49 bbl/BOE).
Oil Sands Mining Water Use – Company Performance
River water, groundwater, and surface runoff are all used in oil sands mining. Companies require a Water Act licence to use any of these sources, and they report the volume of water withdrawn to the Government of Alberta's water use reporting system.
In the following figures, total make-up water refers to the sum of water withdrawn from the lower Athabasca River and gathered from groundwater and surface runoff. On average, between 2013 and 2022, 75% (126 million m3) of water used was recycled by the operators. (This average does not include recycled water volumes from Suncor and Syncrude for 2013-2014 and is, therefore, biased low.) During the same period, the average usage of nonsaline make-up water was 36 million m3 per year for all operators. This shows that companies use more recycled water than make-up water from the Athabasca River. The figures below do not include discharges (returns) of non-process-affected water from these operations to the river (i.e., water use is not withdrawals minus returns).
Although the amount of water withdrawn from the Athabasca River is measured, it is difficult to estimate groundwater and surface runoff volumes because companies use different models to estimate these volumes. However, the AER encourages companies to report their method to help us determine any variability within the mining industry.
Additionally, oil sands operators do not separate the total make-up water volume between bitumen production facilities and upgraders, and some companies do not have both (e.g., Canadian Natural Upgrading Limited and Imperial only have bitumen production facilities at their mine sites). This difference, and other differences between each operation, such as the technologies they use and their stages of development, should be considered when interpreting the trends.
Water Use Performance by Project
Water recycling and reuse programs, oil production plans, processes used, ore quality, project stage, and weather variability, among other factors, contribute to the volume of total make-up water used. The average make-up water used per operator between 2013 and 2022 was 36 million m3. Total make-up water usage among individual operators ranged from 17 to 63 million m3 in 2022.
New projects starting up can affect industry-wide water use. The Kearl mine began production in 2013, and Suncor Fort Hills mine began bitumen production in 2018. Consequently, make-up water for these projects increased the total volume of make-up water used by the oil sands mining sector compared with prior years.
Make-Up Water by Source and Recycled Water Use
Water Act licensing is based on the volume of water withdrawn from natural sources. Once that water is on site, there are no restrictions on recycling and reusing it. Thus, water from tailings ponds and storage ponds is recycled and reused in bitumen production. Oil sands operators have found that using recycled water increases the bitumen yield in the separation process compared with using water directly from the river (predominately because of the residual surfactants in recycled process water).
From 2013 to 2022, water recycling volumes varied between 45 and 312 million m3, averaging 126 million m3 per operator in a year. Since 2013, the amount of recycled water used by Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Imperial, Syncrude, and Canadian Natural Upgrading Limited has increased. Fort Hills and Suncor's recycled water use varied from 2013 to 2022. Syncrude used the most recycled water, averaging about 257 million m3 between 2015 and 2022, and the company also used the most make-up water in each of these years.
When it comes to make-up water, most companies use groundwater and surface runoff available on site first, then meet any remaining needs with river water. From 2013 to 2022, the average volume of water withdrawn from the Athabasca River per operator was 21 million m3, and the average volume of groundwater and surface runoff was 15 million m3. From 2013 to 2022, the maximum water withdrawal by an operator from the Athabasca River was 43 million m3 (2013). The maximum groundwater and surface runoff used by an operator between 2013 and 2022 was 59 million m3 (2020).
The volume of recycled water does not directly correlate to the volume of make-up water withdrawn. The volume of make-up water a project needs is influenced by such factors as evaporation and water salinity that increase with recycling. Additionally, recycled water volume increases with increased production.
Water-Use Intensity
Water use intensity for oil sands mines represents the volume of total make-up water needed to produce one BOE regardless of the size of the operation.
From 2013 to 2022, water use intensity varied from 1.06 to 4.56 BOE. Only intensities for fully operational facilities are included; therefore, the intensity for Kearl in 2013 and Suncor Fort Hills in 2017 were excluded. In 2013 and 2017, these mines were still in their start-up phase and only produced a small volume of bitumen. From 2013 to 2022, Syncrude had the highest average water use intensity, and Suncor had the lowest intensity. In 2022, Imperial had the lowest water use intensity (1.49 bbl/BOE).
Lower Athabasca River Flow Withdrawal Limits and Rates
The Surface Water Quantity Management Framework (SWQMF) for the lower Athabasca River, under the Government of Alberta's Lower Athabasca Regional Plan, regulates the amount of surface water available to support human and ecosystem needs — balancing social, environmental, and economic interests.
The following figures show that the flow of the lower Athabasca River was much higher than the framework limits throughout 2022. In 2022, the total withdrawal rates for oil sands mines were well below the framework limits, and as such, the lower Athabasca River remained highly protected.
About SWQMF Data
The SWQMF establishes weekly management triggers for the lower Athabasca River based on seasonal variability and instream flow needs. The AER is responsible for implementing these weekly operational triggers and limits on oil sands mine water withdrawals and the associated annual agreement between companies defined in the SWQMF. Alberta Environment and Protected Areas is responsible for overseeing, reporting on, and maintaining the SWQMF.
The near-real-time preliminary Water Survey of Canada's (WSC's) flow data are used to set the above triggers and limits, like other Alberta flow-based conditions in Water Act licences. The official verified data from the WSC are not currently available; therefore, the 2022 information in this report might change once the data have been verified.
In winter, when gauge-based flows (i.e., flows measured by an automated gauge station) are unavailable because of ice cover, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas estimate the weekly flow based on manual flow measurements at different time intervals at the gauge site.
The SWQMF limits were set to always be lower than the lower Athabasca River flow.
