Syncrude recognized for reclamation design

A Syncrude Canada Ltd. reclamation project was recognized as one of the top engineering designs in the country last week.

The “Peat and Golden Pond Watershed” reclamation project earned an honourable mention under the engineering category for the 2004 National Post Design Exchange Awards.

“It’s an honour to get this type of recognition,” said Bruce Friesen, manager of Reclamation. “Syncrude is committed to sustainable development and this watershed has truly become a benchmark for our future reclamation efforts. One of our obligations to stakeholders and government is to reconstruct the land to support an equivalent land capability as there was before disturbance. This is a tangible example of how we?re living up to that commitment.”

The watershed is portion of land that was reconstructed on land reclaimed from oil sands mining operations and demonstrates Syncrude’s capability to establish diverse ecosystems of forests, wetlands and grasslands.

As further reclamation continues, a multidisciplinary team of engineers, scientists both from within Syncrude and from universities is helping us to better understand the behaviour of reclaimed watersheds and develop improvements for the design and construction of future areas.

Design Exchange presents the only awards in Canada that judge design by results, balancing function, aesthetics and economic success. Syncrude’s design was one of the most unique recipients with other award-wining submissions including Lester B. Pearson Terminal One and The University of Toronto Students? Centre.

“Syncrude’s award was given in recognition of its innovative use of engineering, one of our new award categories,” said Samantha S. Sannella, president of the Design Exchange. “Syncrude is a role model in using engineering in its business to incorporate sustainable environmental practice.”

Syncrude invests about $10 million annually on reforestation and reclamation programs. To date, the company has permanently reclaimed over 3,400 hectares of land, and planted more than three million tree and shrub seedlings.

The Syncrude Project is a joint venture operated by Syncrude Canada Ltd. and owned by Canadian Oil Sands, ConocoPhillips Oilsands Partnership II, Imperial Oil Resources, Mocal Energy Limited, Murphy Oil Company Ltd., Nexen Inc., and Petro-Canada Oil and Gas.

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