Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation.
That’s why Syncrude has a long history of collaborating with leading researchers and scientists from universities and institutions across Canada.
Ecologist Carla Wytrykush is a member of the multi-disciplinary team that is turning a former oil sands mine into the industry’s first commercial demonstration of an End-Pit Lake. Developed to reclaim mine tailings, this technology contains the tailings in an empty mine pit with water on top to create a lake. The water supports a variety of aquatic life including algae, zooplankton and insects.
It’s exciting to be part of such a robust R&D program involving so many top scientists and working on a project that is so important to Syncrude and the industry. We’re building on 40 years of testing and research, and still learning new things every day
– Carla Wytrykush
Carla’s team is responsible for monitoring the overall performance at Base Mine Lake—and it’s no small undertaking.
‘To give you an idea of the scope of all that’s involved in ensuring the success of this project, on any given day we are tracking water quality, water chemistry, physics of the tailings, ecology, physical dynamics, microbial activity, gas flux from the lake, wave patterns and vegetation on the lake, and the list goes on.”
By partnering with the best and brightest minds on the Base Mine Lake project, we continue to strive towards creating sustainable landscapes that meet our commitments to being a leader in responsible development in the oil sands.
