In the last decade mineable oil sands production in Canada has grown
rapidly. Constraints on the planning and design processes employed by
surface mining oil sands operations vary in distinct ways from other
commodities mined by both hard and soft rock open pit methods. The
unique waste handling needs, including tailings disposal, of
contemporary oil sands mining requires specific planning considerations.
It is the purpose of this research to analyze and document a
conventional hard rock, metal mine planning system, and contrast this
with the unconventional mine planning system used by oil sands mines.
Systems activity models of both the conventional and unconventional
systems are developed in support of documenting and contrasting the two
systems.
Constraints unique to oil sands mine planning are identified and their
impact on the oil sands mine planning system are documented. The
impacts of challenging waste handling and storage requirements and a
uniquely prescriptive regulatory environment defining mineable ore are
identified as key constraints.
The research concludes with a proposal for a new planning system to
better support the planning of oil sands mines. The proposed system
respects the unique waste management considerations in oil sands
planning and revisits the current regulatory approach to ensuring
resource recovery. The proposed system is compatible with traditional
approaches to economic analysis in open pit planning, and with emerging
best practices to manage technical and economic uncertainty, improve
project optimization, and develop robust mine plans.
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