Water stewardship
Aligned with our purpose, we are committed to a culture of operational discipline where we manage our water use and reduce our impacts to protect the environment. We do this through:
- Compliance and monitoring programs
- Continuous improvement measures
- Collaboration
- Investment in technology and innovation
Water goal
Suncor is committed to water stewardship and we are developing a robust framework that will more meaningfully focus our future efforts on water.
In May 2019, members of the First Nations and Métis community were invited to the Lake Miwasin / Constructed Wetland Treatment System workshop. The workshop provided an opportunity for additional community input on the proposed research and monitoring projects for the community led monitoring program for the Lake Miwasin project.
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Rodney Guest (00:02):
Lake Miwasin is our new demonstration pit lake that we developed over the last three years, the concept. And the whole purpose of this pilot is actually to prove out 30 years in advance, how we're going to reclaim our Suncor site.Rodney Guest (00:20):
We're really trying to change the way that we engage with the communities on how we do technology development, but also hear what it is that they like to see and have in the final closure reclamation landscape.Rodney Guest (00:33):
This conversation started years ago and there wasn't a lot of trust. So we're really trying to change the way that we engage with the communities on how we do technology development, but also hear what it is that they’d like to see and have in the final closure reclamation landscape. And working with their consultants and their technical advisors to come up with what objectives should we be trying to meet.Rodney Guest (00:58):
Real big difference that we're actually working towards is actually about community led monitoring. The communities want to be able to come and participate, to collect data and interact with us on this project.Rodney Guest (01:10):
The more that they come to the site and connect with it and watch the process of how we go from something that's been disturbed to something that is going to reclaim, and grow, and change over time, being able to see that journey is a key thing.Rodney Guest (01:23):
Along the back side of the lake, you can see more monitoring wells that have been drilled in place into location.But we didn't just magically come up with this. This is from years of Suncor, engaging with the communities and learning, by mistake, about what not to do versus how to approach this. Indigenous communities have very strong connections to land and so if you don't start with that basis of that common understanding about the spiritual impact and spiritual connection that the people have to the land, yeah – how can you be successful?
What's really important in this project, is this collaboration, this dialogue, because we've got two different cultures that are basically approaching the same issue from different perspectives. How do you actually use reconciliation and reclamation to go hand in hand, to have a conversation about that with the communities? That's a conversation that hasn't happened and it has to happen now.
Kendrick Cardinal (02:21):
Looking to move forward as best we can with our people from Fort Chipewyan, our Aboriginal people that work with you guys, build good relations. And we appreciate you guys talking to us. And respect you guys for that.Jerry Adam (02:33):
You know, actually this is good, getting more people around to see it. It's a start.
Water performance
In 2019, we saw improved water efficiency at Base Plant; decreased production and water use at our in situ sites; increased water withdrawal and consumption at Fort Hills; and relatively consistent operations at our refineries.
In 2019, our absolute freshwater consumption increased by 10% and freshwater consumption intensity increased by approximately 7% compared to 2018 performance, as a result of Fort Hills building up on-site water inventory that will be reused and recycled.
Fresh water consumption
million m3
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil Sands Base Plant | 16.6 | 20.1 | 15.18 | 14.94 | 13.43 |
| Oil Sands Fort Hills | – | – | – | 25.28 | 31.38 |
| Oil Sands In Situ | 1.67 | 1.33 | 1.17 | 1.05 | 1.25 |
| Refining and Logistics | 17.28 | 14.41 | 5.1 | 4.35 | 4.62 |
| Biofuels | 0.94 | 0.93 | 0.95 | 0.90 | 0.92 |
| Suncor total | 35.9 | 36.8 | 22.4 | 46.52 | 51.60 |
Fresh water consumption intensity
m3/m3
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil Sands Base Plant | 0.87 | 1.31 | 0.8 | 0.89 | 0.71 |
| Oil Sands Fort Hills | – | – | – | 3.35 | 3.30 |
| Oil Sands In Situ | 0.13 | 0.11 | 0.09 | 0.08 | 0.10 |
| Refining and Logistics | 0.63 | 0.53 | 0.18 | 0.16 | 0.17 |
| Biofuels | 3.68 | 3.68 | 3.79 | 3.67 | 3.83 |
| Suncor total | 0.74 | 0.82 | 0.46 | 0.86 | 0.92 |
*Oil Sands Base Plant and Fort Hills in this graph do not include industrial runoff water, which is subject to annual variances based on precipitation. Withdrawal and consumption including industrial runoff volumes are shown in the performance data tables. Water measurement and estimation methodology on select Refining and Logistics operations is greater than +/- 10% uncertainty.
**Freshwater consumption intensity is the volume of fresh water consumed (m3) per volume of hydrocarbon produced (m3).
***Water consumption is the total water withdrawn minus water returned and reflects quantity of water used and not returned to its proximate source or no longer available in its original form.
Mining
We continue to work to reduce freshwater withdrawal and increase our use of recycled tailings water at our mining sites. In 2019, Base Plant freshwater withdrawal decreased by 10%. Approximately 92% of the water used by our mining and extraction operations in 2019 was recycled tailings water. At Fort Hills, absolute freshwater consumption increased by 24% due to ramp-up of production at the site and the need to build up initial water inventory. We expect water withdrawals to decline in future years.
In Situ
At our Firebag site, approximately 96% of the water used is recycled. At MacKay River, in 2019 the site had a 99.6% water recycle rate. The make-up water for our sites is drawn from recycled wastewater, surface run-off water and from groundwater wells.
Refining and Logistics
Our refineries use fresh water for heating and cooling. While water use has remained relatively flat, there have been local initiatives that have resulted in more efficient water use.
Exploration and Production
In our East Coast Canada operations, water is either produced offshore through desalination, or is transferred via vessel from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
