The Oil Sands Story: Mining

Since the 1920's, open pit mining has been central to oil sands development. Mine equipment from the early years was scaled up significantly when large commercial operations started to come on line. The first large scale commercial operation, Great Canadian Oil Sands (now Suncor Energy), introduced German manufacturer O&K bucketwheels from the coal mining industry when they opened in 1967. Syncrude Canada Limited opened in 1978 and introduced gigantic draglines 60 times as large as the bucket on display from Bitumount, the first commercial oil sands plant. These large machines were connected to the processing plant by a system of conveyor belts. Today, large trucks and shovels have replaced draglines and bucketwheels as a more selective, and cost effective way to mine oil sands. The process begins by clearing trees, draining and storing the overburden and then removing this top layer of earth to expose the ore body. The equipment must be durable and strong enough to withstand extreme climate and abrasive oil sand. Mining never stops, the trucks and other equipment work day and night, every day of the year. Planning is an essential and continuous part of the process.

Geologists, surveyors and mine engineers play a considerable role in the mine planning process before any heavy equipment is introduced. The mine plan must commit to return the area to it's former environmental condition. G.P.S. is used extensively to pinpoint mining areas.