Capturing value from oil sands tailings

An abundance of manufactured products including ceramic tiles and kitchenware, consumer electronics, medical appliances and paints may in the future include minerals extracted from oil sands tailings, thanks to a $3.5-million grant from Alberta Energy to Toronto-based Titanium Corporation Inc., announced in late March. The company will research the value-added opportunities and environmental benefits of stripping out hydrocarbons and heavy minerals from oil sands tailings streams. Funding for this two-year project is being provided through Alberta’s Energy Innovation Fund.

Titanium Corporation is currently developing a commercial process to maximize the value existing in waste material presently being deposited in Alberta’s oil sands tailings. Rather than channeling mine froth tailings into disposal areas, the mineral-rich stream is sent to a separation plant via pipeline where bitumen, titanium minerals, zircon and naphtha are to be recovered for commercial use.

“I am very pleased that the Government of Alberta has agreed to provide such significant support for this project,” said Scott Nelson, president and CEO of Titanium Corp. “Development of new technology that will reprocess an otherwise discounted waste product will add value to the bitumen resource and provide a number of environmental benefits, such as reduced carbon dioxide emissions and smaller disposal areas.”

The $200-million Energy Innovation Fund is a cross-ministry initiative to build on world-class knowledge, expertise and leadership and responsibly develop the province’s vast energy resources for the benefit of current and future generations.