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The media coverage and environmental debate over Alberta's development of its oilsands resources has reached a global audience. Both government and industry face significant challenges in proving that environmental protection and economic development can happen together.

Oil-rich sands in Alberta contain an estimated 173 billion barrels, the second largest oil reserve in the world behind Saudi Arabia. The oil sands are a key driver of the economy in Alberta, other provinces and at a national level. There are 173 billion barrels of oil in the oil sands proven to be recoverable with today’s technology and under current economic conditions. In addition, there is an estimated total of 315 billion barrels of potentially recoverable oil in the oil sands.

Oil sands are contained in three major areas of northern Alberta beneath approximately 140,000 square kilometres, with approximately 500 square kilometres of land currently disturbed by oil sands surface mining activity. To put that in perspective, the oil sands underlie an area more than three times the size of Switzerland, while the area with the potential for surface mining is smaller than Lake Geneva.

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New Requirements for Water Measurement, Reporting and Use for Oil Sands In Situ Operations

This draft directive sets requirements for calculating water use, maximum limits for fresh and brackish water use, water measurement accuracy, and compliance for thermal in situ oil sands schemes. The draft directive also provides direction and examples on reporting water use to the Petroleum Registry of Alberta. This draft directive applies to all thermal in situ oil sands facilities that use 500,000 m3 of fresh and brackish make-up water annually.

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Athabasca River Water Management Framework

Alberta sets strict limits on how much water oil sands companies can remove from the Athabasca River, setting a high level of protection that is balanced with the needs of the community and industry. The goal is to ensure low impact to the river ecosystem, coupled with water conservation and innovation by water users.

In July 2006, AENV and Fisheries and Oceans Canada issued the draft Water Management Framework: Instream Flow Needs and Water Management System for the Lower Athabasca River (the "Framework"). The stated goal of the draft Framework was "to minimize risk to the aquatic ecosystem while balancing water requirements for human use." The final Framework, issued in February 2008, establishes maximum withdrawals and strict limits on how much water oil sands companies can divert from the lower Athabasca River.


Water Management Framework for the Industrial Heartland and Capital Region

The Water Management Framework for the Industrial Heartland and Capital Region Report is the result of consultation, collaboration and future-focused planning for growth by Alberta Environment, industry, municipalities, and representatives from municipal water and wastewater treatment facilities and the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance.