Oil Sands MFT Properties and Freeze-Thaw Effects
Publication: Journal of Cold Regions Engineering
Volume 26, Issue 2
Abstract
This paper presents a framework for combining the chemistry and mineralogy of oil sands mature fine tailings (MFT) along with geotechnical knowledge of freeze-thaw processes, large strain consolidation and MFT behavior to develop a conceptual model incorporating the physicochemical processes associated with freeze-thaw dewatering. A conceptual model of freeze-thaw dewatering of oil sands MFT is proposed, which accounts for the release of water, change in mechanical and hydraulic properties, and alteration of the micro and macrofabric of MFT under one-dimensional conditions. Various solutions to the Neumann thermal model were examined to assess their ability to predict the rate of freezing and thawing of MFT. Models for predicting thaw and postthaw settlement were discussed as they pertain to freeze-thaw dewatering of MFT.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Akagawa, S. (1990). “X-ray photography method for experimental studies of the frozen fringe characteristics of freezing soil.” CRREL Special Rep. 90-5, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 76, 1–69.
Allen, E. (2008). “Process water treatment in Canada’s oil sands industry: I. Target pollutants and treatment objectives.” J. Environ. Eng. Sci.JEESAX, 7(2), 123–138.
Banas, L. (1991). “Thixotropic behaviour of oil sands tailings sludge.” M.Sc. thesis, University of Alberta.
Beier, N., Alostaz, M., and Sego, D. (2009). “Natural dewatering strategies for oil sands fine tailings.” Proc., Thirteenth International Conf. on Tailings and Mine Waste, Banff, Alberta, Canada.
Benson, C. H., and Othman, M. A. (1993). “Hydraulic conductivity of compacted clay frozen and thawed in situ.” J. Geotech. Eng., 119(2), 276–294.JGENDZ
Black, P. B. (1995). “Applications of the Clapeyron equation to water and ice in porous media.” CRREL Rep. 95-6, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory.
Cargill, K. (1982). Consolidation of soft layers by finite strain analysis: Miscellaneous paper GL-82-3, U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS.
Casagrande, A. (1936). “The determination of the preconsolidation load and its practical significance.” Proc., 1st Int. Conf. of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Cambridge, MA.
Caughill, D. (1992). “Geotechnics of non-segregating tailings.” M.Sc. thesis, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta.
Chamberlain, E. J. (1980). “Overconsolidation effects of ground freezing.” Proc., 2nd Int. Symp. on Ground Freezing, The Norwegian Institute of Technology, Trondheim, Norway, 325–337.
Chamberlain, E. J., and Blouin, S. E. (1978). “Densification by freezing and thawing of fine material dredged from waterways.” Proc., Third Int. Conf. on Permafrost, Vol. 1, Edmonton, 623–628.
Chamberlain, E. J., and Gow, A. J. (1979). “Effect of freezing and thawing on the permeability and structure of soils.” Eng. Geol., 13(1-4), 73–92.EGGOAO
Davila, R., Sego, D., and Robertson, P. (1992). “Undisturbed sampling of sandy soils by freezing.” Proc., 45th Canadian Geotechnical Conf., Toronto, 126–130.
Devenny, D., and Nelson, R. (2009). “Economic screening of tailings options for oil sands plants.” Proc., Thirteenth Int. Conf. on Tailings and Mine Waste, Banff, Alberta, Canada.
Dirksen, C., and Miller, R. D. (1966). “Closed-system freezing of unsaturated soil.” Soil Science of America Proceedings, 30(2), 168–172SSSJD4.
Eckert, W. F., Masliyah, J. H., Gray, M. R., and Fedorak, P. M. (1996). “Prediction of sedimentation and consolidation of fine tails.” AIChE J.AICEAC, 42(4), 960–972.
Elliott, O. M. (1975). “Freeze-thaw separation of solids from tar sands extraction effluents.” Canadian Patent No. 973500.
Energy Resources Conservation Board of Alberta (ERCB). (2009). “Tailings performance criteria and requirements for oil sands mining schemes.” Directive 074, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Gibson, R., England, G., and Hussey, M. (1967). “The theory of one-dimensional consolidation of saturated clays. I. Finite non-linear consolidation of thin homogeneous layers.” GeotechniqueGTNQA8, 17(3), 261–273.
Gibson, R., Schiffman, R., and Cargill, K. (1981). “The theory of one-dimensional consolidation of saturated clays. II. Finite nonlinear consolidation of thick homogeneous layers.” Canadian Geotechnique J., 18, 280–293.
Goodrich, L. E., and Gold, L. W. (1981). “Ground thermal analysis.” Chapter 4, Permafrost engineering design and construction, Johnston, G. H., ed., Wiley, Toronto, 149–172.
Hallet, B. (1978). “Solute redistribution in freezing ground.” Proc., Third Int. Conf. on Permafrost, Vol. 1, Edmonton, Canada, 86–91.
Hamza, H., ed. (1995). “Clark hot water extraction fine tailings.” Advances in oil sands tailings research, Vol. 1, Alberta Dept. of Energy, Oil Sands and Research Division.
Harlan, R., and Nixon, J. (1978). “Ground thermal regime.” Chapter 3, Geotechnical engineering for cold regions, Andersland, O. and Anderson, D., eds., McGraw-Hill, New York, 103–163.
Houlihan, R., and Mian, H. (2008). “Past, present, future tailings regulatory perspective.” Paper presented to the Int. Oil Sands Tailings Conf., Edmonton, Alberta.
Ignasiak, T. M., Zhang, Q., Kratochvil, B., Maitra, C., Montgomery, D. S., and Strausz, O. P. (1985). “Chemical and mineral characterization of the bitumen-free Athabasca oil sands related to the bitumen concentration in the sand tailings from the Syncrude batch extraction test.” AOSTRA J. Res.AJREEU, 2(21), 21–34.
Jeeravipoolvarn, S., Chalaturnyk, R. J., and Scott, J. D. (2009). “Sedimentation-consolidation modeling with an interaction coefficient.” Comput. Geotech., 36(5), 751–761.CGEOEU
Johnson, R. L., Bork, P., Allen, E. A. D., James, W. H., and Koverny, L. (1993). “Oil sands sludge dewatering by freeze-thaw and evapotranspiration.” Alberta Conservation and Reclamation Council Rep. No. RRTAC 93-8.
Kasperski, K. L. (1992). “A review of properties and treatment of oil sands tailings.” AOSTRA J. Res., 8, 11–53.AJREEU
Kern, R., and Weisbrod, A. (1967). Thermodynamics for geologists, Translated by D. McKie, Freeman, Cooper and Co., San Francisco.
Konrad, J.-M. (1989). “Physical processes during freeze-thaw of clayey silt.” Cold Reg. Sci. Technol., 16(3), 291–303.CRSTDL
Konrad, J.-M. (1994). “Sixteenth canadian geotechnical colloquium: Frost heave in soils: Concepts and engineering.” Can. Geotech. J., 31(2), 223–245.CGJOAH
Konrad, J.-M., and Morgenstern, N. R. (1980). “A mechanistic theory of ice lens formatin in fine-grained soils.” Can. Geotech. J., 17(4), 473–486.CGJOAH
Konrad, J.-M., and Morgenstern, N. R. (1981). “The segregation potential of a freezing soil.” Can. Geotech. J., 18(4), 482–491.CGJOAH
Konrad, J.-M., and Seto, J. T.C. (1994). “Frost heave characteristics of undisturbed sensitive Champlain sea clay.” Can. Geotech. J., 31(2), 285–298.CGJOAH
Kotlyar, L. S., Kumar, A., Schutte, R., Ripmeester, J. A., and Sparks, B. D. (1993). “Ultrafines gelation and fine tails structure formation.” Proc., Oil Sands-Our Petroleum Future Conf., Edmonton, Alberta.
Mackay, J. R. (1974). “Reticulate ice veins in permafrost, Northern Canada.” Can. Geotech. J., 11(2), 230–237.CGJOAH
MacKinnon, M., and Sethi, A. (1993). “A comparison of the physical and chemical properties of the tailings ponds at the syncrude and suncor oil sands plants.” Proc., Fine Tailings Symp., Oil Sands-Our Petroleum Conf., Edmonton, AB.
Martel, C. J. (1988). “Development and design of sludge freezing beds.” CRREL Rep. 88-20, USA Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory.
Matthews, J. G., Shaw, W. H., MacKinnon, M. D., and Cuddy, R. G. (2002). “Development of composite tailings at syncrude.” Int. J. Mining Reclam. Environ., 16(1), 24–39IJREEG.
Mikula, R. J., Munoz, V. A., Lam, W. W., and Payette, C. (1993). “Structure in oil sands fine tailings.” Proc., Oil Sands-Our Petroleum Future Conf., Edmonton, Alberta.
Mikula, R. J., and Omotoso, O. E. (2004). “High surface areas caused by smectite interstratification of kaolinite and illite in athabasca oil sands.” Appl. Clay Sci., 25(1–2), 37–47.ACLSER
Miller, W. G., Scott, J. D., and Sego, D. C. (2009). “Flume deposition modeling of caustic and noncaustic oil sand tailings.” Can. Geotech. J., 46(6), 679–693.CGJOAH
Mitchell, J. K., and Soga, K. (2005). Fundamentals of soil behaviour, 3rd Ed., Wiley, New York.
Nelson, R., and Devenny, D. (2009). “Screening study of oil sand tailings technologies and practices.” Proc., Thirteenth Int. Conf. on Tailings and Mine Waste, Banff, Alberta, Canada.
Nixon, J. F., and Ladanyi, B. (1978). “Thaw consolidation.” Geotechnical Engineering for Cold Regions, Chapter 4, Andersland, O. B. and Anderson, D. M., eds., McGraw-Hill, New York, 164–215.
Nixon, J. F., and McRoberts, E. C. (1973). “A study of some factors affecting the thawing of frozen soils.” Can. Geotech. J., 10(3), 439–452.CGJOAH
Nixon, J. F., and Morgenstern, N. R. (1973). “The residual stress in thawing soils.” Can. Geotech. J., 10(4), 571–580.CGJOAH
Omotoso, O., Mikula, R. J., and Stephens, P. W. (2002). “Surface area of interstratified phyllosilicates in athabasca oil sands from synchrotron XRD.” Adv. X-Ray Anal., 45, 391–396.AXRAAA
Othman, M. A., and Benson, C. H. (1992). “Effect of freeze thaw on the hydraulic conductivity of three compacted clays from Wisconsin.” Transportation Research Record, No. 1369, 118–125.
Othman, M. A., and Benson, C. H. (1993). “Effect of freeze-thaw on the hydraulic conductivity and morphology of compacted clay.” Can. Geotech. J., 30(2), 236–246.CGJOAH
Othman, M., Benson, C., Chamberlain, E., and Zimmie, T. (1994). “Laboratory testing to evaluate changes in hydraulic conductivity of compacted clays caused by freeze-thaw: State of the art.” ASTM STP 1142, Hydraulic conductivity and waste contaminant transport in soils, Daniel, D. E. and Trautwein, S. J., eds., ASTM, Philadelphia, 227–254.
Pittman, W. E., McLendon, J. T., and Sweeney, J. W. (1984). “A review of phosphatic clay dewatering research.” U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 8980.
Pollock, G. W. (1988). “Large strain consolidation of oil sand tailings sludge.” M.Sc. thesis, University of Alberta.
Scott, J. D., and Dusseault, M. B. (1980). “Behaviour of oil sand tailings.” Proc., 33rd Canadian Geotechnical Conf., Calgary, AB.
Scott, J. D., Dusseault, M. B., and Carrier, W. D. III (1985). “Behavior of the clay/bitumen/water sludge system form oil sands extraction plants.” J. Appl. Clay Sci., 1(1-2), 207–218ACLSER.
Sego, D. C. (1992). Influence of pore fluid chemistry on freeze-thaw behaviour of Suncor Oil Sand Fine Tails (Phase I), Submitted to Reclamation Research Technical Advisory Committee, Alberta Environment.
Sego, D. C., and Dawson, R. F. (1992a). Freeze thaw dewatering of OSLO cold water process fine tails, Submitted to Imperial Oil Resources Canada Ltd.
Sego, D. C., and Dawson, R. F. (1992b). Influence of freeze-thaw on behaviour of oil sand fine tails, Submitted to Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority.
Shaw, W., and Wang, N. (2005). “In-Line thickened tailings pilot program.” CIM Fort McMurray Oil Sands Discovery Centre Centre Auditorium, February 21, 2006.
Sheeran, D. (1993). “An improved understanding of fine tailings structure and behaviour.” Proc., Fine Tailings Symp., Oil Sands-Our Petroleum Future Conf., Edmonton, Alberta, xvii–xxxix.
Sobkowicz, J., and Morgenstern, N. R. (2009). “A geotechnical perspective on oil sands tailings.” Proc., Thirteenth Int. Conf. on Tailings and Mine Waste, Banff, Alberta, Canada.
Somogyi, F. (1980). “Large strain consolidation of fine grained slurries.” Presented at the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Speer, T. L., Watson, G. H., and Rowley, R. K. (1973). “Effects of ground-ice variability and resulting thaw settlements on buried warm-oil pipelines.” Proc., 2nd Int. Conf. on Permafrost, Yakutsk, USSR, North American Contribution, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, 746–751.
Stanczyk, M. H., Feld, I. L., and Collins, E. W. (1971). “Dewatering florida phosphate pebble rock slime by freezing techniques.” USBM R.I. 7520.
Suthaker, N. N. (1995). “Geotechnics of oil sand fine tailings.” Ph.D. thesis, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB.
Suthaker, N. N., and Scott, J. D. (1996). “Measurement of hydraulic conductivity in oil sand tailings.” Can. Geotech. J., 33(4), 642–653.CGJOAH
Suthaker, N. N., and Scott, J. D. (1997). “Thixotropic strength measurement of oil sand fine tailings.” Can. Geotech. J., 34(6), 974–984.CGJOAH
van Olphen, H. (1977). An introduction to clay colloid chemistry, Wiley, New York.
Watson, G. H., Slusarchuk, W. A., and Rowley, R. K. (1973). “Determination of some frozen and thawed properties of permafrost soils.” Can. Geotech. J., 10(4), 592–606.CGJOAH
Williams, P. J. (1966). “Pore pressures at a penetrating frost line and their prediction.” Geotechnique, 16(3), 187–208.GTNQA8
Wong, L. C., and Haug, M. D. (1991). “Cyclical closed-system freeze-thaw permeability testing of soil liner and cover materials.” Can. Geotech. J., 28(6), 784–793.CGJOAH
Yong, R. N., and Sethi, A. J. (1978). “Mineral particle interaction control of tar sand sludge stability.” J. Can. Pet. Technol., 17(4), 76–83.JCPMAM
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2012. American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 15, 2009
Accepted: Jul 12, 2011
Published online: May 15, 2012
Published in print: Jun 1, 2012
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.