Titanium Corporation has awarded Stantec the front-end engineering design (FEED) contract for the first commercial facility implementing Titanium’s Creating Value from Waste (CVW^TM) technology. The project consists of a new Concentrator Plant and a new Mineral Separation Plant as well as associated interconnections at Canadian Natural’s Horizon oil sands operation, located north of Fort McMurray, Alberta

“Stantec is committed to innovation, sustainability, and environmental leadership in resource development,” says Dean Robertston, Director Oil & Gas, Stantec. “We are excited to support this unique, important project, providing new solutions for tailings management, and the opportunity for additional economic benefit in the oil sands.”

CVW^TM technology is designed to recover bitumen and solvent from froth treatment tailings, preventing hydrocarbons from entering the tailings pond and releasing greenhouse gases into the environment. CVW^TM reduces the environmental impact of oil sands tailings while recovering valuable mineral resources that would otherwise be unrecovered. The technology also recovers titanium and zircon minerals from tailings, preventing these commodities from entering tailings ponds. The heavy minerals contained in the oil sands deposits are concentrated by the bitumen extraction/recovery process (en route to oil production). The majority of these minerals are contained in the oil sands froth treatment plant (FTP) tailings stream. Titanium Corporation’s process will intercept FTP tailings near their discharge into the tailings pond.

“We look forward to working with this well-established, Alberta based company,” says Scott Nelson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Titanium. “Stantec is a top tier global design and delivery firm with significant oil sands experience. Their expertise and innovation will help in our advancement for sustainable environmental solutions for oil sands development.”

Stantec will be working alongside IHC Robbins, industry experts specialising in mineral sands, who will be responsible for process design services for the minerals separation design. The FEED project is being supported with significant funding by Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA). Commencing in April 2018, the FEED project is targeted for completion in 2019.