Syncrude is one of the largest operations in Canada’s oil sands industry, with a long history of responsible development. This is reflected through its support for local communities, Indigenous inclusion, continued improvement in environmental performance, and an emphasis on a safe, healthy and respectful workplace.

The Syncrude operation incorporates technologically advanced oil sands mines, and extraction, upgrading and utilities facilities at two sites north of Fort McMurray, Alberta. Current production capacity is 350,000 barrels of high quality, light, low sulphur crude oil per day.

A culture of innovation drives continued progress, resulting in recent investments totaling over $3 billion in tailings treatment processes, fen wetland reclamation and air emissions reductions. Syncrude consistently ranks among the top R&D spenders in Canada and collaborates with industry partners through Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA).

The Syncrude Project is a Joint Venture undertaking among Suncor Energy Inc., Imperial Oil Resources Limited; Sinopec Oil Sands Partnership; and CNOOC Oil Sands Canada. Suncor’s interest is held by Canadian Oil Sands Partnership #1 and Suncor Energy Ventures Partnership, both wholly owned affiliates of Suncor Energy Inc., as the project owners (the “Owners”). Suncor Energy (Syncrude) Operating Inc. is the project operator. 

Highlights of Syncrude’s 2022 TSM results include:

Indigenous and Community Relationships

Verified at Level AAA in all areas, Syncrude has a long history of effective engagement and consultation. Syncrude has been accredited at Gold Level status in the Progressive Aboriginal Relations program of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business eight consecutive times. In 2021, 10.6 per cent of the operation’s workforce were of self-declared Indigenous descent and 27% ($973 million) of Syncrude’s overall spend was with Indigenous suppliers.

Biodiversity Conservation Management

Level AAA was achieved for all three indicators. Syncrude’s management of biodiversity includes extensive evaluation, monitoring, Indigenous engagement and reporting programs supported by progressive reclamation practices that have resulted in over 5,000 hectares of land reclaimed from mining operations to date. In 2019, Syncrude joined the governments of Alberta and Canada, the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Tallcree First Nation to establish the Birch River Wildland Provincial Park, creating the world’s largest protected area of boreal forest.

Crisis Management and Communications Planning

Syncrude scored “Yes” in all indicators of this protocol. Extensive emergency response planning is in place and emergency event simulations are conducted to ensure the quality of those plans and verify that personnel are fully trained and equipped to execute them. Pre-plans exist for all medium and high-level risks, and spokespeople are identified and trained.

Energy and GHG Emissions Management

Syncrude’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) strategy incorporates concentrated efforts to ensure the reliability of equipment, implementing new technologies and energy efficiency programs, and considering projects to offset emissions. For this protocol, Syncrude’s energy and GHG management and reporting systems achieved Level AAA ratings. The operation’s GHG target was not met in 2021 and is reflected in the B rating for performance.

Safety and Health

Syncrude was assessed at AAA in four of five indicators which is reflective of the operation’s commitment to sustain and improve safety, health and environmental performance. The AA rating in the Performance indicator confirms a strong performance management system with established targets for both leading and lagging indicators.

Tailings Management

Syncrude has long recognized the value of the Tailings Management protocol and has undergone an external audit to ensure high performance. Level AA ratings were achieved across all indicators, confirming Syncrude’s strong commitment to tailings facility integrity, emergency preparedness and responsible operations.

Water Stewardship

Syncrude has a demonstrated and strong commitment to responsible water use, and this is particularly reflected through monthly stewardship and operation-wide Key Performance Indicators. Syncrude scored A ratings in the indicators for Governance, Operational Water Management, and Performance and Reporting. Higher ratings were not achieved due to the requirement of internal or external audits at A and AA levels. For the Watershed-Scale Planning indicator, Syncrude was assessed at AAA.

For more information on Syncrude’s sustainability performance, visit www.suncor.com/en-ca/sustainability/sustainability-reporting.