Gas emission is one of the many downsides of extracting fossil fuels. Suncor Energy Inc. operates a facility that processes oil sands – and hydrogen sulphide is a problem. This week, the Alberta government has required Suncor to cut emissions as part of an Environmental Protection Order. As part of the plan, the company must set monitoring into place to identify and report high hydrogen sulphide levels.
The issue is high concentrations of the gas from the facility, which mines the oil sands as well as processing synthetic crude. The production capacity is about 260,000 barrels per day. Hydrogen sulphide, more familiar as the nasty smell of rotten eggs, is not just unpleasant, it can be deadly. It occurs naturally in crude petroleum and natural gas, as well as in volcanic areas, from decomposition of organic matter, and through industrial processes. Hydrogen sulphide gas spreads, remaining in the atmosphere for about 18 hours, and transforming into sulphur dioxide and sulphuric acid.
Hydrogen sulphide irritates the eyes, nose, and throat at low levels. Even brief exposures to high levels can cause loss of consciousness and possible death. After non-fatal events, some people are left with long-term headaches, memory loss, and other neurological effects. The problem is sufficiently serious that training is available for workers who may be exposed to the gas. At 100 part per million, hydrogen sulphide is considered an urgent risk to life or health.
Oil sands are deposits of thick crude oil – called bitumen – mixed with sand, clay, and water. Once extracted, the bitumen must be processed into crude oil, then further refined into gasoline and diesel fuels. Open-pit mining is used to collect the bitumen, as it is too viscous to flow through a pipe. It takes roughly two tonnes of oil sands to produce one barrel of oil. The two main locations of oil sands are in Alberta, Canada, and Venezuela.
Additional components of the provincial requirement include auditing past events of high emissions, developing a monitoring program, and modelling emissions to predict potential events. The company has also had unsatisfactory emissions levels at another site, Firebag thermal oil sands. Suncor is also involved in natural gas, ethanol production, and wind power projects. The new crackdown on gas emissions is good for employees, local residents, and for the atmosphere – no need for more acid rain.
