Since August 2007, the US independent's Jackfish project has been the only steam-assisted gravity drainage operation using saline, or brackish, water to help relieve some of the strain placed on freshwater sources such as the Athabasca River basin, which provides up to 66% of the water used in oil sands mining.
"In terms of impact on the water system, on the boreal forest, we take a much smaller footprint than the mining projects, and even much smaller than conventional and gas projects per barrel produced," said Chris Seasons, vice president and general managerof Devon Canada.
Traditionally,
