Syncrude Canada Ltd. (Mildred Lake Project) is an oil sand surface mining and processing venture situated in the Athabasca Oil Sands of northeastern Alberta . This project, approximately 420 km north of Edmonton, is designed to produce approximately 1 billion barrels of oil over a 25 year period.
To accomplish the task, by the end of 25 years an open pit mine of 31 .5 km2 and a tailings pond of 18 km2 will have been developed . About 5,000 ha of dry land area will require reclamation.
The Syncrude land reclamation program has its main objective as the establishment of a system at least equal to the pre-disturbed state in terms of ecological productivity. This system must be consistent with the regional vegetation and landscape, and with the use of the land for forestry, wildlife and recreation. In addition the plant communities will be permanent, self supporting and maintenance free.