The data reporting includes three data sets that are updated annually and one historical data set “Historical Oil Sands Mine Active Land Tracking by Company, 1987-2008”.
The data set “Age of Permanent Reclamation in the Mineable Oil Sands Region” identifies the amount of land across all oil sands mines that has been "permanently reclaimed", but has not yet been "certified" as reclaimed. It is based on the annual Conservation and Reclamation Reports submitted by the oil sands mine companies.
The definition of these terms (for the 2009 data and later) is as follows:
Permanent Reclamation (Terrestrial; Wetlands and Aquatics) – Land is considered permanently reclaimed when landform construction and contouring, clean material placement (as required), reclamation material placement and revegetation has taken place. Land cannot be listed under permanent reclamation until revegetation has occurred which is reflective of the approved Reclamation and Revegetation Plans.
Certified - Areas are certified that have received a reclamation certificate under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act. These areas are not counted in the Total Active Footprint calculation because they are no longer active; they are returned to the Crown.
The data set “Oil Sands Mine Reclamation and Disturbance Tracking by Year” provides information on the status of land used by the oil sands mines, at the end of each calendar year from 2009 to 2025. The statuses used include the following:
EPEA Approved Footprint - The total project area approved for development under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act approval issued to the company.
Mine Site Footprint - Includes all areas cleared, disturbed or reclaimed that do not fall within the definition of the Plant Site Footprint. For the purposes of annual conservation and reclamation reporting, it includes tailings ponds and tailings related structures.
Plant Site Footprint - Plant Site is defined as the industrial plant site footprint (i.e. plant site proper). For the purposes of annual conservation and reclamation reporting, it does not include tailings ponds and tailings related structures.
Total Active Footprint - The cumulative total area of land cleared plus disturbed plus ready for reclamation, plus soils placed, plus temporary and permanently reclaimed lands (terrestrial and aquatic). Certified lands are not included in this category.
Cleared: Areas where vegetation has been removed for the purposes of preparing the land for drainage, soil removal, overburden removal, mining, etc. but where soil has been left mostly intact and relatively undisturbed.
Disturbed: Used for Mine or Plant Purposes - Areas where at a minimum, soil has been removed or covered by other materials and soil would be required for reclamation purposes. This category includes for example, all areas where soil removal, overburden removal, active mining, discard placement, or material storage has occurred. End pit lakes are reported in the disturbed category.
Ready for Reclamation: No Longer Used for Mine or Plant Purposes - Areas that are no longer required for mine or plant purposes and are available for reclamation but where reclamation activities have not yet begun.
Soils Placed (Terrestrial; Wetlands and Aquatics) - Areas where reclamation material has been placed. This includes the terrestrial, and the wetlands and aquatics permanent reclamation categories. Land moves from the Disturbed category to the Soils Placed category once reclamation material is placed as per the approved Reclamation and Soil Placement Plans.
Temporary Reclamation (Terrestrial) – Areas being managed where vegetation has been seeded, planted, or ingressed, where there is an expectation that future disturbance may occur at that location.
Permanent Reclamation (Terrestrial; Wetlands and Aquatics) – Land is considered permanently reclaimed when landform construction and contouring, clean material placement (as required), reclamation material placement and revegetation has taken place. Land cannot be listed under permanent reclamation until revegetation has occurred which is reflective of the approved Reclamation and Revegetation Plans.
Certified - Areas that are "certified" have received a reclamation certificate under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act. These areas are not counted in the Total Active Footprint calculation because they are no longer active; they are returned to the Crown.
Age of Reclamation – The age of reclamation is calculated based on the year that the area was first considered permanently reclaimed. If previously reclaimed land is re-disturbed, the number of hectares is removed based on the year it was reclaimed so that the total amount of land at any given age is accurately reflected.
The data set “Oil Sands Mine Reclamation and Disturbance Tracking by Company” provides information on the status of land used by each oil sands mines, at the end of each calendar year from 2009 to 2025. The data prior to 2009 is in the set “Historical Oil Sands Mine Active Land Tracking by Company, 1987-2008”.
The statuses used include the following:
Cleared : Areas where vegetation has been removed for the purposes of preparing the land for drainage, soil removal, overburden removal, mining, etc. but where soil has been left mostly intact and relatively undisturbed.
Disturbed: Used for Mine or Plant Purposes – Areas where at a minimum, soil has been removed or covered by other materials and soil would be required for reclamation purposes. This category includes for example, all areas where soil removal, overburden removal, active mining, discard placement, or material storage has occurred. End pit lakes are reported in the disturbed category.
Ready for Reclamation: No Longer Used for Mine or Plant Purposes - Areas that are no longer required for mine or plant purposes and are available for reclamation but where reclamation activities have not yet begun.
Soils Placed (Terrestrial; Wetlands and Aquatics) - Areas where reclamation material has been placed. This includes the terrestrial, and the wetlands and aquatics permanent reclamation categories. Land moves from the Disturbed category to the Soils Placed category once reclamation material is placed as per the approved Reclamation and Soil Placement Plans.
Temporary Reclamation (Terrestrial) – Areas being managed where vegetation has been seeded, planted, or ingressed, where there is an expectation that future disturbance may occur at that location.
Permanent Reclamation (Terrestrial; Wetlands and Aquatics) – Land is considered permanently reclaimed when landform construction and contouring, clean material placement (as required), reclamation material placement and revegetation has taken place. Land cannot be listed under permanent reclamation until revegetation has occurred which is reflective of the approved Reclamation and Revegetation Plans.
Certified - Areas that are "certified" have received a reclamation certificate under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act. These areas are not counted in the Total Active Footprint calculation because they are no longer active; they are returned to the Crown.
The data set “Historical Oil Sands Mine Active Land Tracking by Company, 1987-2008” is available at https://osmdatacatalog.alberta.ca/dataset/historical-oil-sands-mine-active-land-tracking-by-company-1987-2008.
This graph indicates land actively used for oil sands mine operations from 1987 to 2008. By subtracting the amount of land reclaimed (including temporarily reclaimed land and land in various stages of permanent reclamation) from the total amount of land cleared of trees and disturbed, there is a better understanding of the amount of land actively used for oil sands mining operations.
Note that after 2008, this data set is replaced by “Oil Sands Mine Reclamation and Disturbance Tracking by Company” data set, which can also be found in the OSM data catalogue.
The data and graph show data as far back as 1987, however both Syncrude Mildred Lake and Suncor Base Operations started prior to that date.
All data are cumulative over time.
All data are in hectares.
Reclaimed = temporary + permanent reclamation
Disturbed = cleared + soils disturbed
% Reclaimed = (Disturbed/ Reclaimed)*100
Active = Disturbed - Reclaimed
Suncor Base Operations (Lease 86/17 only) data started in 1968
Syncrude Mildred Lake data started in 1977
Suncor Fort Hills data started 1995
Syncrude Aurora North data started 1998
Shell Albian Muskeg River data started 2000
Canadian Natural Horizon data started 2004
Shell Albian Jackpine data started 2005
Imperial Kearl Lake data started 2008
This data was previously available in OSIP.
Historical Oil Sands Mine Active Land Tracking by Company, 1987-2008