Page 18 - Suncor 360 - Summer 2017

FEATURE
Five decades of transforming oil sands technology
Remember Kodak, Betamax and Blockbuster? These companies were once on the cutting edge and now they’re on the cutting room oor. But unlike these former household names, Suncor has continued to adapt to market conditions and a dynamic industry, upping our innovative approach for the last 50 years.
One of the ways we’re ensuring our longevity is by investing more than $150 million dollars annually in technology development. But money alone isn’t enough to keep us in the game. For that, we rely on our dedicated employees who focus on innovative ways to lower our costs and improve our environmental performance.
“Fifty years ago, the focus was on making the oil sands a viable business economically, and technology helped unlock the potential,” says Gary Bunio, general manager,
oil sands, strategic technology, Upstream. “Today, we’re driven by the need to reduce costs and meet stakeholder expectations for a future that is less carbon intensive. Technology plays a critical role in that.”
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our oil sands operations, it’s a good time to look back at some of the historic milestones, many of which involved new technologies and innovative thinking, and look ahead to where next-generation technology for energy development is headed.
From past to present: give it our haul
In the 1960s, bucket wheels were the technology of choice. Each bucket wheel excavator weighed 1.6 million kilograms
(1,600 tonnes) and towered over a 10-storey building. But as former executive vice president of Oil Sands Dee Parkinson knows, we couldn’t keep doing what we’d always done if we wanted to become a leading energy company. Under her leadership, we phased out the bucket wheels in 1992 and replaced them with more cost-effective and reliable trucks and shovels.
“Dee’s contributions to Suncor helped shape the future of this company,” says Bill Bruce, general manager, mine production.
That pioneering spirit continues to be evident. In 2013, we became the rst oil sands company to eld test Autonomous Haulage Systems (AHS) trucks that use sophisticated software to operate autonomously. The eld tests continue with a decision on potential implementation slated for the fall of 2017.
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