Optimal integration of nuclear energy and water management into the oil sands operations

Abstract

An energy optimization model is presented that includes nuclear energy and water management into the oil sands industry. The proposed model determines the most suitable configuration of energy commodities and oil producers for a given oil production scenario at minimum cost while meeting environmental constraints. The proposed model was validated using data reported in the literature for the future oil sands operations in 2030. Likewise, the proposed integrated energy optimization model was used to determine the 2030 oil sands operations using recent information reported in the literature. The results show that the energy model is a practical tool that can be used to evaluate future oil production scenarios, identify the key parameters that affect the oil sands operations, and can also be used for planning and scheduling of the energy and oil producers for this industry. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012