Abstract

In the structure of the WA-PA-SU project sustainability rating system, three main aspects are considered: areas or categories of excellence, each with a set of criteria; areas or subdivisions of an oil sands or heavy oil project; and management integration. The resources involved in project development, expectations of stakeholders, and potential environmental impact define the ten areas or categories of excellence: project & environmental management excellence (PEME); site & soil resource excellence (SSRE); water resource excellence (WRE); atmosphere & air resource excellence (AARE); natural & artificial lighting excellence (NALE); energy resource excellence (ERE); resources & materials excellence (RME);  innovation in design & operations excellence (IDOE); infrastructure & buildings excellence (IBE); and education, research & community excellence (ERCE).  The structure of the rating tool considers the complexity and size of oil sands and heavy oil projects, dividing them in nine different areas or sub-divisions:  project integration, provisional housing/buildings, permanent housing/buildings, roads, oil transportation & storage, mining process, in-situ process, upgrading & refining, and shutdown & reclamation. The development of the WA-PA-SU project sustainability rating system offers a proactive approach, which aligns with sustainability principles, for oil sands and heavy oil projects throughout their life cycle phases, the project management processes (e.g. initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, and close-out), and the life cycle of sub-projects and processes.

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