Environmental protection at Kearl

Background

Imperial was issued an Environmental Protection Order by the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) in March 2023 in response to two industrial water incidents that occurred at our Kearl oil sands mine. Imperial has been taking action to address these issues.

• In May 2022, we discovered discoloured water near our lease boundary and notified both the AER and local Indigenous communities. Our preliminary investigation involved months of technical studies and determined this discoloured surface water was made up of natural groundwater, precipitation and water from our operations, likely related to seepage from the External Tailings Area.
• In February 2023, overflow from a drainage pond at Kearl resulted in the release of approximately 5,300 cubic meters of water. This pond collects water from surface water drainage systems and the seepage interception system. Local Indigenous communities and the AER were informed of this release once it was detected. All impacted snow and ice in the area was removed. On May 29, 2026, Imperial agreed to a penalty from the AER related to the overflow of the drainage pond.

Our principles

A core principle of Imperial’s business is to operate in an environmentally responsible manner. We work tirelessly to do the right thing, and this situation is not reflective of how we operate and who we are as a company.

We have engaged and updated community partners, local Indigenous communities and regulators on our actions and results since the incidents occurred. We are committed to being open and transparent with our findings, fostering trust and collaboration with all parties involved. By sharing our progress and insights, we aim to address any concerns and demonstrate our dedication to responsible environmental stewardship.

Our actions

In response to the seepage of industrial wastewater:

• With help from third-party assessments, we have mapped locations of potential seepage north of the lease boundary using extensive groundwater and surface water quality monitoring. The furthest we have detected shallow groundwater above screening guidelines is up to 150 metres from the lease boundary, in one localized area. In the deeper groundwater (more than 12 metres below surface near the Kearl lease), groundwater above screening guidelines has been detected within approximately one kilometre of the site. That remains two kilometres away from the Firebag River. We have been sharing this information with communities and continue to monitor both groundwater and surface water quality in these areas.
• Since 2023, Imperial has more than tripled the total number of pumping and monitoring wells to address seepage of industrial wastewater from its operating lease area.
• To-date, there are more than 800 monitoring wells in the area, with 6,000 samples collected.
• All monitoring data continues to demonstrate no indication of adverse impacts to local wildlife or fish populations in nearby river systems, and no risks to drinking water for local communities.
• Imperial continues to provide support for independent testing and site tours.
• Imperial continues to work on projects for educational and research purposes to further study and understand the impact of the existing release of industrial wastewater off the lease area of the Kearl facility. This research, which was directed by the AER, seeks to address scientific gaps and our goal is to work collaboratively with the Indigenous community and incorporate traditional knowledge.

In response to the drainage overflow event:

• Imperial assembled an investigation team to identify root causes of the overflow, which were shared with communities and are posted on our website. 
• Due to cold weather conditions at the time of the event, the water that overflowed quickly froze. All impacted snow and ice in the area was removed shortly after the overflow was identified.
• Water from the overflow did not enter any rivers, the closest being the Firebag River which is approximately 2.5 kilometres away. The AER assessment continues to confirm there has been no indication of adverse impacts to local wildlife or fish populations in nearby river systems, and no risks to drinking water for local communities.