In partnership with Shell Canada Ltd. and Albian Sands Energy Inc., Hatfield led a Canadian and European team for this European Space Agency (ESA) Earth Observation Market Development Project. The goal of the project was to support Shell Canada and Albian Sands and their commitments to sustainable development and ecosystem stewardship. The monitoring approach and information provided was designed to support Shell Canada’s sustainable development report, which follows the framework of the Global Reporting Initiative.
Three trial services were undertaken in which high resolution satellite images were acquired and processed to assess:
- Mine activity area.
- Habitat fragmentation within the lease area, watershed and region.
- Potential for integration of First Nations traditional environmental knowledge with satellite imagery, to support visualization and monitoring of oil sands developments in relation to traditional territories.
The results of the project demonstrated that a time series of satellite imagery can provide clear, objective information on development and reclamation of oil sands mine leases, and enable annual reporting of mine activity footprint, including impacts on vegetation habitat, and the reclamation of terrestrial vegetation following disturbance.
This project has enabled the development of standard products for the mining and energy sectors that can be applied for corporate sustainable development reporting or environmental management. All products can be prepared so that they can be audited by a financial auditing company.
Perspective view of oil sands operations north of Fort McMurray, Canada, using SPOT-5 image and elevation data.
