Migratory Birds

We recognize migratory birds are an important part of the ecosystem. We have a long corporate history of migratory bird conservation and have been involved in international efforts to help understand and manage this issue. We will continue to look for improvements to minimize the environmental impact of our oil sands operations.

On May 4, 2008, eight migratory birds landed on the blowdown pond at the Surmont oil sands project during the project’s first winter of operation. We took the matter very seriously and worked with the provincial regulator to manage the situation to protect the birds’ well-being. Despite our efforts, five of the birds died. We sent the remaining three birds to a wildlife rehabilitation centre near Edmonton. It is highly unusual for wildlife to settle on our blowdown pond because it is small and not a food source. We believed the lack of open water in the area due to the late spring thaw may have been a factor.

The blowdown pond at Surmont is used as temporary storage for water that accumulates during normal plant operations. It is approximately 150 metres by 150 metres, and is much smaller than the tailings ponds found in a typical mining operation. The water has a saline level higher than freshwater, and contains residual products from warm lime softening, but does not contain the sand, clay, oil and other residues found in a tailings pond.

We learned from this incident and have improved our operations. We installed permanent bird deterrents at the Surmont site to discourage any wildlife from landing on the pond. An owl effigy and spinning hawkeyes sit on the edge of the blowdown pond. These deterrents look like predators to other birds. We also have a cable spanning the pond with flags and fire a noisemaker at random intervals during the migratory bird season to scare birds away. These permanent bird deterrents have worked well since they were installed.

For more information on ConocoPhillips strategic initiative to conserve threatened birds and their habitats around the world, click here.