The processing of oil sands results in the production and storage of significant amounts of waste materials, including: large volumes affine tailings from the separation of bitumen from oil sands and petroleum coke produced during the bitumen upgrading process. In several previous investigations we explored the production of potentially marketable products from these wastes. This paper is a review of work from the authors' laboratory. Several case studies illustrate the potential uses for coke and value added products separated from fine tailings.

Delayed and fluid coke from bitumen upgrading are effective sorbents for both bitumen and naphtha. They are also excellent collectors for heavy metals. Based on these properties and a plentiful supply at relatively low cost, these materials provide an excellent medium for treating oil-in water emulsions, for adsorbing oil spills. for heavy metal trapping in the purification of industrial effluents, for the treatment of oily waters, for extracting hydrocarbons from ground water and/or the removal of odors.

Our work relating to the incorporation, or coating, of coke particles with lime or limestone is beneficial in the use of this material as an ancillary fuel with much reduced sulphur dioxide emissions. The ash from the combustion of coke can be leached to separate heavy metals. The leached residue could have potential applications as a flocculant for the treatment of fine tailings and possibly for the remediation of acid mine drainage.

The fine tailings are separable into several potentially valuable by-products such as: bitumen for production of synthetic crude oil or as an ancillary fuel, clean kaolin for fine paper coating, a gelling agent, emulsifying solids for surfactant replacement and a mineral fraction rich in heavy metals.