[3] As of 2021, Syncrude's Mildred Lake site remains the largest single greenhouse gas emitter in Canada.

[5] A third stage of expansion was undertaken between 2001 and 2006, in which a second train at the Aurora line came online and the Mildred Lake upgrader was expanded.

In April 2016, Suncor announced that they had reached a $937-million deal to acquire Murphy Oil Corp.'s five per cent stake in the Syncrude project north of Fort McMurray, Alta.

[12] Syncrude's Mildred Lake Plant Site is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in Canada emitting 12,359,420 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2012.

[14] Research published in 2019 indicated that the intensity of CO2 emissions at the Syncrude Mildred Lake site may be 123% larger than calculations from publicly reported data would indicate.

"[16] The problem stems from the hot water process used by Suncor and Syncrude to extract bitumen from the Athabasca Oil Sands which produce large quantities of tailings pond sludge which remains stable for decades.

"[17] Syncrude[18] also contributes to the industry-funded Joint Oil sands Monitoring Program which was created in 2012[19] and managed by the federal and Alberta governments.

The study used the computer program (CXTFIT) to evaluate the transport behaviour of these contaminants through the foundation as well as underground.

"[21] In an article accepted for publication in Environmental Science and Technology journal in January 2014, Environment Canada's Richard Frank and his team of scientists confirmed that, using new technology, they were able to "fingerprint the mix of groundwater chemicals in the area" proving that oil sands tailings pond water had leached into groundwater and the Athabasca River.