These next few posts will be about the recently ended Copenhagen summit and the lost opportunity to promote the heavy oil industry, and Canada as a responsible and innovative environmental steward.
In recent months, many new and innovative technologies aimed at reducing the amount of resources such as water and natural gas needed to extract oil from the Energy Sands have been commercially unveiled. These technologies are at the “shovel ready” stage of their life cycle, no longer in the lab or “in theory” only. Substantial investments in these technologies will result in less carbon and greenhouse gas emissions from the extraction cycle and increased profitability at lower world oil prices.
Solvent Extraction
Recently a Liquid Extraction System (LES) was demonstrated to be commercially viable by Nevtah Oilsands.The system features a closed loop using what the company claims are environmentally benign solvents. Recapture and reuse of the solvents approaches a staggering 99%. The system eliminates the use of water,steam and heat or high pressure thereby eliminating greenhouse gases from the production cycle. The system is mobile and can even be applied to oil spill and environmental cleanups. Nevtah Oilsands PDF
Electro Thermal Technology
Calgary’s E-T Energy has been developing what it calls ET-DSP, or Electro Thermal Dynamic Stripping Process since 1994. The system works by lowering electrodes and water (which is re-used) into
the bottom of an oil reservoir and gradually heating the reservoir until the Bitumen can be extracted. No steam, natural gas or high pressure system is used to extract the reservoir thereby limiting greenhouse emissions. Currently the company is establishing a 10,000 bbl/day operation in the Energy Sands near Fort McMurray, with expansion plans to 110,000bbl/day by 2014. E-T Energy
High Temperature Froth Treatment
Not to be left out Royal Dutch Shell is bringing “Shell Enhance” to its $13.7 Billion dollar Athabsaca OilSands expansion. This froth treatment process essentially increases heat separation by a factor of 2, decreasing the amount of water and energy needed to extract, while increasing the speed and efficiency. Overall Shell claims a 10% to 15% reduction in carbon emissions.
In all of the above examples and in many more projects, labs and field tests, the heavy oil industry is making steady progress toward reducing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.
It is unfortunate that the world (and world media) remains unaware of these innovations.
The failure of the industry to properly market itself to the end-users of it’s product combined with the recalcitrant schoolboy approach by the Canadian government to the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and promotion of a valuable resource leave the industry and the country with a black eye.
With so many lost opportunities to promote a non agenda driven vision for the Energy Sands, isn’t a change of strategy in order?
Admin.