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P-talk Newsletter Back to Menu PDF (308 KB) 2002 08 07 LF |
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Technical Areas Conventional Heavy Oil Artificial Lift for SAGD Wells/Gas over Bitumen Workshop*** Drilling Frontier Drilling Waste Forum** e-Business Second Wireless Telecommunications Technology Forum – October 1, 2002 Environment, Health and Safety Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Technology Conference Solution Gas and Knockout Liquids Characterization PTAC a Catalyst for Technology Transfer Fusion Program: Collision Risk Assessment Program* Innovation Value Creation through Innovation Workshop Protecting Intellectual Property in the Petroleum Industry Conference – Sept. 17-18, 2002 Inno-centre Helps Technology Enterprises Natural Gas Production 4th Annual Unconventional Gas and Coalbed Methane Conference – October 23-25, 2002 GTI Injection/Falloff Testing for Low Permeability Reservoirs* Oil Production R&D Tax CCRA Claiming Field Pilot Work under the SR&ED* Links andResources TCNG PTAC News Board Changes |
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July 2002 - Issue 21 e-Business Upcoming Forum Call for Presenters and Sponsors Wireless, Digital and Telecommunications Forum PTAC is accepting presentations for a second Wireless, Telecommunications and e-Business Forum to be held on October 1, 2002 at the Roundup Centre in Calgary. Presentations should demonstrate ways to create value for the upstream oil and gas industry by implementing innovative solutions to shared industry challenges downtown and in the field. Facilitated brainstorming at the March forum raised these unmet needs – The day will feature case study presentations with plenty of time for questions as well as moderated panel discussions to uncover unmet needs and potential solutions. All case study presentations must have a producer co-sponsor to verify the presentation is "worthy of consideration by the oil and gas industry." Co-sponsors will review presentations before they are sent to PTAC. Presentations viewed as too ‘sales-focused’ will not be accepted. Additional information and registration will be available in early August on the PTAC web site at www.ptac.org/techebuf.html. If you are interested in making a presentation at this forum, or if you have recommendations for additional topics or potential speakers, please submit a short abstract with your contact information to Arlene Merling at PTAC no later than August 1, 2002. Abstracts can be emailed to or faxed to (403) 920-0054. If you are interested in co-sponsoring this event or participating as a partner, please contact – Arlene Merling Natural Gas Production Upcoming Conference 4th Annual Unconventional Gas and Coalbed Methane Conference PTAC and the Canadian Coalbed Methane Forum will be hosting the 4th Annual Unconventional Gas and Coalbed Methane Conference, October 23-25, 2002 at the Westin Hotel in Calgary, Alberta. This conference will provide valuable insight and information in the areas of unconventional and analytical gas, drilling and completions, hydrogeology, reservoir characterization, water management, shales and hydrates, regulations and legal issues. Some of the more than 30 presentations include: Additional information and registration will be available on the PTAC web site at www.ptac.org/techgasf.html in early August or contact – Kerri Markle Environment Conference Success Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Technology Conference and Tradeshow a Success PTAC and Climate Change Central partnered to organize the Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Technology Conference held in May this year in Calgary which focused on economical climate change and GHG technology solutions for the oil and gas, oilsands, coal, mining, pipeline and petrochemical industries in Western Canada. This three-day conference featured half-day sessions focused on particular topic areas for specific industry sectors. This event provided organizations with detailed information on implementing climate change and GHG technologies and related projects to improve financial and environmental performance, and demonstrated available technologies and projects to assist organizations in improving their performance and environmental objectives in one-to-three-year time frames. Over 150 people attended this event, and every one of the respondents who returned feedback forms indicated the session either met or exceeded their expectations. For more information, visit PTAC’s web site at www.ptac.org/techenvf.html or contact – Tannis Such ERAC Project Funding Encourages Practical Solutions to Industry Challenges For more than 20 years, the Environmental Research Advisory Council (ERAC) has been launching peer reviewed research studies, under the guidance of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP). PTAC Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada and CAPP have been working together for three years to provide an efficient and effective mechanism to coordinate, initiate, fund, complete and communicate on environmental R&D needed by the industry and government regulators. The ERAC mechanism was created to encourage industry participation and to more efficiently coordinate environmental research and development within an open, proactive process. Importantly, funding opportunities are increased through a broader communication process. ERAC projects provide practical, science-based solutions to
the many environmental challenges facing the oil and gas industry. In recent years, for
example, industry-supported environmental research has included methods to: ERAC-funded studies also advance the understanding of many complex environmental issues. One recent ERAC study provided part of the scientific information used by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) to set new standards for the levels of residual hydrocarbons that can be left in agricultural soils without causing a risk to the public or to other ecological receptors. The application of these findings could potentially save the industry millions of dollars in unnecessary clean up costs while ensuring high levels of environmental protection. Two ERAC studies in progress provide important information about the habitat, movement patterns and long-term survival of grizzly bears in two locations in Alberta. Other studies significantly improve the science of how soil and ground water absorbs and break down petroleum contaminants. These studies will help industry and regulators to better understand and minimize potential environmental impacts due to development. The funding application process is initiated in May of each year when PTAC issues a Call for Applications. Once the funding application deadline has passed, PTAC forwards all project funding applications received to CAPP for a funding decision. CAPP prepares a summary of these project applications including the project name, researcher, CAPP project manager (mandatory), ERAC funds applied for and total project cost. This summary is then forwarded to approximately 35 CAPP member companies, typically to individuals within each company’s Environment, Health and Safety Departments (EH&S) for evaluation. Each application is ranked by its high, medium or low level interest to industry as a whole and to individual companies. The ranking results are compiled by CAPP staff and presented to the CAPP EH&S Executive Policy Group (EPG) for a recommendation. This recommendation is then presented to the CAPP Broad Industry Initiatives (BII) Committee for approval. All projects ranked high are funded, those ranked medium are funded subject to funding availability, but no low ranked projects are funded. The final formal funding approval is obtained from the CAPP Board of Governors and is usually completed by December 31st of each year. PTAC is then advised of the funding decisions and formally informs all applicants of the outcome for their respective applications. For more information on obtaining ERAC funding, please contact – Tannis Such RFP Issued Solution gas flaring continues to be a topic of concern due to the potential health and environmental effects associated with this practice. Consequently, considerable research has been conducted to assess flare performance under various conditions and determine related emissions under those conditions. PTAC’s Air Issues Technical Steering Committee for the oil and gas industry identified continued research in this area as a priority. To further this work, PTAC issued a request for proposal (RFP) to solicit proposals to characterize the chemical and physical nature of solution gas and knockout liquids in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB). Funding has been approved in principle by Environment Canada and there is potential for funding from CAPP/ERAC and other interested organizations. For further technical information, visit PTAC’s web site at www.ptac.org/techenvr.html or contact – Bill Reynen For general information, please contact – Tannis Such Pilot Project
Launched Two new environmentally-friendly technologies developed by InsOil Canada Ltd. triggered a true chain reaction when presented to representatives of the electrical power industry in March at a PTAC Technology Information Session. An ATCO Electric electrical engineer will organize the resulting demonstration project, InsOil will act as project coordinator, and several Calgary companies will contribute to an exciting world premiere of InsOil’s new technologies. InsOil President John Sabau will present a paper entitled, "Freeing Transmission Transformers from Aging and Gassing," describing the basic principles of this innovative approach to the premature aging of internal insulation at the 14th IEEE International Conference on Dielectric Liquids in Graz, Austria from July 7-12, 2002. High voltage transformers are considered capital investments in the infrastructure of every country in the world. These important utility company assets are filled with a large quantity of mineral insulating oils which are failing due to premature aging. The mineral insulating oils are a complex blend of hydrocarbons with a two-fold function: to insulate the windings electrically and to dissipate the heat generated by the magnetic core. Although insulating oils are very carefully refined by the petroleum industry, the impact of electric and thermal stress as well as the chemical aggressiveness of dissolved oxygen, generates a variety of decay products in service conditions. Such impurities shorten the life expectancy and reduce the service reliability of power transformers. Over the past 10 years, InsOil developed two technologies capable of preventing these century-old deficiencies by enhancing the predictive nature of condition-based maintenance procedures, rejuvenating on-line the oil-paper insulation of aging transformers by selectively removing the solid and liquid decay products, and monitoring on-line the formation of fault gases generated by incipient electrical failures that decompose the weakly bonded hydrocarbon chains. InsOil launched their pilot project in May when the Dynamic Nitrogen Blanketing System (DNBS), patent pending, was installed on a 40 MVA power transformer in an ATCO Electric substation. By measuring the analytical properties of liquid and solid insulation, it will be demonstrated that rather then slowing down the oxidation process by using oxidation inhibitors, it is more economical to remove the dissolved oxygen – the very cause of the problem. Along with the contributing companies, two academics – one Canadian and one American – will act as scientific monitors of the project. The outcome of this joint industrial applied research effort carried out in Alberta, Canada and expected to revolutionize the predictive maintenance of power transformers, is scheduled to be presented to interested parties at an International Technology Symposium next spring. For more information on this pilot, please contact – John Sabau, InsOil Canada Ltd. Innovation Creating Value Through InnovationValue Creation through Innovation Workshop Features Finland’s Dr. Jorma Routti PTAC invited Dr. Jorma Routti, one of Europe’s leading technology experts and a founder of the Finnish venture capital industry, to speak at the PTAC Annual General Meeting in April. PTAC decided to share Jorma’s expertise with a wider audience in a workshop setting and co-hosted a Value Creation through Innovation and R&D Workshop with Calgary Technologies Inc. (CTI) and The Centre for Innovation Studies (THECIS) at the EnCana amphitheatre. Jorma described key success factors for creating value through fresh approaches to innovation: what Canadians can learn from Finland’s and Europe’s R&D and innovation experiences; how innovation can rejuvenate traditional industries, including the energy sector; and how the oil and gas industry can ensure that venture capitalists are an integral part of the innovation process. Attendees enjoyed Jorma’s insights on innovation and the opportunity to network with participants from a broad spectrum of industry, government and learning institutions. Dr. Routti’s presentation will soon be available as a video and PowerPoint presentation on CD, for more information please contact – Arlene Merling Protecting Intellectual Property in the Petroleum Industry Conference Slated for September The Conference Board of Canada will host the Protecting Intellectual Property in the Petroleum Industry at The Fairmont Palliser in Calgary from September 17-19, 2002. Presentations will focus on the unique IP issues in the oil and gas industry and suggest strategies, tactics and procedures for managing these vital assets more effectively. This event is designed for executives and petroleum industry professionals responsible for managing intellectual property assets within their organizations. Speakers include PTAC President Eric Lloyd, Talisman Exploration Manager Mo Crous and Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP Partner John T. Ramsay, Q.C. PTAC is an exhibiting sponsor; PTAC members and affiliates will receive a special discount of $150 off the registration fee. Please reference this offer when registering by fax: (613) 521-0661, email: registrar@conferenceboard.ca or phone: (800) 267-0666. For complete details about the agenda and the speakers, consult the conference brochure included with this newsletter. To register please contact – Dian Calagoure For more information, please visit The Conference Board of Canada's website at: http://www.conferenceboard.ca Technology Support Established in Alberta in 2001 as a non-profit company, Inno-centre Alberta helps advanced technology entrepreneurs start up commercial ventures. The organization guides clients through the complex tasks of organizing, planning and financing an emerging enterprise. Inno-centre aims to help entrepreneurs in both Edmonton and Calgary to create value faster for new high-technology businesses. Inno-centre’s professional business advisors and network enable entrepreneurs to access more sources of financing sooner, to establish operations faster and to add significant value to their companies. Over a period of two years, Inno-centre helps startups secure their intellectual property, gain access to financing with the best possible terms in the shortest possible time, and shares the risk. Inno-centre collects fees for service and minor equity participation in the venture, payable when the venture is successfully financed. Inno-centre Alberta recently announced the opening of its new Edmonton office, located in College Plaza near the University of Alberta. For more information on Inno-Centre Alberta, visit the web site at www.inno-centre.com or contact – Susan Miller, President and CEO, Calgary Doug Craig, Director, Edmonton TCNG Located in the suite of PTAC offices, the TCNG offers information on commercially available advanced natural gas exploration, production and processing technologies. The TCNG is funded through the Canadian Technology Transfer Agent (CTTA) program, a joint venture between PTAC and GTI. Resource materials are supplied by PTAC members. We invite PTAC members to provide non-proprietary natural gas related technical information, in hard copy or electronic format, to be included in the TCNG. We encourage members to submit relevant materials at their earliest convenience as well as on an ongoing basis. New PTAC members who have recently submitted materials to display in the Technology Centre for Natural Gas are:
The TCNG publishes a monthly Energy Update listing local and national events in the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry. Popular publications being viewed at the TCNG are coalbed methane reports and proceedings. The TCNG is interested in receiving relevant library donations from corporate collections, individual collections, professional societies and government agencies. For access to TCNG materials and services, please contact – Brenda Belland For more information about the CTTA program, please contact – Denis Gaudet PTAC News New Board MembersWelcome to Mike McAllister, Senior VP Oil Sands, EnCana, as PTAC’s newest board member. We thank Pat McLellan for his support of PTAC and his contributions as he retires from the PTAC board. PTAC’s Board is comprised of senior representatives from a broad cross section of members who serve on a volunteer basis. We appreciate the efforts of our board members who serve the interests of our industry. Please visit PTAC’s web site at www.ptac.org for information on PTAC events, projects, members, publications and much more. Explore the following sections to:
A PTAC search engine is currently being developed. Membership169 PTAC Members PTAC currently has 169 members. We welcome the following new members to PTAC – Service and Supply Companies
Individuals
PTAC Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada Facilitating Innovation, Technology Transfer, and Collaborative Research and Development (R&D) in the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry PTAC is a not-for-profit association governed by a volunteer board of directors made up of representatives from producers, service and supply companies, research and educational institutions, inventors and government. P-talk is published quarterly – both electronically and in hard copy – and is available through PTAC. If you would prefer not to receive the hard copy, please contact Lorie Frei of PTAC. Material may be reprinted without permission but credit would be appreciated. Contact UsFor further information, please contact PTAC PTAC Eric Lloyd Arlene Merling Lorie Frei Tannis Such Arlene Merling CTTA Denis Gaudet Brenda Belland Kerri Markle |
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