This forum’s diverse technical program will facilitate the exchange of information regarding technological advances, disseminate new research results, report on new projects initiated to address current issues, and provide updates on environmental regulations. A networking reception will provide the opportunity to exchange findings, ideas and network with peers.

This forum will be of interest to all stakeholders who have a vested interest in current and emerging environmental issues including remediation strategies to address the oil and gas industry's contaminants of concern (hydrocarbons, salts, DIPA, sulpholanes and glycols). Research projects will range from fundamental to lab and field-scale work.
A Poster Session will feature additional research projects, including:

• Solar Detoxification – Treatment of Contaminated Groundwater
• Developing a Guideline for the Management of Barite in Soil
• Validation of the Alternate CCME Method
• Use of Phytoremediation to Enhance Hydrocarbon Remediation in Landfarms
• Overview of Recent Technical Developments: Canada-wide Standards for Petroleum Hydrocarbons
• Application of Diffusion Samplers in Assessing Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) of Hydrocarbons at Upstream Oil and Gas Sites
• Monitoring Degradation of Oil Sands Constituents and Foodweb Dynamics in Aquatic Reclamation Using Stable Isotopes
• Soil Heating Technology at Petroleum Contaminated Sites
• Passive Oxygenation Technology to Enhance Bioremediation

Register online or view the full forum agenda at www.ptac.org/techenvf.html.

For more information on this event, please contact –
Tannis Such
Environment, Health and Safety Coordinator
phone: (403) 218-7703
tsuch@ptac.org

Alberta Research Council Inc. (ARC) scientists are seeking industry partners to test laser technology that measures emissions from flares, storage tanks, gas processing plants, feedlots and refineries. The technology, called Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL), measures gases such as methane, sulphur dioxide, benzene and other volatile organic compounds remotely over distances up to two kilometres.

A PTAC technology information session on this project will be held April 8, 2004 at EnCana.

“This technology is powerful in its ability to directly measure and quantify mass emissions of compounds from an entire facility versus a small area,” says Allan Chambers, research scientist with ARC’s Carbon and Energy Management business unit. “We can even create two- and three-dimensional maps of an emissions plume in the atmosphere. Companies using this technology can get a detailed measurement of emissions from their facilities, identify major sources of emissions and assign a dollar value to these emissions.”

The DIAL laser, owned and operated by Spectrasyne Ltd., UK, is the only commercially-operated unit in the world. DIAL sends out two laser pulses: one that is strongly absorbed by the gas of interest and one that is weakly absorbed. “By measuring the relative intensity and timing of the returned signals, we can determine the concentration profile of the gas in question along the light path,” says Chambers. “When combined with wind speed measurements, we can calculate mass emission fluxes of the compound."

The Alberta Research Council develops and commercializes technologies to give clients a competitive advantage. A leader in innovation, ARC provides solutions globally to the energy, life sciences, agriculture, environment, forestry and manufacturing sectors.

To register for the technology information session, visit the PTAC web site at this link -www.ptac.org/techenvt.html.