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November 2004 Issue 32 P-talk Newsletters Menu PTAC News
Knowledge Centre
New Members
www.ptac.org 2004 11 26 HM
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In this issue . . .
Links and Resources
Technical Areas *TIS – Information on these Technology Information Sessions is not contained within this newsletter but is linked directly to a PTAC web site page. For all TISs please see www.ptac.org/tis1.html. |
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Links and Resources Spudding Recommendation Germinates Results Citing the 2003 Spudding Innovation report’s assertion that if innovation were encouraged via programs like the proposed IETP, Clerk said that Alberta’s recoverable reserves of conventional oil could be increased as much as 14% of original oil in place or some 8.7 billion barrels. The Alberta government, through the Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI) has identified carbon and water management, clean alternative energy, coal/carbon, recovery, and upgrading as Innovation Strategy Priority Areas. While AERI will continue to make strategic investments in the first three stages of technology development: basic research, applied research, and pilot and demonstration projects, the IETP will provide additional funding to the pilot and demonstration project stage to help projects bridge into that critical fourth and final commercial stage. What we do know thus far is that the Alberta government will make up to $200 million available over five years through the IETP program, building on the $15 million already allocated to projects using CO2 to enhance oil or gas recovery, with $40 million to gas-over-bitumen projects, and approximately $48 million each to oil, gas, and in situ oil sands projects. After the first round of applications and approvals, the allocation will be reviewed. Additionally, the maximum amount payable on an annual basis is $40 million, based on actual industry expenditures, so on aggregate any amounts exceeding that will be carried forward to future years. Projects have a funding ceiling of $10 million, to be administered through royalty offsets on a corporate basis and will not be tied to production from the project site. Projects must be located in Alberta with a clear application to Alberta needs. Producers and service providers can both apply for funding under this program’s project approval process and evaluation criteria. Applications will be reviewed by an evaluation committee that will provide recommendations to the Minister of Energy for final selection. The programs will share up to 30% of qualifying costs, which may include both capital and operating costs. Cumulative funding from government sources is capped at 50%, when funding is also provided by other governments. Companies will claim royalty offsets based on actual expenditures. The offsets can be applied on a corporate basis against any oil, gas or oil sands royalty liabilities. The ADoE and AERI will reserve audit rights. AERI and the DoE will jointly manage the IETP program, with AERI providing project assessment and management, disseminating information about the projects, and managing intellectual property issues. Details of the program including IETP applications will hopefully be forthcoming within calendar year 2004 with the first round of project reviews complete by early spring 2005 and subsequent approvals by early summer 2005. A follow-up Technology Information Session will release full details of the IETP program when they become available; the initial ITRP October 7th presentation is available on the PTAC web site at www.ptac.org/techrdft.html. For more information on particular IETP areas,
please contact – Tom Ross, DoE Oil Sands Matthew Foss, DoE Gas Les Little, AERI Wireless Forum Wraps Up Wireless, SCADA and Well Data Life Cycle Management Technology Presentations Well Received at Annual Forum PTAC hosted the fourth Wireless, Telecommunications and e-Business Forum on October 12th, 2004 at the Hyatt Regency Calgary and thanks Forum Partner Macleod Dixon LLP for their financial support. PTAC also wishes to thank the following sponsors for their support of this year’s Wireless Forum – Alberta Innovation and Science, CAPP, CATAAlliance, Calgary Technologies Inc., InfoTech Alberta and Wireless City. The forum's success was due in no small part to a thought-provoking slate of industry expert presenters who shared their case studies demonstrating solutions to oilpatch challenges. The forum was attended by 69 registrants who saw 12 presentations and participated in several Q&A sessions and panel discussions. New to this year's Wireless Forum was a hands-on demonstration exhibit area where forum attendees could personally test-drive new technologies. Feedback forms indicated 85.7% of attendees felt their expectations for the session were met. All forum presentations, along with a summary of the forum evaluation and feedback received have been posted on the PTAC web site at www.ptac.org/techebuf.html.
For more information on the Wireless Forum, please contact – Emission
Reduction Eco-efficiency ENEFEN Energy Efficiency Engineering Ltd. was selected as the successful project performer for the PTAC Fire-Tube Immersion Heater Efficiency Project and the work is now underway. A panel of industry experts reviewed the submitted proposals in July and chose ENEFEN to provide a more efficient and cost-effective way to address the problem of inefficient immersion tube heaters. Arriving at new design standards and operating parameters, while sharing in the financial and resource investment burden, is essential to improved efficiency. BP Canada Energy, EnCana, Husky Energy, Nexen, Petro-Canada and CETAC – West have all contributed toward this project and are calling for further industry funding. Project funders will have access to the project results for up to one year prior to public release. Additional support is still being encouraged. Funders who participate now will benefit by receiving early access to results and the knowledge that your organization is actively working to become more energy efficient and to reduce greenhouse gases as part of an industry-wide initiative. The Request for Proposals (RFP) for Improving Fire-Tube Immersion Heater Efficiency (RFP EETR 0401) was issued in May as a direct result of the Technology for Emission Reduction and Eco-Efficiency (TEREE) Steering Committee meeting held in April.
To view background information or to commit funding to this
project, visit the PTAC web site at
www.ptac.org/techeetr.html or contact –
Four U.S. Universities Join Forces Specifically, IPEC is
IPEC distributes an informative newsletter entitled The Connector, which is available on the IPEC web site, and discusses current environmental regulations, studies and events.
To view the newsletter, or for more information, please visit the
IPEC web site at http://ipec.utulsa.edu or contact – Environment Successful Forum Record-breaking Participation at Air Issues Forum and Poster Session PTAC hosted its most successful Air Issues Forum to date on September 30th, 2004. This event was attended by over 130 people from industry, government, academia, and service and supply organizations. The forum’s record attendance demonstrated the increasing importance of air emissions and their associated health effects.
Event highlights included Dr. Nancy Fiedler‘s update on the
ongoing human volunteer exposure study on hydrogen sulphide
(H2S). In addition, both federal and provincial government
representatives presented their emissions reporting requirements. To view the presentations and the poster abstracts, please visit PTAC’s web site at www.ptac.org/techenvf.html.
For more information on this event, please contact –
2004 ERAC Project Update Environmental Research Advisory Council (ERAC) funded the first year of a three-year project for “Imaging the Fate and Transport of a Salt Spill during Remediation with Time-lapse Electrical Resistivity.” This project emphasizes the use of electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) along with other measurements to produce an integrated time-lapse framework to create near real-time monitoring of the evolution of the salt distribution within the subsurface. The first set of ERI surveys were conducted in summer 2004 at a site in central Alberta characterized by high concentration of salt due to historical releases of produced water. A previously collected electromagnetic (EM) survey data was used to locate two areas of interest to conduct quasi three-dimensional (3-D) ERI surveys. Both survey zones are located over a three-plot phytoremediation research area. The area is also underlain by a tile drain system at a depth of about two metres. The installation is designed to remove saline waters and thereby reduce the mass of salt in the soils.
The first ERI survey consists of 10 parallel lines with two metre
electrode spacing and four metre line spacing. The EM survey
indicated a highly conductive subsurface associated with high
concentration of salt in this area. The second ERI survey area is
located at the far end of the phytoremediation area where salt
concentrations are lower.
Repeated ERI survey over the same zones will be conducted in
November 2004. In addition, we will be collecting soil samples
and installing thermistors and tensiometers. This project update is available in its entirety on the PTAC web site at www.ptac.org/techenvp.html.
For more information on this project, please contact –
Dr. Mehran Gharibi Innovation Training Program Offered Institute for Innovation Skills Offers Radical Training Program for New Product and Process Developers in Alberta Innovation in Alberta and Canada is too often associated either with the development and improvement of technology or with scientific research. As a result, most of the public and private funding is directed towards activities such as research, acquisition of new or improved technologies, engineered improvements and other traditional components. In response to this “traditional” way of thinking, a group of industry innovators, including energy sector senior managers, working with Lakeland College representatives (Sherwood Park Campus) have developed a new and exciting initiative called the “Institute for Innovation Skills”. This group unanimously recommended an innovative approach to the delivery of innovative skills training and eventually assembled the body of knowledge needed to develop a world class curriculum that will enable the immediate delivery of the soft innovation skills needed by Alberta innovators and industry. Soft skills are an essential element of an innovative community and a competitive infrastructure and are currently lacking in our Alberta workforce. Technology or engineering skills alone, however excellent, will only make a limited difference in any company and in our society. This approach is actively supported by Alberta Society of Engineering Technologists (ASET) and will result in the first pilot training session to start in January 2005. While the content of the training is unlike any other training found in Alberta or Canada, the training process itself is very innovative. The process focuses on a mix of in-class and on-site training with practical application of tools and techniques. For example, the participants of the groundbreaking course (starting January 2005) will spend one day a month for six months in the classroom with the local industry innovators/instructors. The rest of the training will occur on the job, on real life projects with supportive coaching and mentoring. Gary R. Keen, President, Metal Fabricators and Welding Ltd. is one of the designers and instructors of the course. He says the training course will provide serious minded innovators with the skills needed to organize and manage the creative process and apply them to the project at hand. Keen believes the training method will add value to business by focusing the activities of the innovator on those areas that are vital to the success of the project. The more people are able to take advantage of the training, the greater the payback to industry and the community. Clearly, there are economic benefits to be realized by getting good ideas to market in a timely manner. This is a unique initiative by local Alberta innovators for Alberta innovators. The resulting certificate of Green Belt Innovator will eventually lead to Black Belt Innovator.
For further information, please contact – Reservoir Recovery Jointly Funded R&D NRCan Study Recommends EnergyINet Coordinate Jointly Funded Upgrading, Oil Sands and Heavy Crude R&D NRCan, through CANMET, recently commissioned Lenef Consulting Ltd. to complete a study on upgrading and refining technologies and resulting greenhouse gas (GHG) impact. The subsequent report on upgrading R&D, funded by NRCan with in-kind support from AERI, is the first detailed assessment of long-term research and development (R&D) opportunities since the Oil Sands Technology Road Map (OSTRM) was published by the Alberta Chamber of Resources. It is anticipated this report and its outcome will also provide a model for other plans to be developed in 2004 and 2005. This report includes consideration of upgrading technology that will be of potential relevance to oil sands bitumens and very heavy crudes. The study is titled, Bitumen and Very Heavy Crude Upgrading Technology: A Review Of Long Term R&D Opportunities, and is focused on the identification of emerging and developing technologies that can, when fully developed, either be applied directly to upgrade bitumen and very heavy crudes, or are integral to new approaches to upgrading. In addition, the technology survey considered upgrader integration technologies, and emerging sciences or enabling technologies that might help to transform the future science of upgrading processes. The study team identified 42 R&D program areas that could lead to new technologies impacting upgrading, of which 27 were regarded as higher priority, and required greater attention to planning to ensure that the effort expended on the more focused applied research projects is appropriate. The NRCan study recommends that jointly funded R&D in upgrading and other oil sands and heavy crude areas be coordinated through EnergyINet. EnergyINet is now seeking to gain commitment from provincial and federal research funders to sign on as supporters, and industry decision-makers to help co-create a long-term innovation agenda focused on priority energy issues and to then actively participate in implementing the innovation. To view the report, please visit the PTAC web site at www.ptac.org/linktech1.html.
For more information on the EnergyINet initiative, please contact
– PTAC News
New Members
New Knowledge
Centre Service Available The Knowledge Centre has recently acquired a subscription to core energy and premier technical databases providing access to leading research literature, global patents, news and more. Files include Chemical News Base, Conference Papers, EI Encompass Lit, Energy Research, GeoScience Research, Petroleum Abstracts and Technical Research. PTAC members are entitled to complimentary literature searches performed by an information specialist. Information obtained through these searches can help identify or support research needs, generate ideas for product development, identify business opportunities, and monitor industry trends in the upstream oil and gas industry. To keep you informed of new literature added to the collection, an electronic alert can be created for specific search terms on most databases. To request a search, or obtain more information on searchable files such as subject area or type of coverage, please contact – Brenda Belland
www.ptac.org
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Eric Lloyd President phone: (403) 218-7701 elloyd@ptac.org Denis
Gaudet Arlene Merling Ralf Aggarwal |
Brenda Belland Information Specialist – Knowledge Centre phone: (403) 218-7712 bbelland@ptac.org
Lorie Frei Kerri Markle |
Eryn Rizzoli Tannis Such |