Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada, with Linear Motion Technologies Canada, receives $2.1 million from the Government of Canada to help eliminate methane emissions from oil and gas

The Honourable Kent Hehr announces funding for state-of-the-art affordable and fail-safe project

CALGARY, ALBERTA (August 15, 2019) –– Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada (PTAC), a Calgary-based neutral non-profit facilitator of collaborative R&D and technology development, in collaboration with Linear Motion Technologies (LMT) Canada, is pleased to announce the funding of a state-of-the-art and affordable electric valve system that will drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions within Canada’s oil and gas sector.

A large percent of methane emissions is from pneumatic device venting and leaks. As such, Canadian operators need to replace existing pneumatic valves currently in use in the oil and gas industry. The electric dump valve actuator (EDVA) will significantly reduce methane emissions from current devices.

This project supports the Government of Canada and its Clean Growth Program (CGP) goal to reduce methane emissions by up to 45 percent. The CGP provided $2.1 million to the project.

“The Government of Canada understands the critical role our oil and gas sector plays in the transition to a cleaner economy,” said the Honourable Kent Hehr, Member of Parliament for Calgary Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources. “I am proud to announce this investment to LMT Canada for clean energy technologies that will help the industry to remain innovative, competitive and successful.”

As Soheil Asgarpour, PTAC president explains, “This project, along with other projects planned through PTAC’s consortia, allows PTAC to meet its target of increasing the current methane mitigation technology capacity from 30 percent up to 45 percent by 2020. It also provides industry with cost effective technologies while enabling PTAC and its partners to maintain its global leadership in methane detection, quantification, and mitigation R&D.”

Pneumatic dump valves are ubiquitous throughout the industry. The cost-effective actuator will provide safer and lower cost zero-emission valve actuation than current pneumatic controllers.

PTAC, LMT Canada, and Spartan Controls Ltd. will perform applied research, prototype design and development, shop testing, and field pilot testing of the prototype.

“LMT Canada is thrilled to have the opportunity to demonstrate our advanced technology EDVA, a device that can eliminate methane emissions and improve safety, while simultaneously reducing acquisition and operating costs for producers. We are very pleased to be working with PTAC and Spartan Controls to deliver a much-needed product to our corporate partners,” states LMT CEO, Charles Whitehead.

Brian Van Vliet of Spartan Controls Environmental Solutions stated, “LMT can provide a simpler, lower-cost actuator that maintains spring return with fail-safe valve position. The actuator addresses a need key to GHG emissions reduction: replacement of gas pneumatic separator control loops in upstream oil and gas.”

Additional grants and in-kind support from Alberta Innovates and other industry stakeholders brings the total project funding to $3 million. This accelerates manufacturing, wide scale deployment, and commercialization in Canada of this innovative technology.

“This new technology makes production more efficient and reduces Alberta’s greenhouse gas contributions by preventing significant releases of methane. Alberta Innovates is pleased to be able to support this project as part of our commitment to mitigating GHGs through clean technology.” says Laura Kilcrease, CEO Alberta Innovates.