$2.5M funding supports enhanced oil recovery research

Regina, SK – The Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC) is receiving $2.5-million from Natural Resources Canada and Western Economic Diversification Canada to support research and development of new technologies in enhanced oil recovery. The research will be conducted until 2011.

Two research projects will be carried, and are expected to help create new technologies that will enhance oil recovery in the Saskatchewan and Canadian petroleum industry. Both projects will focus on developing technologies that will get more oil out of the ground, while at the same time lessening the environmental impacts of the process.

The first project will aim to eliminate the use of steam in the extraction of oil sands. If applied to all steam-assisted oil extraction operations in Canada, solvent vapour extraction technology could reduce C02 emissions by 85 million tonnes. The second project will help improve oil recovery by recycling flue gas, a gas that is often produced when extracting oil out of reservoirs and re-injecting the gas back into the reservoir.

“The continued support of the Government of Canada in our enhanced oil recovery research is instrumental in helping the oil industry monetize increasingly more difficult to access reserves,” said Dr Carolyn Preston, executive director of the PTRC. “At the same time, they are also providing the financial support to develop technologies that will mitigate environmental impacts.”