Lyan Eng. Developments Inc. is looking to find novel ways to make processes in the energy sector more cost efficient. The results from this project have significant applications to pipeline integrity and platform integrity for sub-sea and off-shore applications. The robust failure prediction models are going to help engineers in various disciplines to accurately predict […]

In-situ recovery methods for oils sands are applied to reservoirs containing bitumen that are too deep for mining. To date there has been only one commercially viable in-situ recovery method, Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD), involving high pressure steam injection and bitumen production using horizontal well pairs located near the base of oil sands formations. While […]

The continuing rise in demand, the decline in conventional domestic production, and the belated development of alternatives to petroleum combine to increase the importance of seeking new resources and methods for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The amount, cost, and timing of the EOR contribution are highly uncertain. Additionally, due to the current economical constraints that […]

This MITACS Accelerate project supports the development of new MR/MRI methods of interest and importance to the international petroleum industry. The project joins the UNB MRI Centre, the leading academic research lab in MRI of petroleum reservoir core plugs, with Green Imaging Technologies, the market leader internationally in the provision of MR/MRI methods for laboratory […]

The Oil Sands of Northern Alberta are a significant contributor to the Canadian economy but their management is also an important environmental issue for Canadians. Improved reclamation of tailings waste is an integral part of Oil Sands sustainability as an industry and understanding the role of microbes in the reclamation process has been a major […]

The broad objectives of this research include: (1) to develop an accurate picture of the extent to which digital technologies have been adopted by extractive industries, (2) to understand factors that have impacted on the pace of digitalization, (3) to develop an understanding of how further digitalization could transform extractive industries and the communities and […]

Canadian bitumen has high viscosity compared to conventional crude oils which unable its transportation to upgraders and refineries by pipeline. In order to improve its fluidity, bitumen is submitted to high temperatures that will allow the break of chemical bonds. This process is called visbreaking. Nevertheless, the product is unstable due to the presence of […]

AlbCurrent commercial recovery method of Alberta’s oil sands is Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) which requires large amounts of steam. This means that large amounts of natural gas are burned to produce steam resulting in significant greenhouse gas emissions. Solvent injection is one initiative gaining interest to overcome the aforementioned limitations. Certain reservoir conditions, including […]

This project is aimed for an accurate and highly convenient methodology to visually investigate the multiphase flow behavior, foamy oil stability and solvent mass transfer in solvent injection processes. Therefore, a novel real-time direct visualization methodology, focusing on the study of foamy oil equilibrium and non-equilibrium PVT phase behavior and stability in bulk and porous […]

Steam injection in-situ bitumen/heavy oil recovery processes are very energy intensive and generate a significant amount of green house gases. The use of solvents may be the ultimate in reducing the energy input for in-situ bitumen/heavy oil recovery. However, the solvent processes, tested in the field, have not demonstrated to be economical thus far. Hence […]

Western Canada has vast heavy oil deposits in many thin heavy oil reservoirs with less than 10-m main pay zones. The cold heavy oil production with sand (CHOPS) is the primary production process in the heavy oil reservoirs. However, a typical CHOPS process can recover only 5?15% of the initial oil-in-place. As a secondary heavy […]

Newfoundland oil and gas industry needs unique engineering solutions for offshore structures and operations because of harsh environment. Drifting icebergs, if collide with an offshore structure, may cause serious damage leading to economic losses, ecological problems and loss of human lives. To protect the structure, icebergs can be towed away; however, it is a complicated […]