Please enable JavaScript for this site to function properly.
OnePetro
  • Help
  • About us
  • Contact us
Menu
  • Home
  • Journals
  • Conferences
  • Log in / Register

Log in to your subscription

and
Advanced search Show search help
  • Full text
  • Author
  • Company/Institution
  • Publisher
  • Journal
  • Conference
Boolean operators
This OR that
This AND that
This NOT that
Must include "This" and "That"
This That
Must not include "That"
This -That
"This" is optional
This +That
Exact phrase "This That"
"This That"
Grouping
(this AND that) OR (that AND other)
Specifying fields
publisher:"Publisher Name"
author:(Smith OR Jones)

Technology Requirements For Mineable Oil Sands By The Year 2010

Authors
E. Yildirim (Canadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd.)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.2118/92-02-05
Document ID
PETSOC-92-02-05
Publisher
Petroleum Society of Canada
Source
Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology
Volume
31
Issue
02
Publication Date
February 1992
Document Type
Journal Paper
Language
English
ISSN
0021-9487
Copyright
1992. Petroleum Society of Canada
Disciplines
5.8.5 Oil Sand, Oil Shale, Bitumen, 4.6 Natural Gas
Downloads
0 in the last 30 days
99 since 2007
Show more detail
View rights & permissions
SPE Member Price: USD 12.00
SPE Non-Member Price: USD 35.00
Abstract

Alberta's reserves of conventional erode oil, natural gas, heavy oil and oil sands represent more than 90% of Canada's total energy reserves in these categories. Of these. heavy oil and oil sands. constitute more than 60% of Alberta's total. Current forecast point out a decline in conventional reserves as production exceeds new discoveries. This trend is expected to continue with fewer and smaller prospects remaining to be discovered.

The decline in conventional reserves, however, could be made up by an orderly development of oil sands and heavy oil projects. Based on the magnitude of the unconventional reserves, (approximately 300 billion tonnes bitumen in place), one could observe that the prospects for maintaining Canada's energy self-sufficiency are contingent on the production of heavy hydrocarbons from oil sands and heavy oil.

The development of new surface mineable oil sands projects require large capital investment and their operations are labour intensive. Therefore, the total cost of synthetic crude production from new projects is not competitive with the most conventional production operations. However, oil sands have no exploration costs and present minimal exploration risks. In addition, the experience gained in oil sands operations during the last two decades has reduced actual production costs by one-half; but, the cost discrepancy between the conventional oil and synthetic crude oil, is significant enough to justify serious R&D efforts in oil sands.

This paper points out the importance of oil sands for the future energy supply in Canada and identifies the R&D as the key to further commercial development of this valuable resource. The paper proposes a methodology and a set of criteria for determining technology requirements and ranking them. Finally, it provider a select list of areas for technology development and offers a series of practical recommendations.

Introduction

The rationale behind the Alberta Chamber of Resources interest in the long-term technology requirements is the recognition of the fact that the future economic competitiveness of bitumen or synthetic crude production from oil sands will be contingent upon further improvements in both capital and operating costs. Any significant cost reduction, in turn, can only be achieved through advancements and breakthroughs in technology. The Chamber recognizes the progress recorded. in recent years and the current R&D efforts in diverse area of oil sands technologies. However, the Chamber is not aware of the existence of a long-term plan for oil sands R&D to guide the funding agencies and the technology developers in identifying the needs and determining the priorities. Therefore, the Chamber is concerned that in the absence of an over-all R&D road map, sufficient funds may not be available or the precious few funds that are available, may not be allocated to the appropriate R&D programs, The ACR Oil Sands Task Force's identification of the future technology requirements is based on a projected scenario which points out the importance of fossil fuels well beyond the year 2010. In this scenario, western Canada's oil sands and coal resources are predicted to supply a major portion of Canada's energy requirements throughout the 2lst century.
File Size  340 KBNumber of Pages   6
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 11/12
    • Issue 9/10
    • Issue 7/8
    • Issue 7
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 12
    • Issue 11
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 12
    • Issue 11
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 12
    • Issue 11
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 12
    • Issue 11
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 12
    • Issue 11
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 12
    • Issue 11
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 12
    • Issue 11
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 12
    • Issue 11
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 12
    • Issue 11
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 12
    • Issue 11
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 11
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 13
    • Issue 12
    • Issue 11
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 12
    • Issue 11
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 11
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 09
    • Issue 08
    • Issue 07
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 06
    • Issue 05
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
    • Issue 04
    • Issue 03
    • Issue 02
    • Issue 01
Show more

Other Resources

Looking for more? 

Some of the OnePetro partner societies have developed subject- specific wikis that may help.


 


PetroWiki was initially created from the seven volume  Petroleum Engineering Handbook (PEH) published by the  Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).








The SEG Wiki is a useful collection of information for working geophysicists, educators, and students in the field of geophysics. The initial content has been derived from : Robert E. Sheriff's Encyclopedic Dictionary of Applied Geophysics, fourth edition.

  • Home
  • Journals
  • Conferences
  • Copyright © SPE All rights reserved
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Help
  • Terms of use
  • Publishers
  • Content Coverage
  • Privacy
  Administration log in