Carbon, Comparison, Emissions and Oil-Sands

Study concludes permanent loss of peatlands in open-pit oil sands mining adds significantly to carbon burden of oil sands production

Green Car Congress

MARCH 13, 2012

Researchers at the University of Alberta (Canada) have quantified the transformation of the boreal landscape by open-pit oil sands mining in Alberta, Canada to evaluate its effect on carbon storage and sequestration. million metric tons of stored carbon. point out in their paper. —Rooney et al. —Rooney et al.

Oil-Sands

Oil-Sands Oil Carbon Conversion

New lifecycle analysis of WTW GHG emissions of diesel and gasoline refined in US from Canadian oil sands crude

Green Car Congress

JUNE 26, 2015

In a new, comprehensive study, a team from Argonne National Laboratory, Stanford University and UC Davis ITS has estimated the well-to-wheels (WTW) GHG emissions of US production of gasoline and diesel sourced from Canadian oil sands. g CO 2 e/MJ for US conventional crude oil recovery. This range can be compared to ∼4.4

Oil-Sands

Oil-Sands Oil Gasoline Emissions

New study finds GHG emissions from palm oil production significantly underestimated; palm oil biofuels could be more climate-damaging than oil sands fuels

Green Car Congress

APRIL 27, 2012

When peat swamps are drained for agriculture, the peat begins to decompose, and is an enormous source of carbon emissions. Mha (20%) of the peatlands of Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo in 2010, surpassing the area of Belgium and causing an annual carbon emission from peat decomposition of 230–310 Mt CO 2 e.

Oil-Sands

Oil-Sands Oil Emissions Climate

Oil sands GHG lifecycle study using operating data finds lower emitting oil sands cases outperform higher emitting conventional crude cases; a call for more sophisticated tools and reporting

Green Car Congress

JULY 7, 2012

Well-to-wheel (WTW) greenhouse gas emissions for in situ SAGD and surface mining pathways generated employing GHOST/TIAX/ GHGenius combination and comparison with SAGD, mining and conventional crude oil literature pathways (all results are on a HHV basis). WTW emissions for pathways vary by more than ±10% (e.g.,

Oil-Sands

Oil-Sands Oil Gas-Electric Emissions

U Calgary study finds oil shale most energy intensive upgraded fuel followed by in-situ-produced bitumen from oil sands

Green Car Congress

JULY 10, 2015

A team at the University of Calgary (Canada) has compared the energy intensities and lifecycle GHG emissions of unconventional oils (oil sands and oil shale) alongside shale gas, coal, lignite, wood and conventional oil and gas. How does this relate to the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity?

Oil-Sands

Oil-Sands Oil Energy Fuel

Two Lifecycle Studies Find Greater Range in GHG Emissions from both Conventional and Oil Sands Derived Crude Than Previously Shown; Oils Sands Emissions Comparable to Conventional Oil Production in Some Cases

Green Car Congress

JULY 24, 2009

A plot from the TIAX study of the ranges of well-to-wheel emissions for different types of crudes in different refinery areas in the US for gasoline production. The two studies represent the first detailed and more granular comparison of domestic, imported and oil sands crude processes in US refineries. Click to enlarge.

Oil-Sands

Oil-Sands Oil Emissions Range

CERA: Canadian Oil Sands Poised to Become the Top Source of Crude Imports to the US in 2010; Could Contribute Up To 36% of US Oil and Refined Products Imports by 2030

Green Car Congress

MAY 21, 2010

Growth of production of Canadian oil sands. The Canadian oil sands are now poised to become the number one source of US crude oil imports in 2010, according to new research from the IHS CERA Canadian Oil Sands Dialogue. Source: IHS CERA. Click to enlarge.

Oil-Sands

Oil-Sands Oil 2010 Production

US State Department Issues Permit for Alberta Clipper Pipeline for Oil Sands Crude Delivery to US

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 21, 2009

The US State Department has issued a Presidential Permit to Enbridge Energy, Limited Partnership to enable construction of the Alberta Clipper pipeline for the transport of crude oil from the Canadian oil sands to US refineries. This week, the RFA happened to issue two pieces, each touching on the impact of oil sands production.

Oil-Sands

Oil-Sands Oil Wisconsin United States

Ecofys report concludes current European regulations underestimating GHG reductions

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 13, 2014

Substituting biofuels for marginal fossil-based liquid fuels results in the avoidance of significant GHG emissions that are not currently accounted for in the European Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/EC), according to a new analysis by the consultancy Ecofys. Both effects increase the carbon footprint of conventional oil.

Oil-Sands

Oil-Sands Oil 2014 Fuel

State Department releases final environmental impact statement on Keystone XL Pipeline Project; analysis of GHG emissions

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 26, 2011

Comparison of the percent differential for WTW (well-to-wheel) GHGs from gasoline produced from WCSB oil sands using different production processes relative to gasoline produced from reference crudes. The proposed Project is not likely to impact the amount of crude oil produced from the oil sands.

Oil-Sands

Oil-Sands Emissions Oil Oklahoma

State Department issues Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on Keystone XL Pipeline: climate change impacts

Green Car Congress

MARCH 2, 2013

Comparison of proposed Keystone XL route to previously proposed project segment. The US Department of State (DOS) has released its Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) in response to TransCanada’s May 2012 application for the Keystone XL pipeline that would run from Canada’s oils sands in Alberta to Nebraska.

Climate Change

Climate Change Oil-Sands Nebraska Climate

New petroleum refining lifecycle model finds the variability in GHG emissions from refining different crudes as significant as magnitude expected in upstream operations

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 9, 2012

Comparison of GHGenius, JACOBS, TIAX, and the new PRELIM gasoline greenhouse gas (GHG) estimates using base case estimates and variations from the scenario analysis. Given the magnitude of upstream emissions from the sector, they said, their findings have implications for both policy and mitigation of GHG emissions.

Oil-Sands

Oil-Sands Emissions Oil Hydrogen

Wanxiang and GreatPoint Energy close $1.25B deal for 1 Tcf/year coal-to-natural-gas plant in Xinjiang; Sinopec to purchase output, building pipeline to east

Green Car Congress

MAY 21, 2012

By comparison, syngas resulting from conventional gasification cannot be converted to pipeline quality natural gas without further processing. Inherent in the technology is the ability to capture nearly all emissions, including carbon dioxide, which can be sequestered and used for oil production through Enhanced Oil Recovery.

Coal

Coal Gas Purchase Energy

Study finds well-to-wheels GHG emissions of GTL diesel lower than that of petroleum diesel when co-product displacement is considered

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 25, 2011

The study also highlights the potential for blending GTL diesel in refineries with heavy crudes that require severe hydrotreating, such as Venezuelan heavy crude oil or bitumen derived from Canadian oil sands and/or in jurisdictions with tight aromatic specifications for diesel, such as California.

Diesel

Diesel Emissions Oil-Sands Production

Peabody Energy and GreatPoint Energy To Partner on Coal-to-Gas and Coal-to-Hydrogen Facilities with Carbon Capture and Storage

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 19, 2010

Peabody Energy and GreatPoint Energy signed an agreement to pursue development of coal-to-gas and coal-to-hydrogen projects in the United States and around the world with carbon capture and storage (CCS) that would achieve near-zero carbon emissions, while increasing the production of stranded oil via enhanced oil recovery.

Coal

Coal Carbon Gas Energy

Can Flow Batteries Finally Beat Lithium?

Cars That Think

DECEMBER 24, 2023

Importantly, the nanofluids are engineered to remain suspended indefinitely, unlike other suspensions—for instance, sand in water. The particles can compose up to 80 percent of the liquid’s weight while leaving it no more viscous than motor oil. In comparison, lithium-ion batteries cost around $138/kWh.

Lithium Ion

Lithium Ion Batteries Battery Li-ion

Argonne releases GREET 2014 lifecycle analysis software; unified graphical toolbox and database

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 8, 2014

The GREET (The Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation Model) team at Argonne National Laboratory has released a new version of the widely used GREET lifecycle analysis tool, GREET 2014. Each individual natural resource used and emissions can be traced in the pathway. Rapid building of complex pathways.

2014

2014 Oil-Sands Emissions Carbon

EV Driven

Study concludes permanent loss of peatlands in open-pit oil sands mining adds significantly to carbon burden of oil sands production

New lifecycle analysis of WTW GHG emissions of diesel and gasoline refined in US from Canadian oil sands crude

New study finds GHG emissions from palm oil production significantly underestimated; palm oil biofuels could be more climate-damaging than oil sands fuels

Oil sands GHG lifecycle study using operating data finds lower emitting oil sands cases outperform higher emitting conventional crude cases; a call for more sophisticated tools and reporting

U Calgary study finds oil shale most energy intensive upgraded fuel followed by in-situ-produced bitumen from oil sands

Two Lifecycle Studies Find Greater Range in GHG Emissions from both Conventional and Oil Sands Derived Crude Than Previously Shown; Oils Sands Emissions Comparable to Conventional Oil Production in Some Cases

CERA: Canadian Oil Sands Poised to Become the Top Source of Crude Imports to the US in 2010; Could Contribute Up To 36% of US Oil and Refined Products Imports by 2030

US State Department Issues Permit for Alberta Clipper Pipeline for Oil Sands Crude Delivery to US

Ecofys report concludes current European regulations underestimating GHG reductions

State Department releases final environmental impact statement on Keystone XL Pipeline Project; analysis of GHG emissions

State Department issues Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on Keystone XL Pipeline: climate change impacts

New petroleum refining lifecycle model finds the variability in GHG emissions from refining different crudes as significant as magnitude expected in upstream operations

Wanxiang and GreatPoint Energy close $1.25B deal for 1 Tcf/year coal-to-natural-gas plant in Xinjiang; Sinopec to purchase output, building pipeline to east

Study finds well-to-wheels GHG emissions of GTL diesel lower than that of petroleum diesel when co-product displacement is considered

Peabody Energy and GreatPoint Energy To Partner on Coal-to-Gas and Coal-to-Hydrogen Facilities with Carbon Capture and Storage

Can Flow Batteries Finally Beat Lithium?

Argonne releases GREET 2014 lifecycle analysis software; unified graphical toolbox and database

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