Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 3, 2009

A new study released by Global Forest Watch Canada finds that significant amounts of greenhouse gases are emitted through the disturbance and/or removal of biocarbon (trees, shrubs, peats), which overlay Alberta’s oil sands. The bituminous sands industry reported emissions of 28.5 The resulting annual average emissions of 8.7

Oil-Sands 191

Oil-Sands Oil Emissions Gas 191

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 15, 2010

Examples of emerging oil sands related technologies and trade-offs. The paper is an examination of how various choices about the scale of the life cycle analysis applied to oil sands (i.e., The source material is neither oil nor tar but bitumen, but is most generally described as an example of ultraheavy oil.”.

Oil-Sands 225

Oil-Sands Oil Emissions Coal 225

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 10, 2023

Absolute greenhouse gas emissions from Canadian oil sands production were flat in 2022 even as total production grew, according to an initial analysis by S&P Global Commodity Insights. The Canadian oil sands have demonstrated a consistent trend of reductions in GHG intensity for the past decade.

Oil-Sands 195

Oil-Sands Oil Global Insight 195

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 25, 2010

Canadian Oil Sands Trust, the largest stakeholder (36.74%) in the Syncrude oil sands project, announced plans to increase the synthetic crude oil production capacity at Syncrude Mildred Lake upgrader to 425,000 barrels per day by 2020 from 350,000 now. Marcel Coutu, Canadian Oil Sands’ President and CEO.

Oil-Sands 199

Oil-Sands Oil 2020 Canada 199

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. The Role of Canadian Oil Sands in US Oil Supply”.

Oil-Sands 186

Oil-Sands Oil 2010 Production 186

Green Car Congress

APRIL 6, 2022

By the middle of this decade greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Canadian oil sands production should be in decline even as production continues to grow, according to a new comprehensive report by S&P Global Commodity Insights that takes into account current technology trends and production growth. —Kevin Birn.

Oil-Sands 186

Oil-Sands Oil Emissions Global 186

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

World oil prices remain high in the IEO2011 Reference case, but oil consumption continues to grow; both conventional and unconventional liquid supplies are used to meet rising demand. In the IEO2011 Reference case the price of light sweet crude oil (in real 2009 dollars) remains high, reaching $125 per barrel in 2035.

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Oil-Sands Oil 2008 Oil Prices 220

Green Car Congress

MARCH 12, 2010

Devon and BP will also form a heavy oil joint venture to develop BP’s Kirby oil sands leases in Alberta, Canada. In order to facilitate the oil sands joint venture, Devon will acquire 50% of BP’s interest in the Kirby oil sands leases. The Whiting upgrade is planned to come on-stream in 2012.

Oil-Sands 186

Oil-Sands Oil Azerbaijan Energy 186

Green Car Congress

MAY 24, 2009

Oil sands supply chain. Source: Levi 2009. A new report from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)— The Canadian Oil Sands: Energy Security vs Climate Change — claims that prudent greenhouse gas regulations can limit emissions from Canadian oil sands while still enabling robust development of the energy resource.

Oil-Sands 150

Oil-Sands Climate Change Oil Climate 150

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 253

Oil-Sands Emissions Oil Oklahoma 253

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 150

Oil-Sands Oil Gasoline Emissions 150

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 24, 2012

The region includes a substantial portion of the Athabasca oil sands area, which contains approximately 82% of the province’s oil sands resource and much of the Cold Lake oil sands area. The government of Alberta, Canada has approved the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan (LARP).

Oil-Sands 250

Oil-Sands Oil Water Canada 250

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 236

Oil-Sands Oil 2014 Fuel 236

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 17, 2011

The Alberta government has successfully negotiated contracts for two projects that will advance the upgrading and refining of oil sands bitumen to diesel fuel. billion barrels of oil from conventional reservoirs throughout the province, potentially generating up to $25 billion in additional provincial royalties and taxes.

Oil-Sands 231

Oil-Sands Carbon Oil 2009 231

Green Car Congress

MAY 14, 2012

Oil and gas services company Schlumberger defines artificial lift as any system that adds energy to the fluid column in a wellbore with the objective of initiating and improving production from the well. Artificial-lift systems use a range of operating principles, including rod pumping, gas lift and electric submersible pumps.

Oil-Sands 210

Oil-Sands Companies Chevron Energy 210

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 27, 2013

Based on the interim results of a new study, MIT researchers are warning smaller nations to proceed with caution in pursuing the development of their natural gas resources. The interim report analyzed the economics of natural gas project development options in Cyprus with a focus on exports. —Sergey Paltsev. Click to enlarge.

Cyprus 261

Cyprus MIT Gas Gas-Electric 261

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

The well results confirm a significant resource extension for the Mad Dog Field complex, which includes the existing field, in production since 2005, and appraisal drilling of the Mad Dog South field in 2008 and 2009. interest, Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiary Union Oil Company of California, has a 15.6%

Mexico 220

Mexico Oil Oil-Sands Chevron 220

Green Car Congress

APRIL 29, 2010

has formed the $10-million “Patriot’s Oil Shale Technology Fund L.P.”, to complete funding of the Phase 1 construction of a full-scale prototype oil shale plant under construction in Rock Springs, Wyoming. General Synfuels International (GSI), a subsidiary of Earth Search Sciences, Inc., Earlier post.).

Oil 186

Oil Oil-Sands Wyoming Colorado 186

Green Car Congress

APRIL 3, 2013

The survey found that two-thirds of Americans (66%) favor building the pipeline, which would transport oil from Canada’s oil sands region through the Midwest to refineries in Texas. Current opinions about whether global warming is a very serious problem are similar to those in 2009 and 2010. Click to enlarge. Keystone XL.

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Oil-Sands 2006 2009 Global 294

Green Car Congress

APRIL 10, 2013

An innovative oil-upgrading technology that can increase the economics of unconventional petroleum resources has been developed under a US Department of Energy-funded project. In the case of oil sands bitumen, the API gravity is increased from 8 API to more than 20 API, eliminating the need for diluent for pipeline transportation.

Sodium 199

Sodium Oil-Sands Oil Molten Salt 199

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 19, 2012

Argentina and Venezuela will form a joint venture targeting production of 100,000 barrels of extra-heavy oil per day in the Junin field area of the Orinoco Oil Belt. The US Geological Survey (USGS) characterizes extra-heavy oil as having an API gravity of less than 10°. billion project will also include a refinery. Source: EIA.

Venezuela 210

Venezuela Argentina Oil Oil-Sands 210

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 16, 2010

The development will utilize a dry tree Extended Tension Leg Platform with an on-board drilling rig and have production capacity of 75,000 barrels of oil and 25 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. First oil is anticipated in 2014. Chevron, through its subsidiary Chevron USA Inc.,

Chevron 186

Chevron Mexico Oil-Sands Louisiana 186

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 186

Coal Carbon Gas Energy 186

Green Car Congress

MAY 2, 2010

Lead author Kharecha and colleagues note that current climate science indicates that atmospheric CO 2 concentrations, already at 387 ppm in 2009 and rising, need to be reduced to no more than 350 ppm. Readily available reserves of oil and gas are sufficient to take atmospheric CO 2 to at least 400 ppm.

Coal 239

Coal Emissions Oil-Sands Climate Change 239

Green Car Congress

MAY 29, 2009

Map of the assessment units (AUs) of the CARA is color-coded for mean estimated undiscovered oil. The US Geological Survey (USGS) has completed a geologically-based assessment of the oil and gas resource potential of the Arctic, the Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal (CARA). Black lines indicate AU boundaries. Source: USGS CARA.

Oil 150

Oil Gas Oil-Sands Alaska 150

Green Car Congress

JUNE 23, 2011

Chevron’s focus on optimizing the thermal management of the Kern River field has resulted in a steady drop in the steam:oil ratio (barrels steam water per barrel oil), resulting in improved economics of the field even with slowly declining production. Data: California DOGGR. Click to enlarge. Source: Chevron. Click to enlarge.

Chevron 244

Chevron Oil Oil-Sands Production 244

Green Car Congress

MARCH 31, 2010

Shell Canada Energy’s Scotford Upgrader, close to its refinery near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, uses hydrogen to upgrade high viscosity extra heavy crude oil (bitumen) into a wide range of synthetic crude oils. will use Air Products’ hydrogen to treat certain olefinic synthetic gas liquids at its Redwater Fractionation facility.

Canada 170

Canada Hydrogen Oil-Sands Supplies 170

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 25, 2009

The five different fuel groups were those derived: from conventional petroleum; from unconventional petroleum; synthetically from natural gas, coal, or combinations of coal and biomass via the FT process; renewable oils; and alcohols. million bpd. Reduced GHG impact. For CTL, life-cycle GHG emissions would roughly double.

MIT 250

MIT Oil-Sands Commercial Available 250

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 1, 2014

BP also confirmed the recently-announced Pitu oil discovery in the frontier deepwater of the Potiguar basin off Brazil’s equatorial margin, announced by Petrobras. This is BP’s third discovery in recent years in the emerging Paleogene trend in the Gulf of Mexico, following Kaskida in 2006 and Tiber in 2009. Click to enlarge.

Angola 220

Angola Mexico Brazil 2013 220

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 24, 2011

To be sited at Jie Yang City, Guangdong Province, the Nanhai refinery will be operational in early 2015, with a capacity to process 400,000 barrels of heavy and extra heavy crude oil per day (400 kbd) from the Orinoco Oil Belt. Oil and Gas Journal (OGJ) pegged Venezuela’s 2011 reserves at 211 billion barrels, up from 99.4

Saudi Arabia 186

Saudi Arabia Venezuela Oil Oil-Sands 186

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 30, 2011

In 2009, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy filed a complaint in Federal District Court in Fresno, California, challenging the constitutionality of the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).

California 236

California Carbon Standards Fuel 236

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 3, 2010

These charges echo those in a complaint against the LCFS filed by two ethanol trade groups—the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy—in December 2009. It will protect us from volatile oil prices and provide consumers with cleaner fuels and provide the nation with greater energy security. Earlier post.).

California 199

California Oil-Sands Oil 2005 199

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 3, 2009

Houston-based Ingrain , a provider of digital rock physics services to oil and gas companies worldwide, is now using a Carl Zeiss SMT AURIGA CrossBeam workstation to improve the analysis of shale rock’s porosity and permeability in order to more accurately predict the shale’s suitability for the commercial extraction of oil or gas.

Oil-Sands 186

Oil-Sands Oil Gas-Electric Houston 186

Green Car Congress

MARCH 24, 2009

In addition to having the largest oil sands resource position in Canada, the merged company will have the following characteristics: A resource base with approximately 7.5 Current crude oil and natural gas production of approximately 680,000 boe per day (boe/d). Oil sands (bbl/d). Conventional oil (bbl/d).

Canada 150

Canada Oil-Sands Energy Oil 150

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 9, 2010

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued voluntary information requests to nine natural gas service companies regarding the process known as hydraulic fracturing. The process creates fractures in formations such as shale rock, allowing natural gas or oil to escape into the well and be recovered.

EPA 170

EPA Oil-Sands Congress Water 170

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 30, 2011

Backed by a $25-million US Department of Energy (DOE) award, the Honeywell UOP Integrated Biorefinery will utilize rapid thermal processing (RTP) technology ( earlier post ) to convert biomass into a pourable, liquid bio-oil (pyrolysis oil). In 2009, UOP and Ensyn Corp. In 2009, UOP and Ensyn Corp. Earlier post.).

Hawaii 225

Hawaii Gasoline Oil-Sands Diesel 225

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 21, 2009

The US Department of the Interior (DOI) is offering additional opportunities for energy companies to conduct oil shale research, development and demonstration (RD&D) projects on public lands in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Earlier post.) Potential lessees may nominate up to 160 acres for RD&D. Earlier post.) Secretary Salazar.

Oil 170

Oil Commercial Oil-Sands Wyoming 170