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Oil sands production accounted for 28.8% of total Canadian gas demand in 2016

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Alberta’s oil sands operations accounted for 28.8% From 2005 to 2016, natural gas purchased by oil sands projects more than tripled, from 0.73 Additionally, natural gas is used in oil sands mining to heat water to separate bitumen from sand. of Canadian natural gas demand in 2016, up from 11.8%

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US DOI finalizes plan for oil shale and oil sands research, demonstration and development

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Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar last week announced the Department of the Interior’s final plan for encouraging research, development and demonstration (RD&D) of oil shale and oil sands resources on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Earlier post.).

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

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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. Converting from units of carbon to CO 2 equivalents, this is between 41.8 million metric tons of stored carbon.

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

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The majority (62%) of the plantations were located on the island of Sumatra, and more than two-thirds (69%) of all industrial plantations were developed for oil palm cultivation, with the remainder mostly being Acacia plantations for paper pulp production. Earlier post.).

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Cenovus receives approval for Grand Rapids oil sands project; capacity to reach 180,000 bbls/d

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received approval from the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) for its 100%-owned Grand Rapids thermal oil sands project. Once a decision is made to proceed with Grand Rapids, Cenovus will be able to rely on existing infrastructure, including roads, power and camps at its Pelican Lake conventional heavy oil operation.

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U. Calgary analysis of energy balances and emissions of SAGD oil sands production finds need for improved processes; some operations not thermally efficient or net generators of energy

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Plot of cumulative steam-to-oil ratio (cSOR) vs. ratio of energy produced in form of chemical energy contained in bitumen if combusted to energy injected in form of steam (75% efficient steam generation). One of the key challenges in producing bitumen and heavy oil is their high, variable viscosity. From Gates and Larter (2013).

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Algae harvesting company OriginOil’s second CLEAN-FRAC licensing agreement targets Canadian oil sands market; urban algae demo project in Paris

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the developer of a process for harvesting algae and cleaning up oil & gas water, announced that its second original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) agreement will target oil service companies in the Canadian oil sands market. LH was an early private investor in Athabasca Oil Corporation. OriginOil, Inc.,

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