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Oil sands company Suncor Energy strengthens its focus on hydrogen and renewable fuels, divesting wind and solar

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Suncor Energy, a Canadian integrated energy company that is one of the top oil sands producers in the country, will strengthen its focus on hydrogen and renewable fuels to accelerate progress towards its objective to be a net-zero company by 2050. Suncor also plans to divest its wind and solar assets.

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Univ. of Calgary team developing nanocatalysts for underground upgrading of heavy oil and bitumen; possible “next generation” of oil sands production

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Researchers at the University of Calgary are developing ultra-dispersed (UD) nanocatalysts for the in situ upgrading of heavy oil and bitumen from deep reservoirs. One of the challenges of such an approach is the placement of the catalyst deep into the heavy oil plume by transporting a catalyst suspension through the sand medium.

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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

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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). 74% of WTW emissions in our oil sands pathways. Click to enlarge.

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Studies find oil sands-derived crude oil no more corrosive in pipelines than other crudes

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Both scientific research and industrial experience have found that bitumen-derived crude oil (i.e., crude from the oil sands) is no more corrosive in transmission pipelines than other crudes, according to Natural Resources Canada (NRC). In the absence of water, the crude oil is noncorrosive. —ASTM G205.

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Understanding the variability of GHG life cycle studies of oil sands production

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In a paper published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology , Stanford University assistant professor Adam Brandt reviews a number of recent life cycle assessment (LCA) studies calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from oil sands extraction, upgrading, and refining pathways—the results of which vary considerably.

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Shell secures C$865M funding for Canadian CO2 storage project; >1M tonnes/yr from oil sands

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The carbon capture process at the Scotford oil sands upgrader will capture about 35% of emissions. CO 2 will be captured from the upgrader’s hydrogen manufacturing units (steam methane reformers) by an absorber vessel using an amine solvent. —John Abbott, Shell’s Executive Vice President of Heavy Oil. Resources.

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Sustainable Development Canada Awards C$6M to Project to Reduce Water and Energy Consumption for Oil Sands Processing; Three Other Projects Supported to Reduce Energy and Environmental Impact of Oil Sands

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million) to the Petroleum Technology Research Centre ( PTRC ) in Regina, Saskatchewan and StatoilHydro Canada for a project to reduce water use and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions for in situ oil sands recovery by steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). Water use and CO 2 emissions are major challenges for the oil sand industry.

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