Read the full press release on “Advancing the commercial potential of geothermal energy for oil sands mines” on the Financial Post.
But if you would prefer, here is a short summary:
Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) is working with Eavor Technologies Inc. and C-FER Technologies to conduct a feasibility study of the Eavor-Loop™. Eavor’s technology is being considered as a method of providing thermal energy to an oil sands mine over a project life of 30 years.
COSIA and its members represent 90% of all oil sands production. The Director of Greenhouse Gases at COSIA, Robert Mugo, says: “This is an exciting step forward in the potential application of this clean energy solution and one of several avenues of innovation that COSIA and its members are pursuing to support the sustainable development of the oil sands through reducing emissions.”
This study is scheduled to complete in 2022 and is building off a previous feasibility assessment that identified the potential for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). The second study will design a multi-well layout for commercial-scale using Eavor-Loop™. It will also propose an appropriate location for drilling and logging an appraisal well to characterize reservoir conditions for an oil mining site.
Alternative water heating methods that can replace the currently conventional hot water production offer opportunities for the reduction of both natural gas usage and carbon emissions from operations. Matt Toews, Eavor’s Chief Technology Officer, says: “We employ these same tools and skillsets in reverse; rather than injecting thermal energy we extract it, from much deeper in the earth. Direct heat use is the most efficient use of geothermal and we are very excited to be part of this study with C-FER and COSIA to investigate utilizing geothermal energy in an oil sands industrial process to significantly reduce GHG emissions.”
