Full ‘steam’ ahead for CO2 elimination in Canada’s oilsands

COSIA’s Direct Contact Steam Generation process is a ‘potential game changer’ for bitumen extraction

This ultra-low-emissions oilsands technology appears to be picking up some serious steam.

A new process being developed by Canada’s oilsands industry players is focused on virtually eliminating carbon dioxide emissions from the steam generation process used during the extraction-in-place (or in situ) process for bitumen reserves.

The Direct Contact Steam Generation (DCSG) multi-year project is being funded by Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), and led by Suncor Energy.

“There are a lot of things to like about this technology,” Suncor engineer Todd Pugsley recently told an audience at the Oil Sands Innovation Summit 2017. “If we can prove this out to be technically viable, there is potential to reduce direct greenhouse gases from steam generation almost to zero.

“It is,” he added, “a potential game changer.”

While commercial application is said to be about five years out—and there’s plenty of work to do between now and then—one of the appeals of the DCSG process is that it can piggyback on existing steam extraction infrastructure.

With a high-pressure, direct-contact design, this steam generator would:

• take up a much smaller physical space;
• allow 90% of produced water to be recycled;
• accommodate the use of oilsands tailings water, and
• produce pure CO2, which could be employed for enhanced oil recovery.

Suncor has tested DCSG technology at the CanmetENERGY research center in Ottawa, and the Clean Energy Systems research facility in Rancho Cordova, California.

In the world's conversation about energy, one point is beyond debate: Energy makes a vital contribution to people's quality of life, to society and to human progress. This is true today, and it will remain true in the future. That's why Energy Matters was created. We believe it's important to equip people with unbiased information so they may form opinions, join the conversation and feel confidence in the work and accomplishments of the energy sector. Energy Matters is an initiative that provides transparent information and perspective on energy. Here, we'll cover a range of topics: the scale of global energy; the ways energy is sourced and produced; current energy technology; forthcoming innovations; the world's future energy needs; and the sustainable sources of energy that will fill them. Because energy matters to everyone, we hope you'll rely on Energy Matters as an ongoing source of balanced information.