Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 3, 2012

Proposed oil sands monitoring by 2015. The Government of Canada and Government of Alberta unveiled “The Joint Canada-Alberta Implementation Plan for Oil Sands Monitoring” in a partnership to improve environmental monitoring in the oil sands region with a program that will sample more sites for more substances more frequently.

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Oil-Sands Canada Oil Water 274

Green Car Congress

JULY 17, 2011

A study by a team from the State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum found that fluid thermal processing of. il sands is a feasible process for the production of an upgraded bitumen-derived liquid from Inner Mongolian oil sand. Oil sands exploration in Xing’an region.

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Oil-Sands Oil Mongolia Conversion 218

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 27, 2010

A team at Penn State University has demonstrated that a previously developed method employing ionic liquids (ILs) together with a nonpolar solvent such as toluene can effect a separation of bitumen from oil sands in the Western US at ambient temperatures (~25 °C), although with greater difficulty than Canadian oil sands.

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Oil-Sands Utah Water Oil 210

Green Car Congress

JULY 22, 2011

Summary of the current oil sands developments (mining and in-situ) and associated land use. Canada’s Environment Minister Peter Kent released an integrated monitoring plan for the oil sands region. fail in its goal of generating the data necessary to provide assurance that the oil sands are.

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Oil-Sands Canada Oil Water 199

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 2, 2011

Researchers from Tianjin University and the National Engineering Research Centre for Distillation Technology, Tianjin, China, report on the use of an ionic liquid (IL) with low viscosity to enhance bitumen recovery from oil sands by solvent extraction while reducing adverse impacts in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels.

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Oil-Sands Water Oil Sodium 170

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 6, 2012

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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Oil-Sands Oil Production Emissions 225

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 13, 2013

A comprehensive environmental field study to gather information on air contaminants in the Wood Buffalo region in northeast Alberta, Canada (home to major oil sands projects) will occur from 12 August to mid-September 2013. Evaluate high-resolution air quality models for use in the oil sands region. Earlier post.).

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Oil-Sands Canada Oil Pollution 199

Green Car Congress

MAY 19, 2013

The Government of Canada is supporting a three-year project that will result in the construction of a $19-million, demonstration-scale facility in Alberta that will use algae to recycle industrial carbon dioxide emissions from an oil sands facility into commercial products such as biofuels. Click to enlarge.

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Oil-Sands Canada Oil Conversion 199

Green Car Congress

JUNE 5, 2015

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a draft assessment on the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing activities on drinking water resources in the United States. The stages of the hydraulic fracturing water cycle. Source: EPA. Click to enlarge.

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Water EPA Oil-Sands Oil 150

Green Car Congress

APRIL 27, 2012

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. —Miettinen et al. Earlier post.).

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Oil-Sands Oil Emissions Climate 314

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 28, 2011

Athabasca Oil Sands Corp. AOSC) announced that the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board and Alberta Environment and Water has issued full regulatory approval for the MacKay River commercial oil sands project to MacKay Operating Corp. Earlier post.) ( Earlier post.)

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Oil-Sands Oil Commercial Companies 199

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 3, 2012

Athabasca Oil Sands Corp. has exercised its option to divest its 40% interest in the MacKay River oil sands project to Cretaceous Oilsands Holdings Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of PetroChina International Investment Limited, for C$680 million (US$672 million) in cash. Earlier post.) Earlier post.). Earlier post.).

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Oil-Sands Oil 2010 2012 170

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 26, 2013

Transmitting oil sands production. Synthetic crude is produced by upgrading bitumen and is a blend of naphtha, distillate and gas oil range materials produced by hydrotreating the naphtha, distillate and gas oil generated in a delayed coking unit.).

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Oil-Sands Oil Water International 225

Green Car Congress

MAY 31, 2012

The Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) has given approval to Cenovus Energy Inc. to proceed with its Narrows Lake oil sands project, with an ultimate gross production capacity of 130,000 barrels per day. SAP combines steam injection with solvents, such as butane, to help bring the oil to the surface.

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Oil-Sands Oil Production 2017 210

Green Car Congress

JULY 21, 2011

(JAPEX) plans to invest ¥65-70 billion (US$830–893 million) in its Canadian oil sands projects, Chief Executive Osamu Watanabe told Dow Jones Newswires. China’s biggest offshore oil and gas producer, said it will buy Canadian oil-sands developer OPTI Canada Inc. Oil sands production using SAGD.

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Oil-Sands Canada Oil Water 186

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 8, 2014

Researchers at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) have determined that biochar, a substance produced from plant matter, is a safe, effective and inexpensive method to treat flowback water following hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. —Maoqi Feng, SwRI.

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Water Low Cost Oil-Sands San Antonio 257

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 23, 2009

In the US, producing one gallon of ethanol from switchgrass consumes approximately the same net amount of water as does producing a gallon of gasoline from conventional crude or oil sands oil, according to a study by Argonne National Laboratory researchers presented at the 238 th national meeting of the American Chemical Society last week.

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Water Gasoline Oil-Sands Production 292

Green Car Congress

MARCH 29, 2012

The PEIS describes and evaluates the potential environmental impacts of G&G survey activities in Federal waters of the Mid- and South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and adjacent State waters for three program areas (oil and gas, renewable energy, and marine minerals) during the 2012-2020 time period. Savannah, Ga.;

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Oil-Sands Energy Jacksonville Oil 210

Green Car Congress

APRIL 28, 2011

Water consumption intensity of ethanol from corn grain and crop residue and the avoided/displaced water use credits assigned to coproducts: DGS and electricity. In their paper, Mishra and Yeh analyze the lifecycle water requirement consumption and withdrawal requirements of ethanol produced from corn and from crop residue.

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Water Davis Oil-Sands Nebraska 199

Green Car Congress

MAY 23, 2013

The discovery well was drilled to a total depth of 15,783 feet (4,811 meters) and encountered 184 feet (56 meters) of net natural gas pay in high-quality lower Miocene sands. Discovered gross resources, combined with the de-risked resources in an adjacent fault block on the license, are estimated to range(1) between 1.6

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Israel Cyprus Gas Oil-Sands 186

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 18, 2013

m 3 (337,004 gallons US) total bitumen emulsion has been recovered from the ongoing bitumen upwelling at four sites in Canadian Natural Resources Limited’s Primrose project. HPCSS has been used in oil recovery in Alberta for more than 30 years, AER noted. The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) reports that 1,275.7 Source: CNRL.

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2009 Oil-Sands Water Oil 329

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 16, 2014

Results indicate that under the conditions of this study, for this specific location, fracture growth ceased more than 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) below drinking water aquifers and there was no detectable upward migration of gas or fluids from the hydraulically-fractured Marcellus Shale.

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Oil-Sands Gas Pennsylvania Water 246

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 31, 2013

Current heavy oil and bitumen production processes are high-energy and water-intensive and, consequently, have significant environmental footprints because of the production of gaseous emissions such as CO 2 and generating huge amounts of produced water. A report on their work is published in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels.

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Oil-Sands Oil Hydrogen Conversion 218

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 22, 2014

The grant, one of the largest ever awarded to the university, will allow researchers to advance the scientific understanding of naturally occurring methane hydrate so that its resource potential and environmental implications can be fully understood. Accordingly, other countries with high energy demands or limited resources—e.g.

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Mexico Austin Oil-Sands Mariner 294

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 16, 2017

and are destined to rise significantly with the use of heavy oils, tar sands, and bitumen as combustion sources. Excessive V in air and water has potential, but poorly documented, consequences for human health. Human emissions of vanadium to atmosphere now exceed natural sources by a factor of 1.7 —lead author William H.

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Oil-Sands Emissions Mercury Fuel 150

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. While natural gas is often cheaper than oil and gives off fewer emissions, developing the resource comes with risks, especially for smaller nations.

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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. in about 4,500 feet (1,371 meters) of water. —Bob Dudley, BP group chief executive. BHP Billiton has a 23.9%

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Mexico Oil Oil-Sands Chevron 220

Green Car Congress

MARCH 20, 2013

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation announced that its Shenandoah-2 well in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico encountered more than 1,000 net feet of oil pay in multiple high-quality Lower Tertiary-aged reservoirs. The well was drilled to test the down-dip extent of the accumulation, and the targeted sands were full to base with no oil-water contact.

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Oil-Sands Oil Mexico Water 225

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 7, 2015

Chevron Corporation announced a significant oil discovery at the Anchor prospect in the deepwater US Gulf of Mexico. 20%), Samson Offshore Anchor, LLC (12.5%); and Venari Resources LLC (12.5%). 20%), Samson Offshore Anchor, LLC (12.5%); and Venari Resources LLC (12.5%). Anchor co-owners are Cobalt International Energy, Inc. (20%),

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Chevron Mexico Oil Oil-Sands 150

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 12, 2014

Results of a Rice University laboratory study suggests that using foam may maximize enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Oil resides in formations of rock and sand in small cracks and crevices that have proved devilishly difficult to tap. Drillers pump various substances downhole to loosen and either push or carry oil to the surface.

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Oil United Arab Emirates Universal Oil-Sands 218

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 5, 2013

Noble’s discovered resources in the Eastern Mediterranean now totals nearly 40 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Tamar SW, which was drilled to a total depth of 17,420 feet (5,310 meters) in 5,405 feet (1,647 meters) of water, is the company’s eighth consecutive discovery in the Levant Basin. Noble Energy, Inc.

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Israel Mexico Oil-Sands Energy 186

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 6, 2012

an independent oil exploration and production company focusing on the deepwater US Gulf of Mexico and offshore Angola and Gabon, announced a significant oil discovery at its North Platte prospect on Garden Banks Block 959 in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Cobalt International Energy, Inc., In the Gulf of Mexico, Total also holds a 33.3%

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Mexico Oil-Sands Gabon Angola 218

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 17, 2014

EO28), were identified in hydraulic fracturing flowback and produced water using a new application of the Kendrick mass defect and liquid chromatography/ quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Surfactants reduce the surface tension between water and oil, allowing for more oil to be extracted from porous rock underground.

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Oil-Sands Colorado Water Oil 225

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 23, 2012

Statoil has made the investment decision to develop the Mariner heavy oil field development in the UK North Sea. The field was discovered in 1981 and Statoil entered the license as operator in 2007 with the aim of finally unlocking the resources. The heavy oil project will require pioneering technology in order to be developed.

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Mariner Oil Oil-Sands 2007 225

Green Car Congress

MARCH 17, 2009

Water consumption or withdrawals per unit of energy produced, by energy type, in the United States. With increasing frequency ,” write the Pacific Institute researchers, “ we value energy production over water production. ”. by Jack Rosebro. Source: DHI Group. Click to enlarge. Climate change.

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Water Climate Change Energy Climate 150

Green Car Congress

MAY 25, 2013

A team from Stanford University and the California Air Resources Board (ARB) has developed a new open-source lifecycle analysis (LCA) tool for modeling the greenhouse gas emissions of oil and gas production using characteristics of specific fields and associated production pathways. —El-Houjeiri et al.

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Oil Oil-Sands Production Emissions 225

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 16, 2011

Statoil has confirmed communication between the Aldous and Avaldsnes oil discoveries in the North Sea. In combination these discoveries may represent an oil structure of between 500 million and 1.2 billion barrels of recoverable oil equivalent. Norway has not seen a similar oil discovery since the mid-eighties.

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