Tech Science Press’ Post

"In 1944, [University of Alberta] researcher Dr. Karl Clark developed the technology to separate bitumen from sand, leading to the first commercial development of the oil sands in 1967. Over the years, UA research has continued to support Alberta’s thriving energy sector. That support has never been more important today as Alberta moves to net zero by 2050." Albertans are energy tech experts, and that expertise has paid dividends since the commercialization of our oil and gas resources began. But all of that would not have been possible without support for homegrown innovators and the development of common-sense intellectual property policy that kept energy and resources know-how in the province. We need a similar strategy when it comes to other made-in-Alberta technology, in the energy industry and beyond.

FACT: The raw materials for solar electricity and batteries (for energy storage and electric vehicles) are abundant and readily available on Earth. Mining can be done with electric vehicles charged by solar electricity, wind, geothermal energy, hydroelectricity, etc. We do not have to mine with gas-powered vehicles. FACT: There is no health trade off for clean, carbon-free energy, like solar electricity, wind, geothermal energy, hydroelectricity, etc. To repeat: we can mine with electric vehicles charged by solar electricity, wind, geothermal energy, hydroelectricity, etc.; we do not have to mine with gas-powered vehicles. FACT: There is no social cohesion trade off for clean, carbon-free energy, like solar electricity, wind, geothermal energy, hydroelectricity, etc. FACT: There is no environmental trade off only environmental benefit for clean, carbon-free energy, like solar electricity, wind, geothermal energy, hydroelectricity, etc. JTB 8-15-24 (and 8-16-24) REMEMBER: We are transitioning to using more and more clean, carbon-free electric trucks and mining equipment in the 2020s! “Yes, we have enough materials to power the world with renewable energy. We won’t run out of key ingredients for climate action, but mining comes with social and environmental ramifications....The total emissions from mining and processing those materials [with old, gas-powered and diesel-powered equipment] are significant, but over the next 30 years they add up to less than a year’s worth of global emissions from fossil fuels. That up-front emissions cost will be more than offset by savings from clean energy technologies replacing fossil fuels, [said Seaver] Wang [co-director of the climate and energy team at the Breakthrough Institute and one of the authors of the study, which was published in the journal Joule this week]....[meaning the week of January 31, 2023]. Progress on cutting emissions from heavy industry, like steel and cement, could also help reduce the climate impact of setting up renewable energy infrastructure.” - from MIT Technology Review on January 31, 2023 By Casey Crownhart January 31, 2023

Massively increased energy transmission infrastructure and metal-recycling capability on the horizon: Global trends in material extraction of fossil fuels and metal ores The use of fossil fuels, including coal, petroleum, natural gas, oil shale and tar sands, grew in absolute terms from 6.1 billion tonnes to 15.4 billion tonnes between 1970 and 2020. However, their share of global extraction decreased from 20% to 16% during the same period.[1] On average, they grew by 2.1% per year between 1970 and 2020. Natural gas posted a growth rate of 2.8% per year, while coal grew at a rate of 2.1%. Both materials displayed higher growth than petroleum, which grew by 1.3%. This is due to the expanded use of coal- and gas-fired power stations for electricity generation. In recent years, however, the use of coal has stagnated because of lower gas prices, an increase in renewable energy sources and improvements in energy efficiency. According to the International Energy Agency, this has contributed to a slowdown in global coal consumption. Iron, aluminium, copper and other non-ferrous metals accounted for around 9% of global material extraction (2.7 billion tonnes) in 1970, and this grew slightly to around 10% (9.6 billion tonnes) in 2020. This represents a yearly average growth of 2.6% and reflects the importance of metals for the construction industry, energy and transport infrastructure, equipment, manufacturing and for many consumer goods. Iron ore was the fastest growing metal because of the rising demand for steel in construction activities and the second wave of urbanization in the Global South. Metals also play a key role for the energy transition to an intermittent renewable energy system that will rely on massively increased energy transmission infrastructure (mainly aluminium and copper) and energy storage capacity (cobalt, nickel and lithium). The electrification of transport and mobility will further add to global metal demand and will require the build-up of metal-recycling capability. _____________________________ United Nations Environment Programme (2024). Global Resources Outlook 2024: Bend the Trend – Pathways to a liveable planet as resource use spikes. International Resource Panel. Nairobi. https://lnkd.in/dm4ViB4A. Citations appear in the original. Paragraph breaks have been added – Ed. Chile, Peru, the DRC, China, and the US are the top five copper-producing countries, collectively accounting for 46.9% of global copper production in 2022. See also Mining Technology (November 17, 2023). Global copper supply in 2023 will be supported by increased output from the DRC, Peru, and Chile. https://lnkd.in/exuRuUaz

📰 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬! 🌟 Just came across this fascinating update from the 𝐌𝐂𝐄𝐃𝐃 2024 conference in Amsterdam, hosted by Gulf Energy Information and its business lines, World Oil and Petroleum Economist! Here are some highlights: 1️⃣ 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲: The conference theme, "Next-Generation Solutions for a Sustainable Future," is all about exploring innovative approaches in deepwater oil and gas production. 2️⃣ 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: The opening panel discussion featured industry experts tackling key challenges and opportunities in deepwater operations, from engineering services to sustainability initiatives. 3️⃣ 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞: Companies like Wood, OneSubsea, and McDermott showcased their cutting-edge solutions for addressing urgent industry needs, from workforce constraints to decarbonization efforts. 4️⃣ 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: Hearing from Repsol's Global Projects Director shed light on the complexities of project delivery in today's context, from talent scarcity to supply chain limitations. Fascinating stuff happening in the world of deepwater oil and gas! 🌊💼 Click the link to dive deeper into the full article! #MCEDD2024 #OilandGas #Deepwater #Sustainability #Innovation #IndustryInsights #Engineering #Decarbonization #ProjectDelivery #EnergyTransition #FutureOfWork #BusinessNews #ConferenceHighlights #GlobalIndustry #SustainableFuture #ReadMore 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://lnkd.in/g8vxgCrW

Exploring Depths: The Journey of Mustang Services' Directional Drilling in Villetaneuse

#mdpienergies #highlycitedpaper Environmental Assessment of Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plant based on Exergy Allocation Factors for Heat and Electricity Production 👉 https://ow.ly/Gbpg50RbXkv Universidad de Zaragoza #lifecycleassessment #environmentalindicators #geothermalenergy #exergy #electricity #districtheatingsystem

The growth of geothermal requires a wide range of specialisms and expertise to collaborate across multiple disciplines. We have achieved exceptional feats of research and engineering by doing so. Showing people we can when they thought it could not be done. There is one element which is hard to keep up in todays world to ensure we keep on moving forward. In this article I look at communication as something we need to watch. https://lnkd.in/gNQ_2KEr

Entropy Inc has announced a $127-million investment plan for Phase 2 of its Glacier carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project in Alberta, that will quintuple carbon capture capacity from Phase 1. Projected to be operating at the Glacier Gas Plant in Saddle Hills County by Q2 2026, Phase 2 will have CCS equipment installed at nine gas-fired engines and one gas-fired power generation turbine. The total carbon dioxide (CO2) capture capacity will be 160,000 tonnes per year, compared to 32,000 tonnes per year for Phase 1. A 15-megawatt gas-fired turbine that will capture approximately 90 per cent of the CO2 and sell the generated power to Advantage Energy Ltd. in a 15-year power purchase agreement is also planned to accompany Phase 2. #CCS #carboncapture #oilandgas https://lnkd.in/eHV2-kwe

🌐 Call for Papers: Energy Engineering new Special Issue "Carbon Reduction and Optimized Recovery Strategies for Unconventional Resource" is open for submission now. ✨ Submission Deadline: 20 January 2025 🌟 Guest Editors: Dr. Maojie Chai, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada Dr. Jinze Xu, Suncor Energy Inc., Calgary, Canada Prof. Zhangxing Chen,University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada 🚀 The focus of this special issue is on the exploration and recovery of unconventional resources, examining how innovative technologies and approaches can enhance the efficiency and environmental sustainability of these unconventional resource recovery. This includes, but is not limited to, advanced drilling technologies, improved hydraulic fracturing methods, greenhouse gas capture and storage (CCS) technologies, and novel strategies for enhancing the recovery. In addition to technological innovations, this special issue also emphasizes industrial-applicable carbon reduction strategies. This encompasses emission reduction measures implemented throughout the production chain of unconventional resources, such as improving operational efficiency and optimizing resource allocation and management. Submissions of case studies and experiences that demonstrate how to achieve environmental and social goals while maintaining competitiveness are encouraged. 📝 For detailed submission guidelines, visit https://lnkd.in/gihmFvVR #CallForPapers #UnconventionalResources #EnhancedOilRecovery #ShaleGas #TightGas #OilandGas #CarbonReductionStrategies #TechnologicalInnovation #EnergyEfficiency #SustainableDevelopmentGoal

From this meeting organized by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) on #CriticalMinerals it has been interesting to follow the discussion on the challenges related to resource security and geopolitical dynamics stemming from the concentrated production and processing of these materials. This included an exploration of six major #geopoliticalrisks affecting material supply, such as external shocks, resource #nationalism, as well as export restrictions, mineral cartels, political instability and social unrest, and market manipulation. https://lnkd.in/dpqgRvWp