Alberta Carbon Trunk Line

Specializing in enhanced oil recovery and the storage of carbon emissions, Enhance Energy is a Calgary (Alberta, Canada) based company currently building the world’s largest carbon capture and storage project; the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line (ACTL).  This 240 kilometre pipeline employs safe proven technology to gather, compress and store up to 14.6 million tonnes of CO₂ per year at full capacity.

Aquistore

The Aquistore Project is an integrated carbon capture, transport and storage project that is looking to take CO₂ captured from a set point source and transport it along a dedicated pipeline to an injection site currently being considered. The project is a collaborative research venture between governments and industry, and has received 5 million dollars in funding from both Sustainable Development Technology Canada and Saskatchewan Ministry of the Environment Go Green Fund. The target saline formation currently under consideration for injection is 2200 metres underground.  The CO₂ storage will be monitored, measured and verified through various innovative technologies.  The learnings from this project, which is expected to begin injection of CO₂ in 2013, before any other deep saline injection project in Canada, will help other projects achieve their goals.

Heartland Area Redwater Project (HARP)

Along with ARC Energy Trust, the Alberta Research Council has started the first phase for a carbon capture and storage project designed to mitigate emissions related to Alberta's oil sands. Located in the Alberta Industrial Heartland, this project is being supported by the Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI) and Natural Resources Canada.

Project Pioneer

Quest CCS Project

Shell, on behalf of the Athabasca Oil Sands Project, a joint venture among Shell Canada (60 per cent), Chevron Canada Limited (20 per cent) and Marathon Oil Sands L.P. (20 per cent) has proposed a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project.

Measured on a wells-to-wheels basis, gasoline made from oil sands crude is about 5-15 per cent more CO₂ intensive than conventional fuel.  Shell is working to close this gap through improvements and efficiencies in its oil sands operations as well as through the pursuit of offsets.

Quest CCS Project could be part of the action Alberta and Canada is looking for – to develop valuable oil sands resources with less climate-changing CO₂.

Spectra Energy

Spectra Energy will be exploring CCS in deep saline reservoirs near its existing Fort Nelson gas plant. This will involve drilling two exploratory wells to identify the suitability of the geology for CCS. If the reservoirs prove viable from a geological, technical and economic point of view, the project would proceed to full project design (including modifications to the Spectra gas plant and the construction of facilities).

Swan Hills ISCG/Sagitawah Power Project

Swan Hills Synfuels is developing the Swan Hills ISCG/Sagitawah Power Project in Alberta. The project represents a unique combination of very deep, high-efficiency ISCG, CO₂ capture and storage with proximity to CO₂ EOR customers, and combined cycle-power generation to result in a cost-effective clean electricity generation system.

Wabamun Area CO2 Sequestration Project (WASP)

The study will perform a comprehensive characterization of large-scale CO₂ storage opportunities in the Wabamun area and analyze any potential risks. As a benchmark, the project will examine the feasibility of storing 20 million tonnes (Mt)-CO₂/year for 50 years within 60 km by 90 km area extending south of the Wabamun area.

Weyburn-Midale CO2 Project

Launched in 2000, this 8-year $80 million international project studies CO₂ injection and storage underground in depleted oil fields in southeastern Saskatchewan. It is the largest and most advanced CO₂ storage project in the world.  The project’s Final Phase (2005-2011) is building on the successes of the First Phase (2000 – 2004) to deliver the framework necessary to encourage implementation of CO₂ geological storage on a worldwide basis.  There is currently 17 million tonnes of CO₂ stored underground in the Midale and Weyburn reservoirs.  The research project is managed by the Petroleum Technology Research Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Zama CO₂ EOR Pilot Project

Apache has implemented an Acid Gas (CO₂ /H₂S) EOR pilot project in Zama, Alberta.  Apache implemented the pilot utilizing acid gas that had been previously sent to a sulphur plant where the CO₂ component was vented to the atmosphere, and the H₂S was converted into elemental sulphur. Apache shut down the sulphur plant and utilized all the CO₂ and H₂S for EOR purposes. The first pool commenced injection in December 2004 and continues to produce oil at a rate of over 100 barrels per day.  Apache has expanded the pilot to include four more pools, and continues to combine all acid gas produced at the Zama Gas Plant with the acid gas recovered from EOR operations and injected into these pools.  The Zama CO₂ EOR Pilot Project has received international attention.

A pilot study, also called a 'pilot experiment', is a small scale preliminary study conducted before the main research in order to check the feasibility or to improve the design of the research.

A demo project provides the means to introduce and experience innovative ideas and approaches and prepare the way for replication and up-scaling.