News Release

IEA GHG Weyburn carbon dioxide monitoring & storage project

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Petroleum Technology Research Centre

REGINA, Canada -- Large volumes of carbon dioxide can safely be stored in oil-bearing geological formations, concludes a four-year, multi-discipline research study in Western Canada.

Conducted with the support of the International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas Research and Development Programme (IEA GHG), the research took place in the Weyburn area of southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada. The IEA is an energy forum of 25 countries whose objectives include global energy policy development and the integration of environmental and energy policies.

The Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC) of Regina coordinated the research, which was done in close collaboration with EnCana Corporation of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, operator of the 50-year-old oil field.

The project was funded by 15 public and private sector institutions including Natural Resources Canada, United States Department of Energy, Saskatchewan Industry and Resources, Alberta Energy Research Institute, Petroleum Technology Research Centre and the European Community.

Industry participants included EnCana, BP, ChevronTexaco, Dakota Gasification Co., ENAA (Japan), Nexen, SaskPower, TransAlta and Total (France).

"From the outset of this project, EnCana has been very supportive, providing our Weyburn oilfield as the test site for the research and closely linking our technology staff with the project researchers," said Judy Fairburn, Vice President Weyburn Business Unit, EnCana Corporation. "We have been particularly proud to host the internationally-known researchers at our facility."

The IEA GHG Weyburn project involved 24 research and consulting organizations in Canada, Europe and the United States, producing over 470 deliverables.

"We're very excited about the IEA GHG Weyburn Carbon Dioxide Monitoring and Storage Project because it is the largest, full-scale, in-the-field scientific study ever done anywhere in the world involving carbon dioxide storage," said Malcolm Wilson, who is one of the founders of the project and is the International Energy Specialist with the PTRC.

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The IEA GHG Weyburn project, which received $40 million in funding and support in kind from public and private sector institutions, is a good news story for global warming, he said.

A comprehensive report on the Weyburn project will be delivered from 8:30 until noon on Tuesday, Sept. 7, at the 7th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT-7) at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

It is the first time the GHGT is being held in Canada.

Previous sessions were in Kyoto, Japan (2002), Cairns, Australia (2000), Interlaken, Switzerland (1998) and Cambridge, U.S.A. (1996).

To arrange media accreditation for the Vancouver conference, contact Chelsea Smith at Venue West Conference Services in Vancouver at 604-681-5226 or csmith@venuewest.com.

To arrange media interviews with key IEA GHG Weyburn Carbon Dioxide Monitoring & Storage Project researchers, contact Joe Ralko in Regina at 306-539-9270 or jralko@accesscomm.ca.


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