Saturday, November 25, 2017

Alberta company receives grant for new technology to extract bitumen

2:37 AM    
The Calgary-based firm will put the money

toward completing a commercial field test in northern Alberta’s oilsands of the technology, which uses radio waves to heat water found naturally underground until the thick hydrocarbon flows.
“It’s really analogous to putting a microwave oven in the oilsands.”
Clark expects to expand his 25-person workforce by three to five employees over the next year to work on the project, once a deal is signed with at least one producer, which should take about 18 months to complete.
The technology can also be used at heavy oil formations.
The downturn in the oil industry has actually been good for advancing the technology, because companies have more time to look at money-saving innovations and the equipment is cheaper to buy and operate, he said.
“If it was $100 oil, I’m not sure we could get their attention.”
Acceleware was one of 11 Alberta companies that received joint federal and provincial grants worth a total of $28.8 million for projects focused on innovative clean energy and water technologies.
“The fast-growing clean technology sector is a field where Canada stands to dominate,” federal Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi said Friday.