Alberta Oil Sands Quarterly Update Fall 2013
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ALBERTA OIL SANDS INDUSTRY QUARTERLY UPDATE FALL 2013 Reporting on the period: June 18, 2013, to Sep. 17, 2013 2 ALBERTA OIL SANDS INDUSTRY QUARTERLY UPDATE Canada has the third-largest oil methods. Alberta will continue to rely reserves in the world, after Saudi to a greater extent on in situ production Arabia and Venezuela. Of Canada’s in the future, as 80 per cent of the 173 billion barrels of oil reserves, province’s proven bitumen reserves are 170 billion barrels are located in too deep underground to recover using All about Alberta, and about 168 billion barrels mining methods. are recoverable from bitumen. There are essentially two commercial This is a resource that has been methods of in situ (Latin for “in the oil sands developed for decades but is now place,” essentially meaning wells are gaining increased global attention Background of an used rather than trucks and shovels). as conventional supplies—so-called In cyclic steam stimulation (CSS), important global resource “easy” oil—continue to be depleted. high-pressure steam is injected into The figure of 168 billion barrels directional wells drilled from pads of bitumen represents what is for a period of time, then the steam considered economically recoverable is left to soak in the reservoir for a with today’s technology, but with period, melting the bitumen, and new technologies, this reserve then the same wells are switched estimate could be significantly into production mode, bringing the increased. In fact, total oil sands bitumen to the surface. reserves in place are estimated at 1.8 trillion barrels. In steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), parallel horizontal well pairs There are three major bitumen are drilled from well pads at the (or oil sands) deposits in Alberta. surface. One is drilled near the top of The largest is the Athabasca the target reservoir, while the other deposit, which is located in the is drilled near its bottom. Steam is province’s northeast in the Regional injected into the top well, a steam Municipality of Wood Buffalo. chamber forms, and the melted TABLE OF CONTENTS The main population centre of the bitumen flows into the lower well via Athabasca deposit is Fort McMurray. gravity and is pumped to the surface The second-largest oil sands deposit All about the oil sands using artificial lift. 02 is referred to as Cold Lake, just south of Athabasca, with the main Both SAGD and CSS are used in the population centre the City of Cold Cold Lake and Peace River deposits, Lake. The smallest oil sands deposit while SAGD is the in situ technology Mapping the oil sands 03 is known as Peace River, which is of choice in the Athabasca deposit. located in northwest-central Alberta. The selection is based on a number A fourth deposit called Wabasca links of factors, including geology. The Government update to the Athabasca and is generally technologies combined currently 04 lumped in with that area. produce just over one million barrels per day. The existence of bitumen in Alberta NEWS: has been known for a long time. Research is underway on a number 07 What’s new in the oil sands The first mention of it in Canadian of other production technologies history was in 1719, when a Cree designed to optimize production, named Wapasu brought a sample of including variations on solvent-assisted Project listings the “gum” to a Hudson’s Bay trading SAGD and CSS, recovery using 10 post. First Nations in what is now the electricity and in situ combustion. Wood Buffalo area had traditionally Bitumen that has not been processed, used the bitumen, which seeps from or “upgraded,” can be used directly Glossary of oil sands terms outcrops along the Athabasca River, as asphalt. It must be diluted to travel 15 to waterproof their canoes. by pipeline. Adding value, some For the first time in 2012, in situ oil producers upgrade their product sands production exceeded mined oil into synthetic crude oil, which is Energy Husky PHOTO: sands production in Alberta. In 2012, a refinery feedstock. That can be 52 per cent of the province’s oil sands transformed into transportation fuels Front and back cover images: Cenovus Energy volumes were produced using in situ and other products. ■ Unless otherwise stated, all photos copyright JuneWarren-Nickle’s Energy Group © 2013 100 KILOMETRES Oil Sands Deposit 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Grosmont Carbonate Triangle National Park Mapping Provincial Park Oil Sands Area the oil sands Surface Minable Area Capital of Alberta Canada’s oil sands resources are often referred to as “the oil that technology made.” Without intensive production technology development, the industry would not exist as it does today. These technologies still continue to be advanced and optimized, improving recovery and reducing environmental impacts. FORT MCMURRAY PEACE RIVER ALBERTA’S INDUSTRIAL HEARTLAND CONKLIN COUNTY OF THORHILD NO. 7 Redwater LAC LA BICHE LAMONT COUNTY COLD LAKE STURGEON COUNTY INDUSTRIAL BONNYVILLE Bon Accord Gibbons HEARTLAND Bruderheim EDMONTON Lamont LLOYDMINSTER Horse Hills Energy Park FORT SASKATCHEWAN STRATHCONA COUNTY EDMONTON RED DEER ELK ISLAND NATIONAL PARK Sherwood Park COOKING LAKE BLACKFOOT PROVINCIAL RECREATION AREA CALGARY SOURCE: Divestco Inc./Government of Alberta Inc./Government Divestco SOURCE: BEAVER COUNTY LEDUC COUNTY LETHBRIDGE MEDICINE HAT Alberta’s Industrial Heartland is over 143,815 acres in size, and is located in the north- eastern quadrant of the greater Edmonton region in central Alberta. This region is key to the value-added processing of Alberta’s oil sands resources into higher-valued refined petroleum products and petrochemicals. 4 ALBERTA OIL SANDS INDUSTRY QUARTERLY UPDATE GOVERNMENT UPDATE ENERGY EAST ANNOUNCEMENT A WIN FOR CANADA Building Fort MCMurray Premier Alison Redford issued the following statement As part of the Redford government’s commitment to build in response to the announcement that TransCanada Alberta, the province is announcing an allocation of Crown Corporation is proceeding with the Energy East Pipeline lands to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo that will project to Quebec and New Brunswick: make an area twice the current size of Fort McMurray available for much-needed development “I am very pleased with [the] announcement that Energy East is moving forward. My government made a The land, known as the Urban Development Sub-Region commitment to the project as part of our efforts to build (UDSR), will encourage housing in new communities, new markets and get a fairer price for the oil resources commercial ventures, vital infrastructure, and parks and Albertans own. This is truly a nation-building project that recreational areas, as well as the jobs needed to further will diversify our economy and create new jobs here in develop the fastest-growing city in Canada. Alberta and across the country. The additional land, covering over 55,000 acres, will be available for sale to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, “The partnerships we have seen develop across the country allowing Fort McMurray to expand to the east, south and on projects like Energy East are the clearest examples yet west. The land is expected to meet the growth needs of the of the Canadian Energy Strategy in action. That’s why I’ve municipality for over 25 years. been pushing the strategy—to spur cooperation between the provinces in getting Canada’s energy onto international The land made available was determined based on resource markets, to get fairer prices and in turn be able to provide analysis, municipal growth plans, and consultation with First the high quality of living Albertans and Canadians deserve. Nations and stakeholders, including industry and the public. Building new markets is a key part of our government’s The region creates a balance of urban growth with responsible Building Alberta Plan. energy development, allowing for safe communities to be built and the local economy to prosper. “At [the recent] Council of the Federation meeting, we reached consensus on a Canadian Energy Strategy and Fort McMurray will become an even greater place to work, live and raise families. As land is allocated from the region over the agreed on 10 action areas for moving the strategy forward. coming decades, the province and the regional municipality I’m proud of what we have achieved so far, and I will are well equipped to coordinate future development with continue working with other premiers to build new energy the province’s infrastructure planning. The UDSR also gives export markets. All Canadians benefit from a strong energy industry a long-term vision for future urban development in the economy, and we are stronger working together.” area that is vital to their planning and investment in the area. PREMIERS REDFORD AND CLARK WORKING TOGETHER ALBERTA LEADS IN PIPELINE SAFETY TO GROW ALBERTA AND B.C. RESOURCES SECTORS An independent review has confirmed that Alberta leads B.C. Premier Christy Clark and Alberta Premier Alison Redford in pipeline safety and provides the most thorough overall announced they have appointed a working group led by pipeline regulatory regime of all assessed jurisdictions. the two top energy officials from each province to develop Alberta’s high regulatory standards for pipeline infrastructure recommendations related to energy exports and opening new guide the activities of all companies doing business in the export markets. Clark emphasized that the two provinces have province to ensure the health and safety of Albertans. a common interest in the responsible development and export The report, a comprehensive third-party review conducted by of energy resources. Group 10 Engineering Ltd., concluded that Alberta has become In creating the working group, Alberta and British Columbia a leader in establishing best practices to manage the industry identified the shared goal of opening new markets and appropriately.