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Alberta Oil Sands Industry Quarterly Update

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Alberta Oil Sands Industry Quarterly Update ALBERTA OIL SANDS INDUSTRY QUARTERLY UPDATE SPRING 2014 Reporting on the period: Dec. 06, 2013 to Mar. 17, 2014 2 ALBERTA OIL SANDS INDUSTRY QUARTERLY UPDATE Canada has the third-largest oil methods. Alberta will continue to rely All about 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 the oil sands 170 billion barrels are located in too deep underground to recover using Background of an Alberta, and about 168 billion barrels mining methods. are recoverable from bitumen. There are essentially two commercial important global resource This is a resource that has been methods of in situ (Latin for “in developed for decades but is now place,” essentially meaning wells are gaining increased global attention used rather than trucks and shovels). as conventional supplies—so-called In cyclic steam stimulation (CSS), “easy” oil—continue to be depleted. high-pressure steam is injected into TABLE OF CONTENTS 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 All about the oil sands with today’s technology, but with period, melting the bitumen, and 02 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 Mapping the oil sands bitumen to the surface. 03 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. Government update surface. One is drilled near the top of 04 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 Labour update Municipality of Wood Buffalo. chamber forms, and the melted 06 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 What’s news in the oil sands: using artificial lift. 07 business 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, What’s new in the oil sands: Lake. The smallest oil sands deposit while SAGD is the in situ technology 08 technology 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 Oil sands project technology to the Athabasca and is generally technologies combined currently 09 guide lumped in with that area. produce just over one million barrels per day. The existence of bitumen in Alberta Oil sands production by has been known for a long time. Research is underway on a number 09 extraction method 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 Oil sands contacts sands production exceeded mined oil into synthetic crude oil, which is 16 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 volumes were produced using in situ and other products. ■ Unless otherwise stated, all photos copyright JuneWarren-Nickle’s Energy Group © 2014 ALBERTA OIL SANDS INDUSTRY QUARTERLY UPDATE 3 100 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 Edmonton Energy and FORT Technology SASKATCHEWAN Park 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 KEYstone XL: Alberta continues to put Facts pipeline located between North Westover, Ont., and Montreal, on the table as well as approval to increase the overall capacity of the Line Premier Alison Redford issued the following statement on 9 pipeline from Sarnia, Ont., to Montreal from 240,000 barrels Alberta’s National Interest Determination submission for the per day to 300,000 barrels per day. Enbridge also requested a proposed Keystone XL Pipeline: revision to its Line 9 rules and regulations tariff to allow for the transportation of heavy crude oil. “We have been and remain confident in the merits of the Keystone XL pipeline project. Our submission to the U.S. As a result of the NEB’s decision, Enbridge will be permitted State Department continues our sustained efforts to share to operate all of Line 9 in an eastward direction in order to transport crude oil from western Canada and the U.S. Bakken Alberta’s strong regulatory framework and proven track region to refineries in Ontario and Quebec. record in developing some of the world’s most progressive environmental initiatives. Previously in a decision issued July 27, 2012, the board approved the reversal of the western portion of Line 9, a “We know the approval of Keystone XL will build upon the 194-kilometre segment linking Sarnia to North Westover. deep relationship between our countries and enable further progress toward a stronger, cleaner and more stable North During the board’s hearing process, it heard concerns from American economy. This would certainly be in the interest of participants regarding pipeline integrity, spills and emergency Albertans and, we respectfully believe, in the national interest response, and Enbridge’s consultation efforts. of the United States. The NEB’s approval is subject to conditions set out in “Alberta has always maintained that the facts need to be on the orders and described in the accompanying reasons the table in our face-to-face meetings with key decision makers for decision. For example, the board’s conditions require in Washington and our submissions at each stage of the Enbridge to undertake activities regarding pipeline integrity, comprehensive review of this project. The U.S. State Department’s emergency response and continued consultation. The NEB’s final supplemental environmental impact statement recognized reasons for decision and conditions also make reference the work we’re doing to protect the environment and explicitly to Enbridge’s ongoing emergency response planning and mentioned the Alberta Lower Athabasca Regional Plan and the consultation with municipalities, first responders and Specified Gas Emitter Regulation as examples. aboriginal groups. “We are delivering on my government’s promise to continue GOVernment OF Alberta committed to to advocate for important projects which support our long- responsible energY deVelopment term prosperity. As part of the Building Alberta Plan, we continue to build new markets for our products and services Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Minister so we can keep investing in what matters most.” Robin Campbell issued in March the following statement: “The Canadian economy is driven by the natural resource NEB approVes Line 9B proJect with conditions sector in Alberta. It provides jobs and opportunities for The National Energy Board (NEB) released in March the communities and families across the country. reasons for decision on the Line 9B Reversal and Line “The Government of Alberta has a strong regulatory system 9 Capacity Expansion Project application submitted by in place that protects the environment along with the Enbridge Pipelines Inc. The board has approved the project, health and safety of Albertans. Our government takes this IMITED with conditions, but denied Enbridge’s request for exemption responsibility seriously and companies that do not meet L TION from leave to open requirements. these standards will be held accountable. A OR P OR The NEB’s decision enables Enbridge to react to market “Our ability to open new markets for our oil—or to maintain C IL AND GAS AND GAS IL IL O O forces and provide benefits to Canadians, while at the same the markets we have today—depends on our credibility when A HER C time implementing the project in a safe and environmentally it comes to responsible oil sands development.
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