Chairholders
Profile
Jalal Abedi
Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
University of Calgary
Chair title
NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Solvent Enhanced Recovery Processes
Chair program
Industrial Research Chairs program
Role
Associate Chairholder since 2013
Summary
Solvent enhanced heavy oil and bitumen recovery has been identified as a strong candidate for saving energy, water consumption and treatment. The technology also offers a potential associated reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions compared to current steam based recovery methods such as cyclic steam stimulation (CSS) and steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). Although the concepts and primary mechanisms of solvent based recovery processes are known, and some have been tried successfully in the field, there is an alarming level of absence of the key elements, which are crucial for optimizing these solvent processes. Missing is the concrete data and mechanistic understanding of solvent-bitumen interactions at operating conditions. New technologies need to be developed that will extend the expected prosperity provided by the oil and gas resources far into the future. Those technologies are the outcomes of data gained through experimental lab work and the corresponding models that this Chair program will develop. Industry needs this information to continue their economically and environmentally sustainable exploitation of our natural energy resources.
The Chair program in solvent enhanced recovery processes is a key enabler for solvent-based technology that is politically, socially and environmentally acceptable. The intention is to support industry in the development of recovery processes that sustain economically viable heavy oil production in a less energy intensive and more environmentally benign manner.
The chairholder, Jalal Abedi, is an experienced researcher in petroleum fluids phase behavior, physical and transport properties measurements, mathematical modeling and numerical simulation. The industrial partners include Brion Energy, Computer Modelling Group Limited, ConocoPhilips, Devon Energy Corporation, Foundation CMG, Husky Energy, Japan Canada Oil Sands Limited, Nexen Incorporation, Penn West Energy, Statoil Canada, Suncor Energy, and Total E&P Canada. They are actively involved in the research scope outlined in Chair program. Industry partners facilitate data interpretation and application of the outcomes to their specific reservoir needs. This wide range of participants from industry in the research program is a clear indication of the priority and importance of this topic and related research to the Canadian energy sector. This work will create the knowledge base needed to build robust, reliable and valid models for reservoir and recovery process simulations. With this knowledge and these tools, it will be possible to not only design and optimize new and existing recovery processes but to advance the technology used for upgrading and refining. These developments can then be pursued commercially by industry.
Partners
- Brion Energy
- ConocoPhillips Canada Inc.
- Devon Energy Corp.
- Foundation Computer Modeling Group (CMG)
- Husky Energy Inc.
- Japan Canada Oil Sands
- NEXEN Inc.
- Penn West Energy
- Statoil Canada
- Suncor Energy
- Total E&P Canada Ltd.
- Computer Modelling Group Ltd.
Contact information
Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
University of Calgary
2500 University Dr. NW
Calgary, Alberta
T2N 1N4
Tel.: 403-220-5594
Fax: 403-284-4852
Email: jabedi@ucalgary.ca
