A Calgary company’s technology, first used by NASA to search for life on Mars, could soon reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the oil sands. .Impossible Sensing Energy recently took top prize in a Pathways Alliance global challenge for its innovative measurement tool to facilitate the use of solvents instead of steam in oil sands operations..Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) operations in the oil sands to help bitumen become fluid enough to flow to a producing well. However, solvents such as butane and propane occur naturally in oil sands bitumen and provide a less energy-intensive alternative than steam for a similar process..Until now, the industry relied on manual snap-shot in-time sampling to see how effective the solvents are. The new technology allows an accurate real-time method to measure the precise amounts and concentrations of solvents needed to maximize recycling throughout the full oil recovery process. .Now that the long-awaited missing measurement piece has arrived, solvents could soon replace steam across the oil sands. The Pathways alliance says the process could reduce CO2 emissions by 90%..Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), the innovation arm of Pathways Alliance, contracted technology accelerator Plug and Play Alberta to lead a global competition, which saw the FLOW technology win the top prize of $45,000..Impossible Sensing Energy ‘s advanced optical technology, called FLOW, was awarded first prize among more than 50 global competitors — including those from a U.S. Ivy League University, Sweden, and the UK. The tech was first developed by the company’s U.S. affiliate for use by the Mars Perseverance Rover to find traces of life on the planet’s surface..“We take great pride as a Canadian company in playing a role to help develop our country’s energy resources more sustainably and we are committed to helping Pathways Alliance achieve its net zero goal,” said Ariel Torre, co-founder and chief executive officer of Impossible Sensing Energy in a press release..“Addressing the global energy challenge to reduce emissions, while ensuring the world benefits from responsible, safe and secure sources of energy to meet global demand is central to the work we do every day.” .The Pathways Alliance aims to reduce emissions by 22 million tonnes per year by 2030. Wes Jickling, vice-president, Technology Development for Pathways Alliance, believes the technological breakthrough represents a giant step towards this goal..“The tremendous response to this challenge continues to demonstrate the great level of partnership the oil sands industry has with leading innovators from around the world,” Jickling said in a press release..“We know there is no single path to net zero and no one company or one sector can get there alone. It will require multiple pathways and collaboration with some of the world’s brightest minds. It’s great to see some of the brightest are right here in our own backyard.” .Two more Calgary companies shared in a runner-up prize of $35,000 for a joint submission. Burnt Rock Technologies Ltd., a chemistry service company, and Exergy Solutions Inc., which provides advanced design solutions, submitted a proposal for a different technology already used in many industrial facilities that could be modified for use in the oil sands.
