Introduction to October Focus: Future of the Oilsands

Special Coordinators: Brian Schulte
Technical Editora: Steve Jensen, Jubram Akram, and Draga Talinga
Format Editor: Elizabeth Atkinson

First off, my apologies for this RECORDER. I did not want to write as much as I have written. It has been difficult getting the papers for the RECORDER with everything happening.

The goal was to talk about initiatives to reduce GHGs emissions in the oilsands, but a lot of this is surrounded by secrecy. Through Cole Narfason (Oil Sands Strategy Support Student - Suncor), I managed to get a paper from Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance.

The COSIA Land Innovation Opportunity: Seeking Innovators to Develop our ‘Approaching Zero Footprint’ Seismic Toolbox
BY: CHRISTINE A. DALY (SENIOR ADVISOR - RECLAMATION TECHNOLOGY / PHD STUDENT – SUNCOR), JACK O’NEILL (LAND DIRECTOR AT CANADA’S OIL SANDS INNOVATION ALLIANCE (COSIA)) AND MEGAN BOUTIN (GEOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM LEAD - SUNCOR).

It is about COSIA’s unique collaboration to develop technologies to collect high-quality seismic data in a way that preserves contractor safety while significantly reducing – or even eliminating – the environmental footprint associated with exploration. They also are announcing:

2020 COSIA Exploration Tools Workshop

Exploration geophysicists, geophysical contractors, environmental scientists and other innovators are invited to participate in COSIA’s online Exploration Tools Workshop on November 17 and 18, 2020 where emerging seismic innovations, tools and approaches from around the world will be showcased. COSIA is currently considering a pitch competition for innovators to bring forward additional ideas in this technology space.

Pricing and future of natural gas
BY: JIM FENTON, VICE PRESIDENT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AT UBITERRA CORPORATION, AND BRIAN WM. SCHULTE, GEOPHYSICAL ADVISOR SCHIEFER RESERVOIR

We wanted to finish our series on what is occurring in the industry with our paper “Pricing and future of natural gas.”

Since it deals with the price of natural gas and its future, there was a lot more analytics than in the earlier papers. We started to see the trends through the numbers, and we saw in Alberta the oilsands have a direct effect on the natural market since it is used in SAGD to heat the bitumen to make it flow.

We identify with the drop-in in the price of oil from lack of demand compounded by COVID-19 lockdowns, production of oil in Western Canada has dropped by 22% from 4.5 MMBOPD to 3.5 MMBOPD (Alberta Government, 2020c; Saskatchewan Government, 2020b; British Columbia Government, 2020b).

We should expect a drop in the amount of natural gas needed for the SAGD operations to be the same amount, but it isn’t so we are seeing an increase in natural gas storage despite only half the wells having been drilled in Western Canada compared to 2019.

There are concerns that Alberta is on track to reach maximum working gas capacity in its underground storage before the end of the shoulder season at the end of October. Just like the Henry Hub, these concerns of running out of storage may put downward pressure on the AECO hub price before the winter demand. It would also cause producers to be forced to shut in to prevent the price from falling (Evans and Frey, 2020). The positive note is we seem to be a La Niña episode.

La Niña episodes in the winter months feature a wave-like jet stream flow across the United States and Canada, typically bringing colder and stormier than average conditions across the north, and warmer and calmer storm conditions across the south (Obergfell and Lashley, 2012). Already we have an unusual cold weather for October.

Orange Shirt Day - Kihci-ita-kis-iw Kihci-ita-kis-iw is Cree for “All living things matter”
BRIAN WM. SCHULTE, GEOPHYSICAL ADVISOR SCHIEFER RESERVOIR

Many in the oil and gas industry consider natural resource development to be linked to the broader Canadian reconciliation process. Responsible resource development supports reconciliation and Indigenous self-determination by supporting the growth of sustainable Indigenous economies (CAPP, 2020).

We felt it was important that we talk about what is Orange Shirt Day and what it is all about.

We also talk about the REDEVELOP Challenge and its sister program NIYAK.

We at the RECORDER wish to thank everyone involved in this edition and a belated HAPPY THANKSGIVING. Canadian Society of Exploration Geophysicists is about community and we hope the RECORDER reflects that.