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| Science & Technology |
| Using CO2 Improves Oil Sand Process |
| 2010-08-13 |
| A new technique that uses carbon dioxide to change the water chemistry of its tailings to accelerate settling has significantly cut the amount of Athabasca River water needed by Canadian Natural Resources' Horizon oilsands plant. Since the system became fully operational for all tailings this winter "the amount of water we are withdrawing is only 13 to 14 per cent of what we were expected to draw from the river for our process on a daily basis," CNRL president Steve Laut told The Journal. Using CO2, tailings silt separates much faster "and we are able to get that water back into the system, so we are recycling almost all our water," Laut said. "We are the only oilsands plant with a commercial-sized process in place. This went from our lab right to the plant last August," she said. After a few months of adjustments, the system was working smoothly. "We are really excited, but it has been frustrating because we have been trying to tell people about it and all everyone wants to talk about is what (oilsands producers) are going to be doing (in the future). But we are doing this now." Sorry, babe; it's not on the One's agenda. Based on research from the federal CanmetENERGY lab in Devon, Canada CNRL concluded that CO2 - which all oilsands plants emit when they make hydrogen needed to upgrade bitumen - would work. When CO2 reacts with the water, the pH goes from alkaline to neutral. "And when we do that, the fines (clay particles) settle out and we get nice, clean recycled water," Romero said. She uses the analogy of dust-attracting cleaning devices sold to consumers. "These static dust cleaners are picking up dust, which has (an electrical) charge. The clay particles in the tailings also have a charge. This is not rocket science," she said. CNRL is currently testing its tailings pond, taking water samples at various levels and core samples in the bottom sand and clay to assess the fines captured using CO2. Sequestering CO2 in the clays could yield carbon credits in the future. A win-win scenario! |
| Posted by:Bobby |
| #2 Sequestering CO2 in the clays could yield carbon credits in the future. This technology has nothing to do with CO2 sequestration. Further, reducing the PH of water is bad for fish and invertebrates. The usual pandering to Greenie ignorance. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2010-08-13 20:27 |
| #1 I understand using CO2 is not new to the oil industry. I heard they were pumping CO2 into the wells in Texas and it helps the oil seperate from the sand and rock. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2010-08-13 17:52 |