Innovation and Technology
Technology has revolutionized everything over the last 20 years.
That same technology revolution is happening everyday in Canada’s natural gas and oil industry.
Oil and gas companies are investing billions of dollars in research and development (R&D). Those dollars turn ideas and aspirations into tangible innovations.
Canada’s largest energy company – Canadian Natural Resources – has invested nearly $4 billion over the past decade on R&D.
These investments have resulted in innovations like fiber optic sensing for new pipelines, acoustic recording units for monitoring biodiversity, and funding the $20 million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE which is awarded to innovators who create solutions for turning CO2 emissions into usable products.
The Innovation Gateway team’s mission is to deliver on the company’s innovation ambitions – like Cenovus’ achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Competitors Collaborating for Better
Companies from across the natural gas and oil industry – both large and small – are collaborating to develop next-generation technologies focused on reducing emissions.
The Clean Resource Innovation Network (CRIN) is working to change the conversation from ‘energy OR the environment’ to ‘energy AND the environment’. To CRIN, the AND conversation is about making real connections between energy development and the environment – because connected conversations develop real solutions.
And at CRIN, real solutions are being validated every day that reduce the carbon intensity of Canada’s natural gas and oil products. These solutions apply high-impact technologies in artificial intelligence (AI), machine-learning and robotics.
Check out acceleratingcleanenergy.com to learn more about these next-generation innovations and technologies.
Canada’s Carbon Capture Opportunity:
Those emissions can then be removed and stored safely, utilized in enhanced oil recovery, or repurposed to make products like stronger concrete, and even vodka!
Carbon Capture in Action:
Millions of tonnes of CO2 are already being captured and safely stored or repurposed in Canada.
The Quest CCS facility is a partnership between Shell and Canadian Natural Resources and has already captured more than 6 million tonnes of CO2. That’s the energy equivalent of powering every home in Albert, Newfoundland and Labrador, everyday, for almost a year.
CCS is also used at smaller facilities like Birchcliff Energy’s Pouce Coupe Gas Plant. The plant has captured more than 63,000 tonnes of CO2, putting Birchcliff on the path to becoming one of Canada’s cleanest producers.
And CCS isn’t just for oil and natural gas. At Cenovus Energy, thousands of tonnes of carbon are captured every year at the company’s ethanol plant in Lloydminster. The plant produces some of the lowest intensity ethanol in Canada. The same plant hit a major milestone at the end of 2021 and now produces corn oil which is used to make renewable diesel – check out the story here.
Check out the video below to learn more on Canada’s Carbon Capture Opportunity.
