Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Detection of fugitive emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and related Enhance Oil Recovery (EOR) gases ischallenging because many of these gases are already naturally occurring and may leak from a point anywherealong, for example, thousands of km of pipeline, or from any one of the hundreds of pump jacks or wellheadsin a large EOR field. For operators interested in the future, lessening environmental impact goes hand in handwith sustainability and profitability. A mobile air quality monitoring system targeting CO2, CH4, H2S andd13CH4 was built in 2012, as part of an NRCan-funded study by Dr. Dave Risk (StFX University) at aCenovus Energy EOR operation in Weyburn Saskatchewan. The multi-gas approach allows for fingerprinting,where low-level anomalies can be attributed to specific source classes. The system can be applied at largescales (100 sq km), but is able to pinpoint anomalies within metres. For Cenovus, there is an interest inimplementing this system, but there are still 2 areas of uncertainty, including the feasibility of technologytransfer from the university developers to the company. In this project a MSc student will carry out furtherdevelopment and local calibration of the monitoring system, in conjunction with the developers, but residentgenerally from a base at the company's operations. He or she will also allow the team (StFX-Cenovus) toassess barriers to implementation within an active Oil and Gas setting. In the short-term, the project providesexcellent HQP training opportunities, could enhance environmental performance of energy extraction insouthern Saskatchewan. In the long-term the project holds promise for use in other unconventional energyextraction projects.