Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Although the current oil price is low due to various reasons, fossil fuels cannot be replaced by any other type of fuels for long-term energy demands. Canadian oil production will increase due to proven crude oil reserve such as the Albertan oil sand, conventional and unconventional (shale) oil. Oil production from Canadian oil sands deposits is achieved by mining operations (20%) and drilling operations (80%). Conventional and unconventional oils are extracted by drilling operations. However, the cost of the extracting operations makes this industry vulnerable to oil and gas price fluctuations. Such a situation must be changed through reducing the high cost of production in order to increase the resistance of Canadian economy to oil-shock. It is essential for the oil and gas industries to develop more ef?cient, economical and environmentally friendly technologies for improved oil and gas recovery. For example, the development of horizontal well completion techniques has tapped a massive amount of hydrocarbon resources that was previously economically unreachable. *However, the drilling equipment suffers from severe wear especially under harsh conditions, including tough geological formation, high temperature, corrosion, and high pressure. Many high spec rigs drilling today are running with a much smaller safety factor and they are being pushed to their limit, leading to excess wear, low efficiency, high costs, and safety issues. The competence of the drilling process greatly depends on the performance of drilling ?uids. One of the significant functions of the drilling fluids is to lubricate the bit and the stem. This project is oriented to the development of high-performance lubricants, database, and guidelines for lubricant production, application and development. The approach takes advantage of nano-additive combinations to meet specific operation conditions. The project targets not only lubricant development but also fundamental aspects of lubricant-materials interactions. Expected outcomes will benefit not only the lubricant business of our industrial partner (Camber Resource Services Ltd) but also HQP training in this important technical field.*