The recently created Alberta Water Research Institute (AWRI) has struck a $15-million research deal with General Electric's Water and Process Technologies subsidiary to try and reduce water, energy usage and costs for oil sands extraction by 30%. The project — the first of several anticipated under a memorandum of understanding signed one year ago –—will see GE's technologies and design and operational expertise adapted to a range of technologies already in use in oil sands extraction. Each side will contribute cash and in-kind support.

"We've been talking with GE since the end of May (and) the project addresses both a sustainable economy and a healthy ecology by taking existing technology from GE and developing it for new uses," says Dr Lorne Taylor, chair of AWRI's 12-member management advisory board. "This will solve significant problems and open up huge new markets all over the world."

It currently takes at least three barrels of water to produce a barrel of oil from the oil sands with two extraction techniques: open pit mining and steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). Taylor says the project will focus on the latter and involves the refinement of technologies underlying advanced membranes, thermal evaporation systems, mobile filtration units and water treatment chemistry.

All data emanating from the research will be made public so that "we don't get hung up on IP (intellectual property) issues", says Taylor, adding that this aspect of the agreement took some time to negotiate. The research being undertaken by the AWRI builds upon the work of the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research, which will be wound down in the coming months.

Approximately half of the 700,000 barrels a day being extracted from the oil sands is done with SAGD, with a 30% reduction in water usage representing a daily saving of 630,000 gallons. The AWRI is currently negotiating with an oil sands partner to implement the new technologies.

"We're going straight into the field," says Taylor, who previously served as Alberta's minister for Innovation and Science and the Environment in the Klein government and led the development of the province's Water for Life strategy. "There will be more projects with GE. This is the first but I'm already thinking toward the next one."

The MOU with GE lists several projects for potential development, including water management, energy management (gasification, biofuels and greenhouse gas emissions), nanotechnology and healthcare technologies. The AWRI was created to fulfill the three main goals of the Water for Life strategy: a safe, secure drinking water supply; healthy aquatic ecosystems; and, reliable, quality water supplies for a sustainable economy.

The project is also being overseen by an international research advisory council that will provide strategic advice from both a domestic and international perspective. The council is headed by Dr David Schindler, an outspoken and internationally renowned professor at the Univ of Alberta and an expert in the philosophy, sociology and politics of science and public policy.

The AWRI was formed in spring/07 in response to a recommendation from the Alberta Science Research Authority and funded with $30 million from the Alberta government. The funding flows through Alberta Ingenuity with AWRI reporting to its management board. Taylor says the funding is slated to last 3-4 years at which time AWRI will go back to the government to request additional assistance.

business exec program

In addition to the oil sands technology project, GE and AWRI are also collaborating on the development of a educational program on advanced water strategies. Targeted towards senior water managers, the program will cost about $6,000 per student and be offered in conjunction with the Banff School. Courses are expected to begin in about a year once curriculum development is complete.

GE Water & Process Technologies is a division of GE Infrastructure, a massive arm of the GE family of companies which also provides technology and services to the aviation, energy, oil and gas and transportation sectors. In FY07, GE Infrastructure had revenue of $57.9 billion and employed 106,000 people.

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