Suncor Energy (Canada)

India, which experiences some of the highest levels of ambient air pollution and associated premature mortality worldwide, launched the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) to reduce ambient PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations by 20–30% across 131 cities between 2017 and 2024, with a subsequent 40% target announced over an additional 2 year period. We present the first comprehensive evaluation of NCAP using high-resolution satellite-based PM2.5 and PM10 concentration fields together with surface measurements and apply the latest Global Burden of Disease (GBD) dose–response functions to estimate avoided premature mortality under the proposed reduction scenarios. Satellite-derived data show limited attainment of NCAP goals: 44 cities met the 20% PM2.5 target and one met the PM10 target; six cities achieved the 30% PM2.5 target and one met the 40% target. Average improvements were 12% (8.2 μg m–3) for PM2.5 and 4.9% (5.7 μg m–3) for PM10. Monitoring data indicate similarly modest progress: 7 of 29 cities met the 20% PM2.5 target and 43 of 96 met the PM10 target. Achieving a 40% PM2.5 reduction across NCAP cities would avert ∼36000 annual premature mortalities. Overall, despite modest progress in some NCAP cities, stronger interventions are necessary to achieve widespread air quality and health benefits nationwide.

Summary Gas production in steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) operations presents significant challenges, including reduced production rates, shortened ESP run-life, and unstable production. This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating dynamic gas separation with existing gas avoidance methods within the same ESP string to address these issues. A series of diagnostic analyses were conducted on electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) experiencing frequent No-Flow Events (NFEs) due to gas-locking, revealing that gas-oil ratio (GOR) values had been underestimated by approximately 500%. To mitigate these challenges, the Upper Tandem Gas Separator (UT- GS) was introduced and installed above the Bottom Feeder Intake (BFI) in SAGD ESP applications. UT-GS employs vortex action to dynamically separate free gas, venting it to the annulus while maintaining compatibility with existing gas avoidance strategies. Field deployment of the UT-GS in over 50 wells since March 2024 has yielded an average production increase of 25% and a reduction in motor amperage fluctuation. The system has proven effective in wells with ESPs installed near-horizontal, eliminating NFEs and stabilizing motor performance. The UT-GS adds less than 1 meter to the ESP string and does not affect maximum allowable frequency (MAF), as it separates gas without contributing significant head. Unlike conventional gas-handling ESP designs that require over-staging and higher power input, the UT-GS operates with only ~5 hp of additional power. This configuration enables comparable or improved production rates with up to 50% lower power consumption. The results indicate that UT-GS provides a reliable and efficient solution for gas management in SAGD ESP applications.

Abstract At the Fort Hills open-pit mine in Northern Alberta, Canada, bitumen is extracted from sandstone of the Lower Cretaceous McMurray Formation. The main reservoir unit comprises 30 m thick point bars that are interpreted as the deposits of large, tidally influenced rivers. Intra-point bar erosion surfaces were interpreted in the deposits using detailed photographic evidence from the pit walls of the mine, and core and wireline well log data from nearby wells. In the mine walls, the surfaces are represented by a discontinuity that separates older, more shallow-dipping inclined heterolithic stratification (IHS) from younger, more steeply dipping IHS. Core and wireline logs show a predictable succession of strata across the discontinuity, which can be identified by: an abrupt change in facies that may coincide with a significant decrease in mudstone bioturbation intensity or complete lack of bioturbation; an abrupt increase in bed thickness; a change in bedding dip magnitude and azimuth; a change in grain size or grain size trend; a succession with uncharacteristically low or high angle of dip depending on where the well intersects the intra-point bar erosion surface; and/or the presence of sandstone beds interbedded with mudstone-clast breccia in the upper parts of the point bar succession. The presence of intra-point bar erosion surfaces in a reservoir exploited via steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) could affect steam chamber development and/or fluid drainage, depending on the lithology of the units underlying and overlying the discontinuity. The results of this study will help geoscientists map point bar bodies in the subsurface, plan primary SAGD well pairs, predict SAGD reservoir performance, and understand steam conformance in wells.

Many gas and liquid pipelines traverse unstable landscapes, such as waterways, floodplains, and steep terrain. These unstable landscapes often pose threats to pipeline stability and integrity. A variety of approaches are available to better understand and predict the magnitude and frequency of natural forces (geohazards) that threaten pipeline integrity. Risks of pipeline failures from these threats are of high concern to the industry, and the risks escalate significantly in high consequence areas. One approach is to prioritize vulnerable pipelines by assessing and prioritizing them through a combination of publicly available data, operator knowledge, and site-specific information (e.g., pipeline characteristics, recent survey data, etc.). The objective is for hydrologists, geologists, engineers, and environmental scientists to evaluate potential failure risk for those pipelines for which a refined understanding of vulnerability is desired. Depending on the results/outputs of a pipeline natural forces assessment, it may then be critical to understand requirements to permit, design, and implement recommended actions to minimize potential risk at pipeline segments of concern—through monitoring plans, operational controls, and/or engineering controls.

Abstract Over the last few years, an intergranular stress-corrosion cracking (IGSCC) mechanism has been observed for carbon steel pipelines and piping, particularly in in-situ thermal upstream production. All the cracks manifested on the bare (uncoated) outside diameter (OD) surface of the steel, and all were associated with wet mineral wool insulation. Common features include an operating temperature between 70°C and 160°C, intergranular cracking morphology, and exposure to wet mineral wool insulation with vintage post-2003. Recently, a similar IGSCC was observed in pressure vessel grade A516 Gr 70N steel. The potential of having this mechanism manifest in pressure vessels is of some concern, as the span of susceptible equipment goes beyond upstream production assets but to the larger oil and gas industry that includes upgrading, refining, terminals and distribution, and perhaps extending to other industries where the conditions listed above exist. This paper summarizes the investigation of the external IGSCC found on two carbon steel pressure vessels, with the intent of increasing the awareness of the industry with this new damage mechanism.

Abstract The Heavy Oil Late Life Energy Recovery (HOLLER) project is the application of geothermal technology in steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) wells that are near end of life. While conventional geothermal technology is encumbered by the high cost of drilling deep wells to reach formations with the temperatures required for economic power generation, in situ bitumen producers have access to existing SAGD wells within mature reservoirs that are at shallow depths and high temperatures. The thermal energy from just one SAGD well can produce enough electricity to power thousands of homes for a year and major oilsands producers collectively have thousands of such wells.Our goal is to harness this thermal energy using the existing well inventory to create a closed geothermal system using process effluent water (PEW) such as boiler blowdown or tailings pond water as the heat recovery medium. This strategy has the potential to improve SAGD economics through incremental bitumen recovery, the generation of low-carbon base load electricity, and driving down SAGD greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by recovering some of the spent energy. This strategy also provides an option to dispose process water and/or tailings water to accelerate the reclamation of tailings ponds. Suncor’s In Situ Technology team applied a stage-gated technology development process to progress HOLLER from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 0—Idea to TRL 7—Field test. We applied the diverge-converge approach to 30 ideas that were distilled into four recommended commercial solutions. Our de-risking activities include numerical reservoir simulation, chemical process simulation, post-SAGD core and water analysis, laboratory studies for compatibility of various PEW sources with reservoir fluids and rock, core flooding, corrosion studies, facility design, economics, risk and uncertainty analysis, patenting, and testing in the field.As a result of the technology development work, we have developed a three-phase strategy to maximize the value of depleted in situ reservoirs: water disposal, energy recovery and permanent closure. This strategy offers synergies between mining and in situ operations, reduction in GHG emissions and environmental liabilities all while generating a net profit for the enterprise. If applied industry-wide, HOLLER technology has the potential of reducing not only the intensity, but also the absolute GHG emissions, while offering unique opportunities for collaboration between the in situ producers and mining operations.HOLLER is unique in its potential to retroactively reduce the GHG intensity of bitumen already recovered by thermal methods. It offers low emissions incremental bitumen production, nearly emissions-free power generation, increased efficiency of existing facilities through the direct use of recovered heat – while reducing mine tailings liabilities. HOLLER enhances the oilsands industry’s sustainability efforts.