A private, Alberta-based
energy company announced plans to build a
new CO2 transmission system through the central part of Alberta last week, following an announcement by the Alerta provincial government to create a CAD$2 billion fund to promote carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).
Enhance Energy Inc., which specializes in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), said the planned system will be capable of gathering CO2 from several sources in
Alberta's Industrial Heartland and transporting the CO2 to existing mature oil fields throughout
South-Central Alberta. The CCS proces involves pumping the CO2 into the oil fields to increase the outflow of oil, while simultaneously storing the carbon underground.
If such a process is successfuly operated, the capture and permanent storage of CO2 will result in
significant reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases in Alberta, according to an Enhance Energy in a press release.
The initial supply of CO2 will by provided by North West Upgrading Inc. and Agrium Inc.
Contracts for the design and project management of the new system have been awarded to
Sunstone Projects Ltd.
Barry Bauhuis, President,
Sunstone Projects Ltd. "This system will offer CO2 producers in the Heartland Industrial Area an
economically viable way to deal with CO2 emissions and can be in service relatively quickly. "
The system will have a design capacity of 25,000 tonnes per day with the initial throughput
planned at 5,000 tonnes per day.
Enhance anticipates regulatory applications for the proposed project to be completed by spring
of 2009, and depending on the timing of regulatory approval, construction is expected by the
end of 2009, with operational startup in 2011.