RE: Exploring Oil Recovery Technologies Article
Subj: Space Shuttle's Canadian Experiments Explore Oil...
Date: 98-06-01 18:08:52 EDT
From: AOL News
Space Shuttle's Canadian Experiments Explore Oil Recovery Technologies
Over 2/3 of world's oil -- and billions of dollars --
now being left in wells
ST. JOHN'S, Nfld., June 1 /CNW-PRN/ - When the space shuttle Discovery lifts off its launch pad at 6:10pm EDT this Tuesday, June 2, 1998, it will be carrying Canadian experiments that could change the entire oil industry, and be worth billions of dollars. The MIRROR (Microgravity Industry Related Research for Oil Recovery) experiments will explore ways to recover more oil from the world's reservoirs. Existing technologies still leave over 65% of the oil trapped in the reservoir; even a 2-3% increase in recovered oil would produce billions of dollars in revenues.
The MIRROR experiments will consist of three tests:
- The first will measure the diffusion rate of various components of
crude oil, to provide better input for oil reservoir models.
- The second will analyze surfactant foams used by oil companies to
increase oil production, in the hope of developing improved foams.
- The third will study how hydrocarbons move through porous rock and
other media, in order to improve oil extraction techniques.
These experiments are being conducted in space because gravity has a significant effect on each of these processes on Earth. The tests will allow researchers to see -- for the first time without the effects of gravity -- oil diffusion rates, foam stability, and hydrocarbon flow. This will give scientists a baseline from which they can refine their development of these various technologies.
The experiments and their support subsystems are all contained within a single canister, about the size of a small barrel, called the Get Away Special (G.A.S. canister). It was designed and built by two Canadian companies, C-CORE and ZeddComm Inc., both of St. John's, Newfoundland. Together, these two companies were responsible for the power supply & distribution, computer control, and structure of the canister and its experiments, as well as the testing and integration of the systems with NASA's systems and standards, widely recognized as among the most stringent in the world.
The experiments began initially as part of CIRUS (Consortium for Industrial Research in the Use of Space), and the data collected will ultimately go to two research institutes -- Microgravity Research Center, of Brussels; and Petroleum Recovery Institute, of Calgary. The project is funded by the Canadian Space Agency, European Space Agency, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Canadian and European oil industries (Petro-Canada, Chevron, Husky Oil, Mobil Oil, and Murphy Oil). C-CORE and ZeddComm's involvement makes MIRROR the first hardware developed in Newfoundland and Labrador to fly on the shuttle, and is seen as a milestone in the province's rapidly growing technology industry.
D'Arcy Hart, who serves as C-CORE's Project Manager for MIRROR, states the experiment carries tremendous significance for many different groups: ''Improved oil recovery technology will mean increased profitability for not only oil companies, but also for the governments and people of Canada. However, even before that happens, the technology sectors in Newfoundland and Labrador and indeed Canada will benefit today from this involvement with the space program.''
Tony Whalen, ZeddComm's VP Development, concurs: ''It's a real privilege to work with the space program, and especially on an experiment that carries such importance. This project is also rewarding because in meeting NASA's technical standards, which are so widely recognized as being among the most stringent in the world, C-CORE and ZeddComm have shown once again that the quality of our work holds up to anyone's standards.''
C-CORE is an independently funded research centre of Memorial University of Newfoundland. The organization is committed to solving engineering problems related to resource development in harsh conditions. C-CORE transfers technology to the private sector through strategic alliances and cooperative projects.
ZeddComm is the largest privately held IT (information technology) company in Newfoundland and Labrador, with staff working at the company's head offices in St. John's, Newfoundland as well as in Ottawa, Chicago, and San Francisco. Their communications and health care clients are found in every corner of North America and as far away as Malaysia. ZeddComm has been recognized as a force to watch in Canada's IT industry by the Financial Post, the Globe & Mail Report on Business, and the Business Development Bank of Canada.
SOURCE C-CORE; ZeddComm Inc.
CO: C-CORE; ZeddComm Inc.
ST: Newfoundland
IN:
SU:
06/01/98 18:05 EDT prnewswire.com
To edit your profile, go to keyword NewsProfiles.
For all of today's news, go to keyword News |
