Southeast Saskatchewan

is currently home to two

commercial CO2 enhanced oil
recovery (EOR) projects.

Illustration courtesy Energy Resources

Conservation Board / Alberta Geological Survey

Background
Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) is considered
a vital technology to reduce world greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions. The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change estimates that CCS might provide up to
half of all emission reductions necessary to stabilize
greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. CCS plays a
major role in plans to reduce GHG emissions from
industry at relatively low cost that have been developed
by the Government of Canada, the Government of
Alberta, and the Government of Saskatchewan.
There are two different technologies involved in carbon
dioxide capture and storage: 1) carbon dioxide (CO2)
capture, and 2) CO2 storage. CO2 capture usually is
applied to large industrial facilities such as coal-fired
electricity generating stations, oil refineries, upgraders
and fertilizer plants.
CO2 capture can be pre-combustion technology (such
as coal gasification or an Oxyfuel process) or
post-combustion technology (involving options such
as ammonia, amines or porous membranes). There is
considerable potential for improving the efficiency
(and thereby reduce the costs) of current CO2 capture
through research.
Carbon dioxide can be permanently stored
underground in various geological formations,
particularly those containing salt water (deep saline
aquifer disposal) or coal, or in oil and gas reservoirs
where it can be used to increase oil or gas production.
CO2 storage is based on the knowledge that there are a The Shand Carbon Capture Test Facility provides
large number of natural occurrences of carbon dioxide technology developers with an opportunity to test new
stored in geological formations in many locations and emerging carbon capture systems for controlling
throughout the world, including Saskatchewan. CO2 carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. The test
storage is more advanced than CO2 capture, since facility, located at Shand Power Station near Estevan,
storage technology is heavily based on well-understood, provides an economical alternative to full-scale
common, everyday oil field practices for disposal of demonstration. Carbon capture system vendors are
substances such as salt, water and acid gas. able to test and demonstrate the efficiency, long-term
stability, operability, maintainability and reliability of
The Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC) their technologies.
managed the widely publicized International Energy
Agency Greenhouse Gas Weyburn-Midale Carbon PTRC’s Aquistore Project takes captured and
Dioxide Monitoring and Storage Project. This project compressed CO2 and transports it by pipeline to a site
was undertaken at the site of a Saskatchewan near Estevan where it is injected in a deep saline
commercial-scale CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR) formation 3,400 metres (3.4 kilometres) below the
project to provide scientific evidence that the CO2 surface. The injection and storage of the CO2 is
injected into a geological formation can remain monitored and surveyed; the knowledge gained will be
underground in the oil reservoir for thousands of years. used to improve the techniques and approaches of
other CCS sites in Saskatchewan and elsewhere.
Saskatchewan’s first carbon dioxide EOR injection began
in 1984 as a pilot project in the Midale reservoir. This
initial small project was expanded in 1992 and For more information, contact:
continued until 1999; CO2 injection resumed in 2005 as
part of a commercial CO2 EOR project. Mr. Howard Loseth, P.Eng.
Director, Energy Development and Climate Change
Southeast Saskatchewan is currently home to two
Saskatchewan Ministry of the Economy
commercial CO2 EOR projects – Cenovus Energy Inc.’s
1000, 2103 – 11th Avenue
Weyburn field and Apache Canada at Midale. The two
Regina, SK S4P 3Z8
projects inject almost three megatonnes (Mt) of carbon
Phone: (306) 787-3379
dioxide annually.
Email: howard.loseth@gov.sk.ca
The Government of Canada committed $240 million for
the Boundary Dam Integrated Carbon Capture and
Storage Demonstration Project to retrofit and extend
the life of Unit 3 of the Boundary Dam coal-fired
electricity generation station. SaskPower, the provincial
Crown electricity utility, contributed in excess of $1
billion to the project. The Clean Coal Project can capture
up to one million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year,
which would be available for EOR purposes. This
project, the largest of its kind in the world, is one of the
first to develop and demonstrate carbon dioxide
capture at a coal plant on a commercial scale. The
SaskPower CCS Global Consortium was created so
partners can secure comprehensive knowledge and
explore the commercial viability of future CCS
initiatives.

Disclaimer: The information in this document is accurate as of May 2016; however, the Government of Saskatchewan accepts no
liability for any actions taken as a result of the information contained herein.