Central Alberta should soon attract international attention, thanks to a carbon dioxide pipeline proposed for the region.
That’s the prediction of Susan Cole, whose company Enhance Energy Inc. is spearheading plans to construct the 240-km line from the Industrial Heartland region near Fort Saskatchewan to a site near Clive. Slated to be called the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line, it will transport CO2 from industrial plants for use in stimulating mature oilfields in this region.
The $1.2-billion project will be the biggest of its kind ever undertaken.
“What we are doing is bringing together the technologies of capturing the CO2, putting it in the pipeline and then using the CO2 — which hasn’t really been done,” said Cole, who is CEO of Enhance Energy.
“A lot of people around the world are watching what we’re doing.”
Enhance Energy obtained regulatory approved from the Energy Resources Conservation Board this spring, and is now performing detailed engineering work and buying equipment.
“We’re into the execution phase,” said Cole.
“Work is starting to creep into the vendors’ fabrication shops, and things like that.”
An early priority will be the development of compression capture sites at Agrium Inc.’s Redwater fertilizer complex and North West Upgrading’s upgrader near Fort Saskatchewan. Agrium and North West Upgrading are the first of what Cole anticipates will be a large number of CO2 emitters helping the pipeline reach its 14.6 million tonne annual capacity.
“We’re working on others, and hopefully we’ll be able to announce those relatively soon.”
Construction of the pipeline is expected to occur in 2013, with commissioning by year’s end. Cole said the line could be laid in two or more sections, although details are still to be finalized.
“We haven’t completely landed on how we’re going to construct the pipeline.”
Although the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line will initially end near Clive, it’s expected to branch out from there.
“We would have plans to expand it east, west and south,” said Cole.
Despite the current focus on the oilsands, she thinks her company’s pipeline will renew interest in Central Alberta’s conventional oilfields.
“We can use the CO2 and have a whole new (enhanced oil recovery) industry in Central Alberta.”
Cole also thinks the line will attract new industrial plants that produce CO2 — either near Fort Saskatchewan or elsewhere along its route. That’s because it will give them a convenient disposal option.
The Alberta government has pledged $495 million for development of the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line, with the federal government kicking in another $63.3 million.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com