INVITED SPEAKER

Technology Innovation for Greening Oil Sands Production

Dr. John Zhou
Alberta Innovates Energy and Environment Solutions, Canada

Duration

40 minutes

Abstract

Alberta’s oil sands are one of the largest hydrocarbon resources in the world. Technological innovation has been a critical success factor in the development of these resources. In the past five years, the key challenge for the industry has shifted from economic development to sustainable development. Innovation will play an equally critical role in taking on the challenge to minimize environmental impacts and optimize economic benefits. In greening oil sands production, the focus is on three types of technological innovations. The first is efficiency improvement including better use of waste heat and energy/water conservation. The second is remedial technologies, including carbon capture and storage, oil sands tailings management, and land reclamation. The third is the development of step-change and transformative technologies such as non-aqueous extraction, solvent enhanced SAGD, and electrical heating and electromagnetic aided processes. As the technology arm of Government of Alberta in Energy and Environment, Alberta Innovates Energy and Environment Solutions (AI-EES) is taking an integrated and balanced portfolio approach and is co-investing with industry in technology innovations to achieve the sustainable development of the oil sands.

Biography of the Invited Speaker

Dr. Z. (John) Zhou is the Executive Director, Environmental Management at Alberta Innovates – Energy and Environment Solutions (EES). He has 23 years of research, development, and management experience in energy industry and environmental engineering, and holds seven US patents. As a business unit manager at the Alberta Research Council (now part of Alberta Innovates Technology Futures), Dr. Zhou organized and led an industry consortium called MARIOS (Materials and Reliability in Oil Sands). With 30 industry members, MARIOS is now an internationally recognized program for material and reliability in oil sands industry. Dr. Zhou's current responsibility at EES includes carbon capture and storage, oil sands tailing management, energy related water issues, and enhanced ecology. He holds a B.Sc. in Geology from Jilin University and a Ph.D. in Geochemistry from the University of Western Ontario.