August 18, 2011
Petroleum R&D Receives Provincial Government Funding
Two research projects will receive total funding of $312,900 from the Provincial Government to investigate natural gas hydrates on Newfoundland and Labrador’s continental margin and undertake seafloor mapping to assess the petroleum resource potential of Western Newfoundland.
The investments are being made through the Research & Development Corporation’s GeoEXPLORE program, which aims to enhance geoscience research and development (R&D) capacity, collaboration and innovation in Newfoundland and Labrador’s mineral and petroleum industries. Today’s funding builds on more than $960,000 in GeoEXPLORE funding that was announced on June 9, 2011. In total, more than $1.2 million is being invested in 15 projects.
“The petroleum industry remains a vital component of Newfoundland and Labrador’s economy and supporting relevant R&D projects is essential to its future growth,” said the Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development. “Through the efforts of the Research & Development Corporation, academic researchers will partner with local, national and international researchers to further enhance this province’s geoscience capacity.”
Researchers based at the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University (Marine Institute) and C-CORE will lead the two projects. They will collaborate with Statoil; the Geological Survey of Canada; United States Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement; the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Department of Natural Resources; and, the University of Calgary.
The C-CORE-led project focuses on natural gas hydrates – ice-like compounds composed of water and natural gas. The research will determine the potential for energy resources of Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore, as well as identify and characterize possible geohazards affecting exploration drilling, the installation and operation of production infrastructure, and pipeline delivery systems.
The Marine Institute-led project focuses on seabed mapping as a tool to further acquire a greater understanding of the geological structures and petroleum potential of St. George’s Bay.
“GeoEXPLORE is specifically designed to enhance geoscience capacity, collaboration and industry innovation in support of both petroleum and mining exploration and development,” said Glenn Janes, Chief Executive Officer of RDC. “In order to maximize the long-term economic benefit of these important resources, we need to better understand the exploration and development potential and risks.”
GeoEXPLORE is a three-year program launched by RDC in June 2011. The program targets five areas for R&D investment: research team awards; geoscience research tools and equipment; collaborative research opportunities; post-doctoral researchers; and industry-led R&D, technology development and demonstration.
“For decades, geoscience researchers and technical staff of Memorial University have been major contributors to the mineral and oil and gas sector in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Dr. Christopher Loomis, Vice-President (Research), Memorial University. “The new GeoEXPLORE funding builds on that legacy of expertise and impact, enabling our researchers to further the development of this province’s offshore energy resources in a safe and sustainable manner.”
GeoEXPLORE is a RDC-directed research program in support of geoscience R&D. Directed research is an internationally-recognized program framework for accelerating R&D in priority areas, and is often characterized as thematic, problem solving, capacity building, and collaborative.
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Media contacts:
| Scott Barfoot Director of Communications Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development 709-729-4570, 690-6290 scottbarfoot@gov.nl.ca |
Jeff Green Manager, Marketing & Communications Research & Development Corporation 709-758-0973, 691-8892 jeffsgreen@researchnl.com |
Meaghan Whelan Communications Co-ordinator Office of the Vice-President (Research) Memorial University of Newfoundland 709-864-4073, 687-9243 mcwhelan@mun.ca |
BACKGROUNDER
Summary of Projects Supported through the GeoEXPLORE Program
The funding announced today is the result of an initial call for proposals by RDC. The projects include:
Gas Hydrates Characterization of the Newfoundland’s Continental
Margin: Resources and Geohazards; $150,500 from RDC
This project will provide baseline research on naturally occurring gas
hydrates in the offshore region of Newfoundland and Labrador. Gas hydrates
are ice-like compounds composed of water and natural gas. It has been
estimated that the global gas hydrate resource potential exceeds that of all
other hydrocarbons combined. With appropriate investment in R&D, gas
hydrates could significantly add to existing energy resources in offshore
Newfoundland and Labrador.
This research will use state-of-the-art seismic data-processing and interpretation software to analyze existing industry data to characterize the occurrence, distribution and concentration of marine gas hydrates on Newfoundland and Labrador’s continental margin, the aim of which is to assess their regional energy resource potential.
The project will also identify and characterize possible geohazards affecting exploration drilling, installation and operation of production infrastructure, and pipeline delivery systems. The destabilization (natural, purposeful or inadvertent) of in situ gas hydrate can lead to uncontrolled gas releases resulting in possible instabilities during offshore drilling and operation phases (e.g. loss of sediment strength, localized terrain instability, seabed subsidence and/or slope failures, etc). RDC’s investment in this project will build domestic R&D capacity in this area by supporting a new post-doctoral fellow and three undergraduate students. RDC’s investment is $150,500 of a total project cost of $279,200.
The research team includes: Dr. Arash Zakeri (C-CORE), Dr. Julie Halliday (Post Doctoral Fellow, C-CORE), and Tony King (C-CORE). Other collaborators include Statoil; Chevron Canada, Geological Survey of Canada; U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management; Regulation and Enforcement; and, Department of Natural Resources - Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Seafloor mapping for onshore/offshore bedrock correlation in offshore
basins, western Newfoundland; $162,400 from RDC
This project links the Marine Institute’s new seabed mapping capabilities (multibeam
bathymetric imaging using a research vessel) with the existing data,
analytical methods and interpretation skills of the Geological Survey of
Canada to further evaluate western Newfoundland’s offshore petroleum
potential.
By integrating seafloor geophysical, geological and bathymetric data with onshore geological data in the St. George’s Bay area, the geological structures and petroleum potential of the offshore area will be better understood. RDC’s investment is $162,400 of a total project cost of $242,400.
The research team includes: Randy Gillespie (Memorial University); Dr. John Shaw (Geological Survey of Canada); Dr. Peter Giles (Geological Survey of Canada); Dr. Ian Knight (Geological Survey of Newfoundland and Labrador); Chris Jauer (Geological Survey of Canada); and Dr. John Waldron (University of Calgary).
2011 08 18 1:00 p.m.