Canadian Forest Service: Promoting Bioproduct Use in the Oil Sands

Nafis Karim.
Canadian Forest Services, Natural Resources Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The Forest and Oil and Gas Sectors Research and Collaboration (FOR-C) Initiative of the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) is divided into two broad parts- land reclamation research and promoting the use of biomass based products. Under the biomass based products (or bioproducts) umbrella, CFS aims to create new markets for forest products and help improve the greenhouse gas footprint of the oil and gas industry.

The goal of FOR-C Bio is to use CFS’s extensive knowledge on sustainable forest management to promote forest biomass/bioproducts use in oil sands bitumen extraction processes and products to reduce their per-barrel carbon intensity. Using bioproducts and bioenergy to displace fossil fuels has several advantages, as it:

  • advances the CFS goal of supporting a transformed forest sector through the development of innovative, value-added forest products;
  • contributes to the diversification of Alberta’s resource economy while creating new economic opportunities for rural communities;
  • demonstrates a commitment to responsible resource development through enhanced environmental management;
  • builds public confidence for the oil and gas industry by meeting expectations for GHG reductions.

Key Activities

  • Completed: Biomass Pathways Study
  • Completed: Quantifying GHG Reduction Potential of Bioproducts
  • Completed: Innovative Bioproduct Use in the Oil and Gas Sector (Video)
  • In-Progress: Biomass Characterization and Availability Study for Alberta
  • In-Progress: Techno-Economic Assessment of Biomass Gasification Technology
  • Anticipated: Pilot-Scale Renewable Natural Gas Production and Pipeline Injection Project. Note: A working group has been established with the Canadian Gas Association

 

Recent Engagements

OSIA Innovation Summit: Presentation by Richard Parfett around RNG use in the oil sands.