$15 million for oil and gas innovations

Oil and gas operators in Northeast B.C. are receiving more than $15 million to innovate and reduce their environmental footprint in the region.

The province said Wednesday that 15 projects will receive money under the CleanBC Industry Fund program, paid by carbon taxes, to help capture and sequester carbon and cut methane emissions, recover waste heat, and study the feasibility of producing blue hydrogen.

NorthRiver Midstream is among the biggest recipients of funding, receiving $6.43 million to install a waste heat recovery system expected to cut emissions from its Jedney facility by 174,299 tonnes through 2031.

NorthRiver is also receiving $360,000 to to study and evaluate the opportunity to produce blue hydrogen at its processing plants in Taylor and Fort Nelson.

The company is also receiving $75,000 to study the business case of a compressed-natural-gas fuelling hub for vehicles at its McMahon facility.

According to figures provided by the province, the funded projects combined will cut some 363,992 tonnes of carbon emissions through 2031.

“Our government is cutting carbon emissions and creating good jobs in communities across B.C. with the CleanBC Industry Fund – an internationally recognized program that supports climate solutions,” said energy minister Bruce Ralston in a news release.

“We are investing in projects that spur innovation and are building a path to net-zero emissions.

Here are the projects being funded:

• NorthRiver Midstream Inc. – Northeastern B.C.: $6.43 million to install a system comprised of 15 waste heat recovery units and five diverter valves to capture heat from drivers during unplanned outages and planned maintenance. The installation will reduce the annual overall emissions at the Jedney facility by exchanging heat from the engine exhausts with the process. The province says 174,299 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions will be reduced through 2031

• Tourmaline Oil Corp – Northeastern B.C.: $2.65 million to install five waste-heat exchangers on compressors within their natural gas processing facility. These new waste-heat exchangers are expected to meet the heat demand for the facility, replacing a natural gas fired boiler as the primary heating source for the operation. This will reduce the amount of natural gas necessary for heating and increase the energy efficiency of the facility. The province says 64,314 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions will be reduced through 2031.

• Ovintiv Canada ULC – Northeastern B.C.: $2.43 million to upgrade approximately 78 compressors with more efficient valves across 20 gas processing facilities in northeast B.C. This will reduce the energy required and fuel needed to continuously run these compressors. The province says 73,261 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions will be reduced through 2031.

• Ovintiv Canada ULC – Northeastern B.C.: $1.8 million to upgrade four Waukesha compressor engines across compression stations in northeast B.C. to new high-efficiency units. This will reduce the amount of methane leakage and fuel consumed by the older series engines. The province says 39,233 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions will be reduced through 2031.

• Tourmaline Oil Corp – Northeastern B.C.: $300,000 to study and assess the technical and economic feasibility of different post-combustion flue-gas carbon-capture technologies, including chemical solvents, membranes, solid sorbents and hybrid systems at multiple natural gas processing plants.

• Petronas Energy Canada Ltd. – Northeastern B.C.: $290,116 to pilot and refine a real-time and continuous methane emission detection, measurement and monitoring solution at production facilities operated by Petronas Energy Canada Ltd. using remote-sensor technology. This leak detection improves on the current practice of conducting methane fugitive surveys one to three times a year in person, allowing for enhanced ability to detect and reduce fugitive methane emissions.

• Canadian Natural Resources Limited – Fort St. John: $282,781 to install heat exchangers on each of the two condensate trains at their Fort St. John gas processing facility to transfer the excess heat from the hot outlet condensate to the cold inlet condensate. This will recover waste heat, reducing fuel gas consumption and making the process more energy efficient. The province says 6,336 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions will be reduced through 2031.

• ConocoPhillips Canada Resources Corp. – Northeastern B.C.: $270,946 to pilot and refine a real-time and continuous methane emission detection, measurement and monitoring solution at production facilities operated by ConocoPhillips Canada using remote-sensor technology. This leak detection improves on the current practice of conducting methane fugitive surveys one to three times a year in person, allowing for enhanced ability to detect and reduce fugitive methane emissions.

• Petronas Energy Canada – Northeastern B.C.: $240,808 to eliminate venting of methane used to operate facility equipment by installing a new instrument air-compression system. The air compressor will be run by a set of new 25-kilowatt (kW) generators. The small generators will allow the facility to shut down a set of larger 75kW generators. More efficient generator use will reduce fuel consumption and eliminate methane venting. The province says 6,549 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions will be reduced through 2031.

• NorthRiver Midstream Operations – Northeastern B.C. – District of Taylor: $180,000 to study and evaluate the opportunity to update a gas-processing facility to produce blue hydrogen. The study includes a feasibility assessment of the technology required to produce hydrogen and capture emissions, reservoir storage, hydrogen transportation and commercial hydrogen utilization in the area.

• NorthRiver Midstream Operations – Northeastern B.C. – Fort Nelson: $180,000 to study and evaluate the opportunity to update a gas-processing facility to produce blue hydrogen. The study includes a feasibility assessment of the technology required to produce hydrogen and capture emissions, reservoir storage, hydrogen transportation and commercial hydrogen utilization in the area.

• NorthRiver Midstream Operations – Northeastern B.C. – District of Taylor: $150,000 to study and evaluate the technical feasibility of post-combustion carbon capture technologies and reservoir storage options for the Taylor Cogeneration facility, which is a natural gas power station primarily used to supply steam to a NorthRiver Midstream gas-processing plant and provide power to the electricity grid.

• Veresen Midstream LP – Northeastern B.C.: $96,000 to study the scope, cost and schedule for capturing emissions from the flue gas of two process heat-medium heaters for potential carbon dioxide recovery and underground sequestration, which would mitigate a significant part of the emissions to atmosphere from the Steeprock gas plant.

• NorthRiver Midstream Operations – McMahon Facility: $75,000 to study and assess, in partnership with Tourmaline Oil Corporation, the costs and business case of implementation of a compressed-natural-gas fuelling hub at its McMahon facility. Compressed Natural Gas could displace the use of higher-carbon diesel for vehicles. The study will help remove barriers for the project, including decreasing implementation and market risks.

• NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. – Northeastern B.C.: $47,169 to study the suitability of installing turboexpander technology at existing NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. natural gas compressor stations in B.C. A turboexpander has been identified as a potential emissions-free energy source that harnesses energy created through the pressure reduction of natural gas from a high pressure to a lower, usable pressure. The energy derived from this usable pressure can be used to generate up to 42kW of clean power by spinning a direct-drive generator shaft.

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