Coke drums are major petroleum refinery and oil sands upgrading facilities associated with the processing of oil sands bitumen. The service lives of current coke drums are limited and frequent repairing is required due to severe cyclic thermal-mechanical load experienced. The objective of this project is to find root causes causing the damage/failure through more […]

In recent years, many energy producers have developed wind farms in Alberta due to their economic and environmental advantages. One of the most significant challenges of wind farms is that wind is an intermittent resource that is uncontrollable and difficult to predict. As such, wind developers are looking to develop electric energy storage (EES) systems […]

When a company has excess power generation at its disposal, a natural course of action will be to seek to market that power. However, power markets are notoriously volatile, and this makes the cash flows that result from selling the power unpredictable and hard to plan for. The aim of this project is to help […]

To meet increasingly stringent guidelines for offshore wastewater disposal, new technologies are being considered by Canada’s petroleum industries for the treatment of produced water (PW) effluents. The purpose of the proposed project is to test the effectiveness of ozonation and enhanced approaches for treating PW effluents. Lab-scale, bench-top experiments using a specially designed bubble column […]

Suncor Energy Inc. and Memorial University will collaborate on a research program for three Master’s student interns to study the crustal structure and geological history of the petroleum-bearing Flemish Pass Basin and adjoining Central Ridge, offshore Newfoundland and Labrador. The goal of the research is to understand the large and small-scale tectonic processes that formed […]

The process of an oil and gas reservoir being “soured” by hydrogen sulphide is complex due to the many operations (e.g. changing production methods and waterflooding). The phenomena of souring occurs in most reservoirs were secondary or enhanced oil/gas recovery takes place. Hydrogen sulphide casues a number of operational and safety problems such as scaling, […]

Increasing the productivity of agricultural fields is essential to secure our existing food supplies and provide for the growing world population. In this context, pesticides and fertilizers play an essential role in both increasing crop yields, as well as enhancing crop defenses against environmental stresses such as drought, pests, or diseases. However, the application of […]

Annually, large number of tailings samples are collected by operators and sent to laboratories for measurement of Methylene Blue Index (MBI). This procedure is costly, time-consuming, and results are a function of the methods used and personnel expertise. In prior research we developed predictive models for the quick and consistent estimation of tailings MBI from […]

New approaches are required to secure our food supply in response to the growing world population, rapid diversification of pests, and accelerating weather-related impacts of climate change. Suncor has recently developed a new category of plant immune aids that activate a plant?s native immune system to induce a range of beneficial responses, including greater resistance […]

Over the past 5 years, Suncor Energy has invested in the Energy Futures Lab, the Engineering Change Lab, the Getting to Maybe social innovation program, the Suncor Energy Foundation Gathering, and most recently, the Turtle Island Institute. All of these initiatives are designed to transform whole systems in rapidly changing environments in partnership with diverse […]

While modern pesticides have dramatically improved crop yields and food security, the challenges of emerging pest resistance, environmental run-off, and the need to help crops better cope with weather-related stresses like drought and extreme heat all demand new solutions. Our partner, Suncor, has recently developed a new class of plant immune aids that activate a […]

Modern pesticides have revolutionized agriculture. However, growing concerns with pest resistance, environmental run-off, and a lack of capacity to deal with abiotic stresses associated with drought or extreme heat (critical issues with regards to climate change) demand new solutions. Suncor has developed new plant immune aids that address these challenges by fortifying the immunity of […]