As the global supply of oil and gas from conventional reservoirs (i.e., porous rock formations) continues to diminish, it becomes increasingly important to produce these fluids from unconventional (“tight”) reservoirs. Hydraulic fracturing is generally required in order to achieve sufficient production rates from these tight reservoirs. Key questions to be addressed in hydraulic fracture design […]

When waste rocks generated by mining activities are exposed to the air and water, various toxic elements may be released to receiving waters and soils. Arsenic (As) is known as one of the most toxic pollutants which can cause damage to the environment and human health. To implement effective source control, it is essential to […]

In an underground gold mine, the movement of ore and waste material occurs on a massive scale and short-term excavation activities should be scheduled so that that the right proportions of these materials are moving through the mine in order to meet production targets. In the proposed project, a mathematical optimization model will be formulated […]

Mapping of pipelines and tanks is the first step toward providing an inspection service. Until now, this has been a manual process that is very time and resource consuming. The research proposed would allow for an unmanned vehicle to map the area without the need for humans. It will result in the creation of a […]

Eagle Graphite owns and operates one of only two flake graphite production facilities in Canada, and the only graphite quarry in Western North America. The quarry is located in Passmore, B.C., near the City of Castlegar. This collaboration between Dr. Jian Liu’s group at The University of British Columbia and Eagle Graphite will produce graphite-silicon […]

Shale reservoirs store gigantic volumes of petroleum (oil and gas). However, because of the complex nature of the reservoir rock, it is difficult to recover the oil and/or gas stored in shales. Under normal conditions, it is possible to extract only as much as 10% of the resources in place, thus leaving behind a huge […]

Shale reservoirs have become a very important source of hydrocarbons, especially in North America. Shales are rocks with very low permeability and therefore, produce the hydrocarbons stored in them is difficult. In order to do it, oil companies have to inject high pressurized fluids to break the rock. But, by using this unique strategy, most […]

Crushing and grinding rock is the largest consumer of energy at a mining operation. Ball Mill grinding is the main technology that is used for fine grinding, yet it is known to be very inefficient with respect to energy consumptions; estimates are that less than 2% of energy input to ball mills translate into particle […]

OERA use hydroacoustic echosounder surveys to evaluate the impact on marine life of tidal turbines in the Bay of Fundy. OERA use Echoview software to read in the raw sensor data (e.g. voltages) and convert it to a visual representation. Echoview contains some algorithms to detect the bottom of the ocean. However, the Fundy data […]

The general objective of this research is to understand the geology of the Clearwater Formation in a region of Alberta where new oil and gas reserves have been discovered. The research will include detailed mapping throughout the region to understand where the best oil and gas resources are. This area is especially interesting as enhance […]

Mine waste rock drainage is one of the most challenging and lasting global environmental issues facing the entire mining industry, regulatory agencies and society as a whole. Mine drainage can be alkaline, neutral, moderately or extremely acidic and contains significant levels of sulfate, dissolved iron, and frequently a variety of heavy metals and metalloids. As […]

Ce projet a pour objectif d’améliorer notre connaissance des processus qui ont mené à la formation d’un important gîte aurifère en Guyane Française. Ce site d’étude fait partie d’une région au socle géologique particulier et qui est exploré par diverses compagnies canadiennes, notamment Reunion Gold, le principal partenaire de ce projet de recherche. La géologie […]