CO2 Pipline; for who?

I have been asked by several to weigh in on the Stelmach-Harper CO2 pipelines. Notably any other pipe lines in use now are paid for by the oil companies and industries involved. I can understand why you think neither is to be trusted!

Misc link:

Mr. Stelmach is saying the Alberta lines will be built and paid for by the Alberta Government. Under this provinces present agreement with the Oil Companies in the Tar Sands it really makes no difference. The taxpayer will pay by waiting for a “higher” (still nothing) royalty as the oil companies add the price of the pipe line to the start up costs.

Or, the tax payer can pay for it all up front and simplify the book keeping.

There is other slight of hand in this much to show about nothing.

The Government is having you think or ignore “Tar Sands” for use in this pipeline application. They are the ones sucking back all of our water and creating most of the emissions.


The formation holding the oil must be greater than 2500 feet (762 meters) This means the process will be used on older conventional oil fields which will get the free perk from the Conservatives courtesy of the tax payers. And, these same older oil fields will not be able to deduct pipeline construction from royalities so, the conservatives have found a way to pad their pockets otherwise.

Oil reservoir depth must be greater than 2,500 ft (762 meter) to reach CO2 minimum miscibility pressure (MMP), which is a function of lithostatic pressure, bottom hole temperature, and oil composition.

An oil gravity greater than 27 degrees API with an oil viscosity less than 10 centipoise (cp) at reservoir conditions is ideal.

Formation porosity greater than 12% with an effective permeability to oil of greater than 10 millidarcies (md) is ideal.

The tar sands are very shallow. There is no way to sequester carbon dioxide in this process. The wells must be very deep as are those in Waybern Saskatchewan..

Also when the CO2 scrubs the oil in the deeper strata and becomes sequestered in the oil strata, the oil becomes effervescent somewhat like a can of pop. When the oil is extracted now by much of its own pressure the carbon dioxide is released again into the atmosphere.

The Conservatives are in a panic to get good press on an environment fix they have no interest in.

John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca