Royal Dutch Shell has announced that it will move ahead with its Carmon Creek project in Alberta, Canada, which is expected to produce 80,000 barrels per day.
It is a thermal in situ venture that is 100 percent owned by Shell and is intended to be a part of the company’s production, refining and marketing business across the full value chain in North America.
Shell used local expertise to design the facility so it’s commercially viable and minimizes environmental impacts. It has a well delivery system and will use cogeneration that will feed power into the Alberta grid, which is enough energy to power 500,000 homes. The project’s main goal is to eliminate the need for freshwater use by recycling the water that is produced along with the oil.
Lorraine Mitchelmore, executive vice president heavy oil, has stated that she is “pleased we’re moving ahead with this important project. Shell’s Peace River oil leases represent a significant development opportunity. Our decision to invest in Carmon Creek has been carefully studied with the goal of designing a project that is competitive from a commercial, technological and environmental perspective.”