EVALUATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES FOR STEAM ASSISTED GRAVITY DRAINAGE (SAGD) OPERATION

摘要

The widespread application of Steam Assisted GravityrnDrainage (SAGD) extraction methods has increasedrnnatural gas consumption. The use of natural gas is notrnconsidered sustainable because it is derived from fossilrnfuel sources. Renewable energies will play an importantrnrole in achieving sustainable development whilernproviding a reliable and affordable energy source that canrnsupplement and eventually replace the use of fossil fuelbasedrnnatural gas. The objective of this study is to assessrnthe potential of renewable energy resources as arnreplacement for natural gas use in Suncor Energy Inc.’srnSAGD operations. Wind power, solar energy and biomassrnare examined in this study. All calculations are based on arnpower requirement of 854.15 (MW) for Suncor’s SAGDrnoperations at the Firebag site.