Facts:

Main developer: Enhance Energy

In October 2010, Enhance Energy announced it had received environmental approval from the Canadian government to build its proposed Alberta Carbon Trunk Line (ACTL).

The project has been making steady progress during 2011 with various suppliers joining the project, and survey work going ahead. In April, the Energy Resources Conservation Board issued a licence for the construction and operation of ACTL. Engineering firm Caber Engineering announced in June that it would provide engineering design services. Surface Search was selected in September to conduct geophysical survey work.

Construction of this 240-kilometre CO2 pipeline – which is intended to provide a delivery system for CO2 sources throughout Alberta state – is now scheduled to begin in summer 2013 with operational start-up yet to be confirmed. Its eventual capacity will be 14 million tonnes per annum of CO2, and the project will permanently store up to 2 billion tonnes of CO2 in depleted oil and gas reservoirs during its lifetime. Initial throughput is expected to be about 4,600 to 5,100 tonnes per day.

The first supplies of CO2 – to be used in EOR projects at producing oilfields near Clive – will come from fertiliser producer Agrium Redwater Complex and the planned North West Upgrader. This facility will upgrade bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands operations and is currently scheduled to begin operations in 2014.

The ACTL project will include drying and compression facilities on the Agrium and North West Upgrader sites, the Elk Island Pump Station to the east of Fort Saskatchewan and facilities at the south end of the system, near Clive, to allow distribution of CO2 to oil and gas fields in the area.

Fairborne Energy is also a partner in ACTL, its interest relating to the use of transported CO2 in EOR projects in the Clive area.

Financing

Enhance Energy and partner North West Upgrading have received $495 million funding over 15 years towards ACTL from Alberta government’s $2 billion Carbon Capture and Storage Fund. The Canadian government’s ecoENERGY Technology Initiative and the Clean Energy Fund have provided $63 million towards engineering and design elements.

Timing

In February 2011, Enhance stated that construction was expected to begin during 2012 for the capture facility, and mid 2013 for the pipeline. Environmental approval was granted by the Canadian government in 2010 and, in April 2011, the Energy Resources Conservation Board issued a licence for construction and operation of ACTL. Enhance is currently seeking provincial approvals from the Alberta government. 

More information and press releases

Enhance Energy newsletter, December 2011

Enhance Energy newsletter, October 2010

Enhance Energy press release re environmental approval, 20 September 2010

Alberta government press release, 24 November 2009

Fairborne Energy presentation, December 2009

ACTL press release on federal funding, 30 March, 2009

Partners announce ACTL venture, 27 August, 2008

Presentations

Storage:

Enhance Energy and Fairborne Energy are jointly developing an EOR project at the latter's Clive D2A and D3A fields in Central Alberta. Initial reservoir modelling and simulation suggest that up to 20% incremental recovery from these reservoirs is possible. Additional modelling, final negotiations and regulatory approvals are still required before CO2 flooding at Clive can begin.

Companies involved

Main contact person:

• Susan Cole, (, PRESIDENT)

Homepage:

http://www.enhanceenergy.com/actl

Persons involved in the project:

News about Alberta Carbon Trunk Line (Enhance Energy)