Innovation: Advancing technology in Canadian oil and gas

March 2021 - Advancements in technology are changing the way we live, work and interact. And often when we think of innovation, we think of new technology startups and Silicon Valley.

But what about innovation in Canada’s energy industry?

At Cenovus Energy, we are accelerating the development of technologies to help reduce our impacts on air, land and water. Through innovation we also look to improve efficiencies, reduce costs and further enhance the safety of our operations.

To achieve this, we partner with our peers, other industries, organizations, academic institutions, scientists and entrepreneurs to collaborate on innovative solutions. One example of this in action is the amphibious vehicles project through Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), an alliance of oil sands producers focused on promoting the pace of improvement in environmental performance in Canada’s oil sands.

“Through COSIA, Canada’s oil sands companies are driving clean technology development,” says Wes Jickling, Chief Executive of COSIA. “It’s a tough challenge, but one that both COSIA and its members are up for. And it has made a significant impact.”

Through our collaboration with the Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada (PTAC), a Canadian hydrocarbon industry association that facilitates collaborative research and development, and Bridger Photonics, an expert in light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technologies, we’ve launched our industry-leading Alt-FEMP project, tackling the reduction of methane emissions at our facilities.

“This is an exciting milestone for Cenovus, as this program will help us detect, quantify and then mitigate methane emissions from our operations more efficiently than methods used in the past,” explains Sean Hiebert, Emissions Management Engineer at Cenovus. 

Through our participation in innovation sharing and development networks like COSIA, PTAC and other partners, we lend our expertise to collaboratively solve challenges, while creating new opportunities and sustainable advancements for our industry.