“This is a radical change.” That’s what Joy Romero, Vice President, Technology & Innovation at Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL), had to say about its In Pit Extraction Process (IPEP) technology.
By putting the bitumen extraction plant right in the mine pit, one of the largest independent crude oil and natural gas producers in the world can eliminate tailings ponds and support immediate land reclamation. They also aim to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40 per cent and cut operational costs. The project was one of 9 funded through ERA’s Oil Sands Innovation Challenge.