TerraVent Concludes Multi-Year Pilot in Alberta, Canada

MELBOURNE, Fla., February 8, 2023 (Newswire.com) - TerraVent Environmental Inc., an environmental technology company based in Florida, USA, has concluded the ESEIEH^® (pronounced "Easy": Effective Solvent Extraction Incorporating ElectroMagnetic Heating) pilot in Alberta, Canada. The ESEIEH^® Project Final Report has been published by Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA). The project focused on field testing and optimization of TerraVent's patented ESEIEH^®, HeatWave^®, and CEMRS™ technologies. This effort received much support from major North American Energy Producers and Defense Contractors, with 10 years and millions in Research and Development funding. The ESEIEH^® Pilot Final Report contains significant and newsworthy details on the evolution of the technology, its implementation, successes, and future.

The application of ElectroMagnetic (EM) energy has been found to be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly mechanism to heat resource reservoirs for extraction, or for other low emission, industrial heating needs. The intention of the ESEIEH^® recovery process is to utilize EM heating in combination with solvent dilution for in situ bitumen extraction in oil sand reservoirs. The ESEIEH^® process eliminates the need for costly and environmentally challenged steam-based processes. ESEIEH^® provides a significant reduction in carbon emissions, greater than 80%, with the potential to approach net zero GHG production through the use of renewable energy sources to power the EM system.

TerraVent's patented ESEIEH^® process and HeatWave^® system support sustainable, low-to-no GHG emission production of Hydrogen, Hydrocarbons, Mining of Critical Minerals, and other vital resources for enhancing energy and critical mineral security while addressing global climate change. 

"Years of development have gone into this technology and it is great to have an objective, exhaustive report that validates the effectiveness of EM Heating in a real Bitumen reservoir and documents the ability of our Heatwave^® system to withstand the rigors of actual oil field conditions," said Kevin Pope, CEO, TerraVent Environmental. "The report also identifies the clear path to full commercial readiness. Final testing is needed on only one component, then we're ready for full-scale installation."

Phase One consisted of a Mine Face Test, where a smaller scaled system was operated in heterogeneous oil sands at the North Steepbank Mine, advancing HeatWave^® to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5. The thermal tool achieved 127°C, liquefying the bitumen. This clearly demonstrated EM energy penetration, predictability, and production potential.

Phase Two took place in the Dover test area near Fort McMurray, Canada. The technology was improved to TRL 7 on all components except the Center Isolator, which has been subject to additional testing and redesign to increase durability in downhole conditions. The project was unable to continue due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Project data indicates increased recovery rate, reduced cost, reduced energy use, and significantly reduced Green House Gas emissions compared to current technologies.

"Throughout testing, there were a number of critical advancements: CEMRS™ was field validated as a reservoir simulation tool, standard industry facilities were adapted to TerraVent's new technologies, and EM heating was demonstrated as a viable solution in the reservoir," said Mark Blue, CTO, TerraVent Environmental. "These advancements have established a great foundation on which to advance this technology, not only in the production of heavy oil and bitumen, but for other critical resources as well. Indeed, we are actively transitioning much of the knowledge into hydrogen, methane hydrates, and mining applications."

"The ESEIEH® pilot demonstrated the viability of ElectroMagnetic (EM) heating technology, and its potential to significantly reduce or even eliminate GHG emissions from thermal oil production. EM heating also has the potential to access previously unrecoverable resources, and eliminate the need for freshwater usage," said Mark Bohm, a former Consortium executive, with a background in Carbon emissions reduction. "Having led the consortium that was developing, piloting, and advancing the commercialization of this technology in the Canadian Oil Sands, I see tremendous promise in the Heatwave® technology and its ability to allow heavy thermal oil production to remain relevant as the world transitions to lower carbon, more sustainable energy solutions."

TerraVent is committed to creating clean, affordable methods for accelerating the Green Energy Transition and ensuring a high standard of living and quality of life for future generations. With over 75 patents, 10 years of development, and millions already invested into research and development, TerraVent is uniquely positioned to scale its technology. As clean energy demand increases in national and global priority, TerraVent will continue to find realistic solutions that can be applied in the near future, while decreasing undesirable environmental impacts.

The entire ESEIEH^® Final Report can be found on TerraVent's website:
https://www.terra-vent.com/news-updates 

The Final Report can also be found on ERA's website:
https://www.eralberta.ca/projects/details/enhanced-solvent-extraction-incorporating-electromagnetic-heating/