November 18, 2024 – TechConnect in partnership with Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), the innovation arm of Pathways Alliance, announces the finalists for the Oil Sands Artificial Lift Challenge. This global initiative is seeking groundbreaking technologies to improve the efficiency and reliability of electric submersible pumps (ESPs) used in in situ Canadian oil sands operations.
COSIA members will consider the finalists for pilot-scale tests, joint development funding, and technology licensing.
“Since it began, COSIA has been working closely with innovators to advance new clean technologies for the oil sands industry,” said Yiming Ji, Director of Innovation+, COSIA with Pathways Alliance. “We are excited to explore with the finalists their ideas to improve efficiency, productivity and reliability of the artificial lift process for in situ oil sands production.”
The four finalists represent innovative solutions aimed at overcoming the significant technical challenges in oil sands extraction. ESP failures and maintenance disruptions have long been a bottleneck for the industry. The Oil Sands Artificial Lift Challenge, produced by TechConnect, sought to identify new technologies to enhance the operational performance and longevity of ESPs, reducing downtime, improving production efficiency, and cutting operational costs.
TechConnect and COSIA selected finalists based on their ability to enhance or replace current ESP systems, offering improvements in capacity, efficiency, and reliability.
Key technologies explored in this challenge included:
- next-generation ESPs that handle multi-phase, multi-component slurries.
- high-performance sensors offering real-time insights into pump performance.
- innovative intake designs that filter or redirect mixture components to reduce pump seizures.
- advanced impeller and diffuser systems to improve fluid handling and increase pump reliability.
The following finalists will pitch their solutions at the Defense TechConnect Innovation Conference and Expo in Austin, TX December 3, 2024. The showcase will provide finalists with the opportunity to engage with industry leaders, government representatives, and potential investors, as well as members of the COSIA team.
● Blue Earth Energy, Inc.
● LEX USA LLC
● Oaks-Hill Engineering Ltd.
● Rotoliptic Technologies, Inc.
About TechConnect
Founded in 1998, TechConnect supports commercialization of technology solutions at every stage of development to solve the most significant societal challenges in the world. TechConnect has earned the trust of a 500,000-person ecosystem by offering expertly run innovation challenges and accelerators, curating top thought leaders for multi-disciplinary symposia, and convening solution providers and solution seekers in-person each year. TechConnect is a division of Advanced Technology International (ATI), a non-profit which coordinates and executes our nation’s most innovative research initiatives, overseeing $100B in federal funding authority.
About Pathways Alliance
Pathways Alliance represents six of Canada’s largest oil sands companies working together to provide energy the world needs while advancing environmental innovation.
For more information about the Oil Sands Artificial Lift Challenge, and to learn more about the upcoming showcase at Defense TechConnect, please visit https://artificiallift.techconnect.org.