Released on December 15, 2008
One of Saskatchewan's and Canada's leading research institutions is receiving $4.5 million in renewed core funding from the provincial government.
The Regina-based Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC) will receive $1.5 million this fiscal year and each of the next two fiscal years to continue its leading-edge research of behalf of the province's and country's oil industry.
"Since it was established ten years ago, the PTRC has developed an international reputation for work that both advances the development of our oil resource and helps the industry reduce its environmental footprint," Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd said. "Our government is committed to research facilities like the PTRC which embody innovation and which attract and retain our ‘best and brightest minds'."
The PTRC was founded by the provincial and federal governments, the Saskatchewan Research Council and the University of Regina, with support from the western Canadian oil and gas industry. It has an impressive track record in enhanced oil recovery research and manages the world's largest carbon dioxide storage project in the Weyburn-Midale area.
"The PTRC has been integral in developing technologies to enable Saskatchewan to better monetize on its heavy oil resources," PTRC executive director Carolyn Preston said. "This continued funding will allow us to maintain our successful research in heavy oil production technologies, initiate new research in field upgrading to more efficiently transport heavy oil to market, and assist in developing a better understanding of the fundamentals of reservoir processes. It will also assist research into accessing the province's oil sands reserves."
Boyd noted that in addition to the renewed core funding, the government had fulfilled another election promise by announcing in its recent budget another $4 million over the next four years in operational support to the PTRC and the International Test Centre for CO2 Capture.
Both facilities are located at Innovation Place - Regina, adjacent to the University of Regina.
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For more information, contact:
Bob Ellis
Energy and Resources
Regina
Phone: 306-787-1691
Email: robert.ellis@gov.sk.ca