About Us
We are Innovators
Acceleware is an innovator of transformative clean tech enhanced oil recovery technology founded in 2004 by renowned applied computational electrodynamics and radio frequency ("RF") expert Dr. Michal Okoniewski, and three colleagues.
Acceleware's drive for meaningful development, leadership in electromagnetic modeling, combined with our team's deep expertise in applied RF transmission line design, have resulted in an innovation, RF XL, that can radically reduce the environmental impact of heavy oil and oil sands production around the world.
The "heart" of RF XL, our Clean Tech Inverter ("CTI"), is also being developed to decarbonize other combustion intensive industrial processes that are critical to the clean energy transition.
A Cleaner technology
Our newest product, RF XL, is a patented, thermal enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology that has been under development for over ten years. In that time, we have undertaken extensive simulation studies, lab and bench scale testing, and completed a successful 1/20 scale field test.
In 2016, Acceleware announced a partnership with GE Global Research to develop, prototype, test and commercialize revolutionary electronics for RF XL.
We have launched a commercial-scale pilot deployment that is currently in progress in Marwayne, Alberta, followed by commercialization anticipated in 2023.
Our History
Our high-performance computing solutions support companies in the electronics, medical and energy industries. Acceleware's innovations include high-performance electromagnetic ("EM") modeling software and pioneering the use of a graphics processing unit ("GPU") as a computational platform. Our initial product, AxFDTD™, earned the distinction of being the first FDA-approved electromagnetic ("EM") modeling software to measure radio frequency ("RF") energy absorption by the body. Over the past decade, this software has been relied upon by cutting-edge companies such as Apple, Blackberry, Samsung, LG, Nikon, Merck, Boeing and Lockheed Martin with applicability in cell phones, wireless devices, aerospace, MRI and other medical imaging machines. It continues to be used in billions of dollars of product development annually and now provides the ability to accurately simulate the use of EM energy in oil production.
Over the past decade, our software has been relied upon by cutting-edge companies such as Apple, Blackberry, Samsung, LG, Nikon, Merck, Boeing and Lockheed Martin
Technological Advancement
Building on our software expertise, Acceleware developed advanced seismic imaging software, including a Kirchhoff Time Migration solution, followed by a Reverse Time Migration ("RTM") library, called AxRTM™. Acceleware subsequently introduced AxWave™ seismic forward modeling, followed by AxFWI™, which is the current ‘state-of-the-art’ full waveform inversion software. Our seismic imaging software solutions are state-of-the-art for high-fidelity imaging, providing the most accurate and advanced imaging available for oil exploration in complex geologies.
Technological Breakthroughs
Acceleware was founded in 2004 and pioneered the use of the graphics processing unit ("GPU") as a compute platform. The first product, AxFDTD™, continues to be sold and has been used by many Fortune 500 companies such as Apple, Blackberry, Samsung, LG, Nikon, Merck, Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
In 2008, Acceleware entered the seismic imaging market with a GPU accelerated Kirchhoff Time Migration solution, followed by a Reverse Time Migration library, AxRTM™ in 2009.
Acceleware identified a growing need to dramatically reduce the cost of production and the environmental impact of heavy oil and oil sands production. In 2010, Acceleware began working to develop new ways to apply RF energy to mobilize heavy oil and oil. With very promising test results, the company began aggressively developing this game-changing innovation, working with several heavy oil and oil sands operators around the world.
In 2013, Acceleware introduced to the seismic market AxWAVE™, a full featured forward modelling product, and then AxFWI™, the current ‘state-of-the-art’ full waveform inversion solution in 2014.
Acceleware continues to expand the reach of these solutions by making them accessible via the cloud, starting with AxWAVE for survey design, and synthetic seismic wave modeling.
Having completed numerous tests and filed several patent applications for two different technology platforms between 2010 and 2015, Acceleware announced a partnership with GE Global Research in 2016 to further test and commercialize its patent-pending Clean Tech Inverter (CTI) platform for RF heating.
After announcing the successfully completed 1/20th commercial-scale test for RF XL, Acceleware was awarded a $10 million non-repayable contribution from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) and Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA).
Acceleware announced the grant of a key radio frequency heating patent, covering the core elements of its Modular RF technology, as well as announcing a commercial-scale pilot. Building on the $10 million in grants with SDTC and ERA, Acceleware also secured investment from a major oil sands producer for the RF XL commercial-scale pilot.
In Q4, Acceleware signed an agreement with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), receiving US$2.51 million in exchange for Acceleware's custom software engineering resources and consulting services business.
Acceleware's prototype of the CTI was succesful in the largest and most effective field test assessment completed to date.
In 2020, Acceleware announced that the RF XL Commercial-Scale Pilot test site would be located near the town of Marwayne, Alberta, as well as being granted a key RF XL patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This was followed by Acceleware receiving support from two major oil sands producers, including Suncor Energy, and the creation of Acceleware | Kisâstwêw, a partnership between Acceleware and Saa Dene.
Acceleware entered an agreement with Alberta Innovates (AI), providing up to $5 million for the RF XL commercial-scale pilot test, being distributed at designated milestones over the course of the pilot. Cenovus Energy Inc was announced as a third major financial supporter of the pilot, and the drilling/completions program was completed before year end.
Heating of the RF XL Commercial-Scale Pilot started, representing a landmark milestone in the execution of the pilot and the demonstration of RF XL’s potential. Additional funding for the pilot was provided by AI in the amount of $900,000. The RF XL pilot was paused when the fibre optic distributed temperature sensing (DTS) system was damaged.
In Q1, Acceleware and Aurora Hydrogen announced $2 million in shared funding from Alberta Innovates Hydrogen Centre of Excellence for turquoise hydrogen collaboration.
Acceleware completed a project with Saskatchewan’s International Minerals Innovation Institute, validating the potential of CTI-powered drying of potash and other mineral commodities. IMII has invited Acceleware to submit a proposal for subsequent project phases which could lead to the development of a commercial-scale drying platform with lower capital and operating costs than fossil fuels, and lower GHG emissions levels too.
As part of the repair of the DTS at the Marwayne pilot, Acceleware embarked on a heating well workover program that includes repair and upgrades to subsurface components. The final phase of the workover at the RF XL commercial-scale pilot commenced August 8, 2023.
Acceleware continues to invest in developing and protecting new intellectual property with a total of 52 patents currently issued, allowed, applied for, or in development.
Having identified changing environmental and economic priorities in the global energy sector, Acceleware commenced development of RF heating as a cost-effective, clean-tech solution for heavy oil and oil sands production. Although the potential for RF as an EOR technique had been contemplated as early as 1948, technological challenges and poor economic performance have hindered a viable path to commercialization – until now.
As part of Acceleware's RF R&D, we integrated our AxFDTD EM modeling platform with STARS reservoir modeling software from Computer Modeling Group to create AxHeat, an application that enables heavy oil producers to accurately model the impact of using RF heating to mobilize in-situ heavy oil reserves.
In 2010, we were engaged by a major US-based oil company to provide analysis on past RF heating tests and design input on future tests. Results and lessons learned from these tests led to Acceleware shifting focus and resources to developing an entirely new, proprietary and transformative approach to RF heating - RF XL.
