RF XL Commercial-Scale Pilot Test
December 20, 2022
Acceleware continues to advance and validate its heavy oil electrification technology on its commercial-scale, RF XL pilot project at Marwayne, Alberta. The Company is pleased with progress at the Pilot to date, and based on initial observations, remains confident that RF XL will become viable as a critical technology in the effort to decarbonize heavy oil and oil sands production.
Project Overview
Construction of Acceleware’s commercial-scale RF XL pilot was started in January, 2021. The pilot will validate Acceleware’s all-electric RF XL clean heating technology at Broadview Energy’s Marwayne asset, which is located in the Alberta oilsands designated area. Though the pilot test is greenfield, RF XL can also be adopted into brownfield projects, leveraging existing processing infrastructure to increase throughput volumes without the expansion of capital intensive water treatment and steam generation equipment.
The commercial-scale pilot is intended to demonstrate RF XL’s heating capabilities, alongside immediate and sustainable environmental, economic and social benefits. These include ~40% operating and capital cost reductions, no external water use requirements, near-zero GHG emissions through direct or indirect use of renewable power, a significant reduction in surface disturbance and no requirements for the addition of solvents.
How a software company is microwaving Alberta's oil sands
Alberta
About Marwayne
The Marwayne asset is currently held by private player, Broadview Energy, and is located ~50km Northwest of oilfield service hub, Lloydminster, within the Alberta Energy Regulator’s designated oil sands area. As operator of the pilot, Acceleware will be targeting the GP (General Petroleum) heavy oil zone within the Mannville Group by way of a farm-in agreement with Broadview Energy. The GP zone at Marwayne is analogous to most other heavy oil fields in Alberta and Saskatchewan (similar depth, geology, and reservoir characteristics) and bears many similarities to global heavy oil deposits such as those in California, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Pan Canadian initially tested slant well drilling at this location, with 64 wells drilled from 4 pads in the 1990s. Production reached over 2,000 bopd via CHOPS (Cold Heavy Oil Production with Sand) before shutting-in as a result of the 1999 oil price crash. Pan Canadian’s prior CHOPS activity provides Acceleware a high degree of geological delineation and reservoir characterization, allowing for optimization of well placement and operational strategies.
Benefits attributed to the Marwayne asset include all weather access, proximity to Lloydminster, access to grid power, oil terminals, and produced water disposal facilities.
objectives / goals
The objective of Acceleware’s Marwayne Commercial-Scale Pilot is to demonstrate the effectiveness of RF XL’s clean heating technology in a real-life heavy oil reservoir. As described in the Technology section of this website, the pilot will involve drilling one multilateral RF XL heating well and one production well into the GP heavy oil target zone. While the planned lateral length of the heating and production wells is 800m at the Marwayne Commercial-Scale Pilot, Acceleware has simulated effective heating for horizontal wells with lateral lengths ranging from 500m to 2000m.
With all pre-testing and design work complete, the RF XL converter at the surface of the Marwayne pilot site will deliver up to 2MW of power through the multilateral RF XL heating well and into the GP heavy oil target zone. Both the heating well and producer well will be equipped with downhole instrumentation allowing for the collection and analysis of real time pressure and temperature data along the lateral sections of the wells. The producer well will be completed with a high temperature PCP (progressive cavity pump) for the production and measurement of heavy oil that has been mobilized from the RF XL clean heating process.
3D Model of Marwayne Pilot Facility, courtesy of Scovan Engineering
Project Partners
Click on a company logo to reveal more information.
3P Technology Corp.
3P Technology is a Canadian, private, Advanced Remediation Service company focused on commercializing innovative waste treatment and processing solutions for industry. 3P performs treatability assessments and then designs and constructs and operates the processes for its clients.
Find out more about 3P Technology Corp at 3ptechnologycorp.com
Airbus
Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. The company offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as Europe’s number one space enterprise and the world’s second l argest space business. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.
Find out more about Airbus at airbus.com
AKITA Drilling, Ltd.
A premier North American drilling contractor, Akita Drilling provides specialized drilling services for various segments in the energy sector, including oil & gas extraction, geothermal, carbon capture storage and saltwater disposals.
Find out more about AKITA Drilling, Ltd. at akita-drilling.com/
August 17, 2021 - Acceleware Kicks off Marwayne RF XL Commercial Pilot Drilling Program
Broadview Energy
Broadview Energy (BVE) is a private oil and gas company focused on the development of thermal (SAGD) projects in West-Central Saskatchewan.
Find out more about Broadview Energy at broadviewenergy.ca
May 20, 2020 - Acceleware Confirms New Test Site for RF XL Technology Pursuant to Agreements with Broadview Energy
Clear Rush Co.
Clear Rush is a privately owned Clean Technology Group of Companies providing proven and reliable clean tech products and services to the Global Energy sector.
Find out more about Clear Rush Co. at clearrushco.com
Computer Modelling Group (CMG)
CMG provides reservoir simulation software, including thermal, compositional, black oil and enhanced oil recovery processes, that helps oil and gas companies reduce risk and maximize recovery.
Find out more about CMG at cmgl.ca
GE Global Research
GE Global Research is GE's innovation engine where new ideas are originated, developed and productized to create a better world and deliver differentiated products across the company's industrial portfolio.
Find out more about GE Global Research at ge.com/research
Halliburton
Halliburton is one of the world's largest providers of products and services for the ever-evolving needs of the energy industry.
Find out more about Halliburton at halliburton.com
Karma Machining & Manufacturing Ltd.
Karma Machining & Mfg. Ltd, an Alberta corporation, based in Edmonton. Karma’s vision is to help enhance the quality of life and values health and safety of our employees and others that use our facilities, products and services. From product and prototype development, design for manufacture and assembly, CNC production, and full support for lean manufacturing, Karma has over 100 years of combined experience to help solve all your manufacturing challenges.
Karma supports its customers with an emphasis on, Safety, Quality. Productivity, and Continuous Improvement.
Find out more about Karma Machining & Manufacturing Ltd. at karmamfg.ca
Precise Downhole Solutions
Precise Downhole Solutions provides complete turnkey solutions to all downhole instrumentation, specializing in pressure and temperature monitoring.
Find out more about Precise Downhole Solutions Ltd. at precisedhs.com
November 23, 2020 – Precise Teams with Acceleware to Launch Revolutionary Deployment Method
QUBE
Qube provides continuous environmental surveillance technology to cost-effectively monitor, detect, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in remote settings. Our system uses fixed sensor IoT devices, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to autonomously detect methane and other harmful gases and allows operators to find and repair emissions leaks in real-time, leading to reduced environmental impact.
Find out more about QUBE at qubeiot.com/
Saa Dene
Saa Dene is a collective group of companies with one clear vision: to increase Diversity and Inclusion through economic and social participation in the global economy.
Find out more about Saa Dene at saadene.com
November 12, 2020 – Acceleware and Saa Dene Create Acceleware | Kisâstwêw Partnership
In the News
Acceleware, Saa Dene Announce Partnership
Influential Indigenous leader throwing weight behind radio frequency oil sands tech
Scovan Engineering
Scovan provides innovative and sustainable solutions for the emerging energy industry, creating long term value for our partners.
Find out more about Scovan Engineering at scovan.ca
Video: Project Update #4: Marwayne Site Plans with Scovan Engineering
Stream-Flo Industries Ltd.
Stream-Flo manufactures wellheads, gate valves, check valves, and surface safety valves for the worldwide oil and gas industry.
Find out more about Stream-Flo Industries Ltd. at streamflo.com
Tenaris
Tenaris is a leading supplier of tubes and related services for the world’s energy industry and certain other industrial applications. Our mission is to deliver value to our customers through product and process innovation, manufacturing excellence, supply chain integration, technical assistance and customer service, aiming to reduce risk and costs, increase flexibility and improve time-to-market.
Find out more at tenaris.com/en
September 14, 2021 - Tenaris supplies casing for Acceleware’s clean technology pilot in Canada
Tristar Resource Management Ltd.
Tristar Resource Management Ltd. is located in Calgary, AB, Canada and offers project management and consulting for construction, drilling, completions, and abandonments.
Find out more about Tristar at tstar.ca
Variperm Canada Limited
Variperm is a leading sand control products and services company specializing in custom filtration screens, flow control technology, gravel pack services, supply of quality cased hole fishing tools and services, well abandonment solutions, and a full suite of completion and work-over tools.
Find out more about Variperm Canada Limited at variperm.com
Weatherford International plc
Weatherford is a leading wellbore and production solutions company, providing integrated solutions across well stages and customer domains to the oil and gas industry.
Find out more about Weatherford at weatherford.com
Project Timeline
Ongoing
Pilot Heating
Work is temporarily suspended due to DTS repair - read the news release
Acceleware's RF XL's initial heating phase has been operational for four consecutive months at Marwayne.
Ongoing
December - February 2022
Facility Install
Facilities installation commenced December 2021 and was completed February 2022.
August - December 2021
Drilling and Completion
Acceleware kicked off the drilling and completions program of the commercial-scale RF XL pilot project at Marwayne, Alberta in August 2021.
August - December 2021
September - February 2021
Surface and Subsurface Design Update
Scovan Engineering has completed the facility surface design with Issued For Construction (IFC) drawings and 3D modelling. Scovan’s sister company, Gemini, is now fabricating and sourcing the surface facility components (i.e. tanks, treater, combustor, flow-lines, MCC, etc.).
June - December 2020
Procurement Execution
Acceleware has >90% of long lead tangible materials in hand and has mitigated unforeseen delays on international supply from overseas. Manufacturing & machining required for threading tubulars and other components of the downhole RF XL assembly is underway.
June - December 2020
January 2021
Initial Site Construction
Local civil construction manager Morrey Heathcote has been engaged to build the civil lease for the Marwayne Pilot Project.
May - September 2020
Regulatory Process
Acceleware submitted the Directive 23 Experimental Scheme Application to the AER (Alberta Energy Regulator) in July 2020 and received approval in October 2020.
May - September 2020
2010 to Present Day
De-Risking
Acceleware has completed robust shop and lab testing in collaboration with 3rd party industry resources like Noetic, AGAT, and Perm Inc. on each unique surface and subsurface component along with material compatibility tests (thermal, electrical, mechanical), and material strength tests (destructive testing).
