imported>Bo-3903: Adding short description: "Alberta corporation"

2024-11-11T20:37:28Z

Adding short description: "Alberta corporation"

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{{Short description|Alberta corporation}}
The '''Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority''' ('''AOSTRA''') was an Alberta [[Crown corporations of Canada|crown corporation]] to promote the development and use of new technology for [[oil sands]] and [[heavy crude oil]] production, and enhanced recovery of conventional [[crude oil]]. It was funded by the [[AIMCo|Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund]]. Its head office and information centre were located in [[Edmonton|Edmonton, Alberta]] and a second office in [[Calgary|Calgary, Alberta]] in Canada.<ref name=canada>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/alberta-oil-sands-technology-and-research-authority/
|title=Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority. The Canadian Encyclopedia
|publisher=Historica Foundation of Canada
|author=Wiggins, E.J.
|accessdate=27 December 2008
|url-status=live
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070817042724/http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0000117
|archivedate=17 August 2007
}}
</ref>

==History==
AOSTRA was formed in 1974 for promotion of the development of new technologies for oil sands and heavy-oil production.<ref name=technology>
{{cite journal
|url=http://www.technology.gov.ab.ca/objects/content_revision/download.cfm/item_id.129230/workspace_id.128427/A%20Brief%20History%20of%20AOSTRA.pdf/
|title=History of AOSTRA and accomplishments
|publisher=[[Executive Council of Alberta|Alberta Government]]
|format=PDF
|accessdate=27 December 2008
}}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
</ref><ref name=consultations>
{{cite journal
|url=http://www.oilsandsconsultations.gov.ab.ca/docs/FACT_Oil_Sands_History.pdf
|title=Oil Sands Recorded History
|publisher=[[Executive Council of Alberta|Alberta Government]]
|accessdate=27 December 2008
}}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
</ref> In 1979 its mandate was expanded also to the conventional crude oil technologies.<ref name=canada/> In 1984, AOSTRA initiated the Underground Test Facility as an [[in-situ]] [[Steam assisted gravity drainage|SAGD]] bitumen recovery facility.<ref name=guidebook/>

In 1986, the [[Ministry of Energy (Alberta)|Alberta Department of Energy]] took over AOSTRA's role in developing oil sands technology, and on 1 August 2000, AOSTRA was reorganized into the newly established [[Alberta Energy Research Institute]], and rebranded again to the name of Alberta Innovates{{mdash}}Energy and Environment Solutions with an expanded role to include other energy-related research areas such as wind, solar, fuel cells, clean coal and biomass.<ref name=guidebook/><ref name=report>
{{cite book
|url=https://archive.org/details/albertasoilsands00albe
|title=Alberta's Oil Sands
|publisher=[[Executive Council of Alberta|Alberta Government]]
|date=September 2008
|isbn=978-0-7785-7348-7
|accessdate=27 December 2008
|url-access=registration
}}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
</ref>

==Operations==
AOSTRA operated primarily through projects, the costs of which were shared with industries. The resultant technology is available to any user at fair market value. AOSTRA also supported research at Canadian universities and research institutions by providing grants to inventors, funding the operation of a technical information system, promoting international co-operation in oil sands development, and providing scholarships and fellowships for educational assistance.<ref name=canada/> One of the main targets of AOSTRA finding of suitable technologies for that part of the [[Athabasca Oil Sands]] that could not be recovered using surface mining technologies.<ref name=guidebook>{{cite journal|url=http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/ccg/pdfs/Vol3-IntroSAGD.pdf|title=Guide to SAGD (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage) Reservoir Characterization Using Geostatistics|publisher=Centre for Computational Geostatistics|author1=C.V. Deutsch|author2=J.A. McLennan|year=2005|accessdate=27 December 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209030733/http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/ccg/pdfs/Vol3-IntroSAGD.pdf|archivedate=2008-12-09|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Technologies==
{{See also|Steam assisted gravity drainage|Alberta Taciuk Process}}

Most notable technologies developed with assistance of AOSTRA include of [[steam assisted gravity drainage|Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD)]], OSLO [[Cold water extraction|Cold Water Extraction]] (OCWE) and [[Alberta Taciuk Process|Alberta Taciuk Process (ATP)]].<ref name=technology/><ref name=sagd>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.advancededucation.gov.ab.ca/technology/wwwtechnology_asp/techprior/techcomm/energy/energy_stories_936.asp
|title=Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD)
|publisher=[[Executive Council of Alberta|Government of Alberta]]
|accessdate=27 December 2008
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080330020830/http://www.advancededucation.gov.ab.ca/technology/wwwtechnology_asp/techprior/techcomm/energy/energy_stories_936.asp
|archivedate=30 March 2008
}}
</ref><ref name=ocwe>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.advancededucation.gov.ab.ca/technology/wwwtechnology_asp/techprior/techcomm/energy/energy_stories_938.asp
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121127072232/http://www.advancededucation.gov.ab.ca/technology/wwwtechnology_asp/techprior/techcomm/energy/energy_stories_938.asp
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=27 November 2012
|title=OSLO Cold Water Extraction (OCWE)
|publisher=[[Executive Council of Alberta|Government of Alberta]]
|accessdate=27 December 2008
}}
</ref><ref name=atp>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.advancededandtech.alberta.ca/technology/wwwtechnology_asp/techprior/techcomm/energy/energy_stories_937.asp
|title=AOSTRA-Taciuk Process (ATP)
|publisher=[[Executive Council of Alberta|Government of Alberta]]
|accessdate=27 December 2008
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304144445/http://www.advancededandtech.alberta.ca/technology/wwwtechnology_asp/techprior/techcomm/energy/energy_stories_937.asp
|archivedate=4 March 2009
}}
</ref><ref name=brandt>
{{Cite journal
| last= Brandt | first= Adam R.
| title= Converting Green River oil shale to liquid fuels with the Alberta Taciuk Processor: energy inputs and greenhouse gas emissions
| journal = Energy & Fuels
| date=2009-08-04
| volume = 23
| issue = 12
| pages = 6253–6258
| doi = 10.1021/ef900678d

| id = {{subscription required}}}}
</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Defunct Alberta government departments and agencies]]
[[Category:History of the petroleum industry in Alberta]]
[[Category:Crown corporations of Alberta]]
[[Category:Bituminous sands of Canada]]
[[Category:Energy companies established in 1974]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 1974]]
[[Category:Research institutes established in 1974]]
[[Category:1974 establishments in Alberta]]

Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority - Revision history

imported>Bo-3903: Adding short description: "Alberta corporation"