JACOS

Infobox Company
company_name = Japan Canada Oil Sands Limited
company_
company_type = Corporation
genre =
foundation = 1978
founder =
location_city = flagicon|Canada Calgary
location_country = Canada
location =
origins =
key_people = Toshiyuki (Toshi) Hirata, President
area_served = Athabasca
industry = Heavy oil and bitumen production
products =
services =
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
num_employees =
parent = JAPEX (Japan Petroleum Exploration Company Limited)
divisions =
subsid =
owner =
homepage=http://www.jacos.com

Japan Canada Oil Sands Limited (JACOS) is an oil sands extraction company. It is the operator of the Hangingstone oil sands project. JACOS is a subsidiary of JAPEX (Japan Petroleum Exploration Company Limited), which owns 86% share in the company. Minor shareholders are Inpex (5%), Mitsui (4%), and Japanese financial institutions (3%).cite news
url = http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=5346caff-5034-4620-b650-e0f2066d8e0d
title = Company plans more than 100 oilsands wells
publisher = The Vancouver Sun
date = 2007-04-13
accessdate = 2008-03-15]

History

JACOS started oil sands activities in the Athabasca area in 1978 on leases held by Petro-Canada, Canadian Occidental (Nexen) and Imperial Oil to form the PCEJ group.cite news
url = http://www.acr-alberta.com/about_ACR/Profiles/Japan_Canada_Oil_Sands.htm
title = Long focus brings good yield for JACOS!
publisher = Alberta Chamber of Resources
accessdate = 2008-03-15] It was the first Asian-owned oil company to exploit the Athabasca oil sands. JACOS and its partners experimented with a cyclic steam stimulation (CSS) pilot project on the Hangingstone Lease from 1984 to 1994.cite web
url =http://www.ercb.ca/docs/products/osprogressreports/2006/2006AthabascaJACOSHangingstoneSAGD8788.pdf
title = Japan Canada Oil Sands Ltd. Hangingstone demo project 2005
publisher = Energy resources conservation board
date = 2006-03-07
accessdate = 2008-03-13]

In 1992, JACOS parent company JAPEX participated in the Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority (AOSTRA) steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) pilot experiments at the underground test facility (UTF) site.cite paper
url = http://www.iseee.ca/iseee/files/iseee/ABEnergyFutures-20.pdf
title = Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD): A Unique Alberta Success Story with Implications for Future Investment in Energy Innovation. Paper No. 20 of the Alberta Energy Futures Project
author=Wayne Patton, Ian Gates, Tom Harding, Mark Lowey, Ron Schlenker
publisher = Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy (ISEEE)
format=PDF
date=November 2006
accessdate = 2008-03-15] With the positive results from the UTF project, JACOS decided to further pursue SAGD technology at the Hangingstone site. A 3-phase demonstration project was designed and constructed with the first phase becoming operational in 1999.

Operations

The JACOS Hangingstone SAGD facilities are located on Lease OSL70, approximately convert|50|km|mi|0 southwest of Fort McMurray and convert|25|km|mi|0 west of the community of Anzac. It currently operates 15 horizontal well pairs and the production is approximately 8,000-8,500 barrels of bitumen per day.cite paper | url = http://www.alberta-canada.com/energyCommodities/files/pdf/oilSandsUpdate_December_2007.pdf | title = Alberta Oil Sands Industry Update | publisher = Alberta Employment, Immigration and Industry | format=PDF | date=December 2007 | accessdate = 2008-03-15]

JACOS (75%) and Nexen (25%) are pursuing development plans for the larger portion of the Hangingstone lease. An extensive 3-D seismic program was conducted over part of the prospective bitumen area in 2002. Additional exploration core-hole drilling and a 3-D seismic survey began in the winters of 2007 and 2008 to further delineate and define the size and extent of the bitumen resource. The company plans to drill more than 100 delineation wells. This is the first step for setting up a commercial venture with capacity of up to convert|35000|oilbbl/d|m3/d.cite news | url = http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/calgarybusiness/story.html?id=07d06619-d06b-4221-9fac-64606865e510&k=48476 | title = Japan Canada Oil Sands presses ahead | author=Ashok Dutta | publisher = Calgary Herald |date = 2007-04-12 | accessdate = 2008-03-15] The potential start-up of the new facilities would be by 2014.

JACOS together with N-Solv is currently working on a demonstration plant, to be operational in 2008. The pilot plant will use N-Solv "in-situ" extraction technology. This technology uses solvents to extract bitumen from "in-situ" oil sand reserves.cite news | url = http://www.upstreamonline.com/live/article123266.ece | title = Pair plan N-Solv oil sands pilot | publisher = Upstream Online |date = 2006-11-21 | accessdate = 2008-03-15] The plant would have a peak capacity of about convert|2000|oilbbl/d|m3/d of bitumen production. Total pilot plant construction costs are expected to be about US$45 million.cite news | url = http://www.downstreamtoday.com/News/Articles/200611/Enbridge_Hatch_Invest_in_N_Solve_to_Bui_258.aspx | title = Enbridge, Hatch Invest in N-Solve to Build Oil Sands Pilot Plan | publisher = Downstream Today |date = 2006-11-20 | accessdate = 2008-03-15]

See also

*Tar sands
*History of the petroleum industry in Canada (oil sands and heavy oil)

References and links