PTRC begins expansion of its research program

Not-for-profit to help develop all kinds of subsurface energy

Measurement and monitoring super station at Aquistore.

Erik Nickel understands better than most people in Saskatchewan how technology has changed the energy industry in the province for the last 20 years. From his studies 27 years ago at the University of Saskatchewan, through his early days working the oil rigs between an undergraduate degree and his master’s in geology at the University of Regina, Nickel has experienced the direct impact of new methods, processes and priorities in oil and gas, and in the wider field of energy development.

“Saskatchewan’s energy industry has been transformed over the years by revolutions in technology,” notes Nickel from his office in the PTRC building at Innovation Place in Regina. “From something as important as horizontal drilling and multi-stage fracking, which has allowed for the Bakken formation to be exploited in southeastern Saskatchewan, to the development of the first carbon capture facility on a coal-fired power station, this province has been on the cutting edge of innovation.”

The province’s evolution in energy development is reflected in Nickel’s professional journey, from his oil patch work between semesters at university, to his M.Sc. degree in geology, which included key research that led to the advancement of the Weyburn-Midale CO2 Monitoring and Storage Project.

“My years at the Saskatchewan Geological Survey reinforced my belief that much of the best geological research in the world is being done here, particularly as it relates to sub-surface energy,” he says. “The colleagues at the SGS, at the core lab located in Regina, and at the PTRC where I now work, have helped innovators realize their goals. That includes companies in industries

Eric Nickel.

as diverse as potash and lithium mining, geothermal energy production and helium extraction. Innovation and advancements in R&D have created whole new areas of employment opportunities across Western Canada.”

In his position as director of operations at the PTRC, Nickel has likewise seen the expansion of the company’s research network, from agreements and MOUs with organizations like Deep Earth Energy Production (DEEP) to share information and data on the potential use of CO2 in geothermal energy production, to the potential application of artificial intelligence and big data to improve the environmental impacts of oil production, or locating and exploiting minerals like lithium.

“The world is changing, and so is the PTRC. I think the next few years look exciting for us, and the province.”