Roy Coates

Roy Coates, Research Scientist
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Roy Coates, Associate Research Officer
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Roy Coates is currently an associate research officer with the Petroleum Recovery Institute of the Alberta Research Council.He received his B.Sc. in engineering from the University of Alberta in 1976 and has over 20 years experience in industrial research projects involving production and recovery of heavy oil and oil sand.His principle responsibility at present is as team leader for the Follow Up Processes project within the AACI Research Program.

Project manager of Follow Up Strategic Area of AACI Research Program.

According to Roy Coates of the Alberta Research Council (ARC), bitumen carbonates are now at the place where non-mineable oilsands were some decades ago. Commercial development is in the future-maybe 20 years.

"That's when carbonates will be at the stage where [steam assisted gravity drainage] developments are now," Coates says. "I don't consider SAGD really commercial yet. [Producers] are still trying to optimize the process."

Coates is program manager for the Carbonate Research Program, a 3-year, $2.3 million per year initiative of major companies and two agencies of the Alberta government. He seems fascinated by the challenges of the Grosmont bitumen carbonates, beginning with the matter of where the stuff came from.

"That's something we're looking at. I would venture to say that it is the same oil as in the oilsands," he notes.
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According to Coates, the Grosmont carbonate "almost has three systems of permeability and porosity.
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Coates explains that, "when you try to heat [the] reservoir or inject a fluid into it, because of the fractures, you can't be sure where the steam is going to go."

According to Roy Coates of the Alberta Research Council (ARC), bitumen carbonates are now at the place where non-mineable oilsands were some decades ago. Commercial development is in the future-maybe 20 years.

"That's when carbonates will be at the stage where [steam assisted gravity drainage] developments are now," Coates says. "I don't consider SAGD really commercial yet. [Producers] are still trying to optimize the process."

Coates is program manager for the Carbonate Research Program, a 3-year, $2.3 million per year initiative of major companies and two agencies of the Alberta government. He seems fascinated by the challenges of the Grosmont bitumen carbonates, beginning with the matter of where the stuff came from.

"That's something we're looking at. I would venture to say that it is the same oil as in the oilsands," he notes.
...
According to Coates, the Grosmont carbonate "almost has three systems of permeability and porosity."
...
Coates explains that "when you try to heat [the] reservoir or inject a fluid into it, because of the fractures, you can't be sure where the steam is going to go."

Carbonate researchers (l-r): Ernie Perkins, Roy Coates and Jose Alvarez discuss their work at the Edmonton Alberta Research Council.

Carbonate researchers (l-r): Ernie Perkins, Roy Coates and Jose Alvarez discuss their work at the Edmonton Alberta Research Council.
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While some have moved on to other projects, three of the original members-Alvarez, Coates, and Perkins-remain active participants.
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According to Coates, ARC has three major roles in the carbonate research program:
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Those decisions will be made in consultation with the funders, says Coates.

He adds that the ultimate goal of the multi-disciplinary, three-year program is to move towards conducting pilot tests.
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Coates has garnered a reputation for his exceptional listening skills and his diplomacy, but he says acting as the liaison between the funders and the research providers can be challenging.

"We have seven funders; five of them are oil companies with their own research needs," he explains. "For me, the hardest part is offering an integrated research program that takes into consideration the different needs of each producer then taking that to the research providers."

But after 33 years at ARC, Coates has mastered the art of managing complex research programs. He also draws on his experience with oilsands.

"There has been some research on the carbonates in the past, but we're [really] right at the beginning," he says. "We're using the oilands as a model for the development of the resources."
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Coates explains that there is an additional one-year period between reporting of results to the participants and possible publication. Even then, the information published must be approved by the program steering committee.

Roy Coates, Heavy Oil & Oil Sands ho&os@arc.ab.ca

Roy Coates, Ph. (780) 450-5261 Heavy oil & bitumen recovery using both thermal & non-thermal processes.

Roy CoatesAlberta Research Council IncAugust 3 , 1999 , DATE : [ 08/03/1999 ]

Field Upgrading Options - Roy Coates, ARC

According to Roy Coates of the Alberta Research Council (ARC), bitumen carbonates are now at the place where non-mineable oilsands were some decades ago. Commercial development is in the future-maybe 20 years.

"That's when carbonates will be at the stage where [steam assisted gravity drainage] developments are now," Coates says. "I don't consider SAGD really commercial yet. [Producers] are still trying to optimize the process."

Coates is program manager for the Carbonate Research Program, a 3-year, $2.3 million per year initiative of major companies and two agencies of the Alberta government. He seems fascinated by the challenges of the Grosmont bitumen carbonates, beginning with the matter of where the stuff came from.

"That's something we're looking at. I would venture to say that it is the same oil as in the oilsands," he notes.
...
According to Coates, the Grosmont carbonate "almost has three systems of permeability and porosity.
...
Coates explains that "when you try to heat [the] reservoir or inject a fluid into it, because of the fractures, you can't be sure where the steam is going to go."