News Archives
PRAC-funded alumnus enjoys continued commercial success with technologies developed
May 2, 2008 - Mad Rock Marine Solutions, a privately owned Canadian company and a world leader in emergency evacuation technologies is pleased to announce the signing of a long term agreement with Teekay Shipping Limited (Canada) that entails the replacement of a significant number of Teekay’s existing lifeboat hooks with Mad Rock’s RocLoc system.
The replacement program will begin in May 2008 with the retro-fit of lifeboat hooks on the Americas Spirit and European Spirit. An additional 13 ships are scheduled to be completed by November 2008.
Since gaining type approval, the RocLoc system has developed market recognition for its fail-closed design, stainless steel construction, high reliability, and minimum maintenance requirements.
In recent discussions at IMO, the use of “fail-safe” hooks was promoted as a safer alternative to the more common “fail-open” hook designs in reducing deaths and serious injuries resulting from incidents of lifeboat accidents. MCA, Intertanko, and other shipping interests have indicated their preference for the “fail-safe” designs.
“This is the largest scale project that Mad Rock has undertaken to date, and we are very grateful to the Teekay organization for selecting the RocLoc system and allowing us to illustrate Mad Rock’s capabilities.” states Mr. Dean Pelley, CEO/President. “We strongly believe that Mad Rock not only provides a superior technology but also the engineering and regulatory expertise to accomplish this project.”
Mad Rock continues to strengthen its expertise and technology development program through interaction with leading edge researchers at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador and the National Research Council of Canada/Institute for Ocean Technology’s marine safety research team.
This group of evacuation system experts has been doing research in all aspects of marine evacuation for 10 years and has published over 30 scientific research papers on the subject.
*Taking advantage of PRAC Transfer to Usability (TTU) funding program, Mad Rock was able to develop and test five prototypes, leading to future success in their industry ventures.
New R&D Award Announced; Nomination Call
On May 8th, 2007 PRAC will present its 1st Annual Awards for Excellence at the 2007 Annual Atlantic Petroleum R&D Forum.
These two awards will recognize an outstanding researcher in Atlantic Canadian petroleum R&D, and highlight the unremunerated contribution of a company active in supporting regional R&D.
PRAC invites its members, associates and the general public to submit nominations for these awards. Nomination forms, award criteria and details available here.
Deadline: 5 p.m. (NST) on Friday, March 23, 2007.
Energy R&D Forum Evaluation and Synthesis Report
October 2006 - PRAC has prepared and released a synthesis of presentations and evaluation report for the 2006 Energy R&D Forum. This information has been released on behalf of the Nova Scotia Department of Energy and Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
For more information visit www.energyresearch.ca and click on the ?Energy Research and Development Forum 2006? banner.
Petroleum Industry Transforms Provincial Economy
St. John’s
Petroleum Research Atlantic Canada (PRAC) released a new study today documenting how the oil and gas industry has made a major contribution to the province. For instance, there has been a steady increase in the number of jobs as a result of oil and gas activity. The industry has also advanced the province’s research and development sector, helping position
The research, carried out by Jacques Whitford of
According to the study’s author, Mark Shrimpton of Jacques Whitford, the oil and gas industry has changed how people conduct business in the province. "Companies are now more ambitious, more competitive and more confident," says Shrimpton. "The industry has also encouraged the adoption of international standards and business practices in such areas as health and safety, quality management and document control. This is all transformational change."
PRAC’s Acting President, Carey Ryan adds, "This is an unbiased study, independently conducted by the third-party consultant with assistance from the Government of Newfoundland and
PRAC, the
PRAC contributes to $1.45 million CNG project
"Trans Ocean Gas is pleased that PRAC has identified the importance of our emerging technology and recognizes the potential for job creation and other economic impacts that will come from its use," says Steve Campbell, president of Trans Ocean Gas. "We are confident that the regulatory approval necessary to commercialize our technology will be received within the next twelve months. We look forward to a bright and prosperous future here in Atlantic Canada." PRAC’s $50,000 contribution toward this $1.45 million project assisted Trans Ocean Gas in obtaining significant additional public funds. "Although this technology holds world-wide appeal, it may also facilitate the exploitation of vast stranded natural gas reserves off the East Coast of Canada. Until now, stranded natural gas fields were too isolated or too small to make use of expensive pipeline or liquefied natural gas (LNG) systems," says John Melville, Director of Research Planning and industry liaison with PRAC. Currently, there are billions of dollars worth of stranded natural gas located offshore in the Atlantic region. "Trans Ocean Gas CNG technology has the potential to change this forever, and may allow smaller, more isolated fields to be developed at less cost than would otherwise be the case with older technologies," says Melville. Trans Ocean Gas is the exclusive licensee of the patent to use FRP pressure vessels to transport CNG by truck, by train, by road and by modal containment. PRAC is a federally incorporated, not for profit, public-private partnership that started operations in 1999. PRAC is committed to increasing the capacity and the scale of petroleum-related research and development in Atlantic Canada. PRAC operates from full-time offices in
Science on the Road Promotes Fun Science to Students Across Nova Scotia
October 27, 2004 The aim of the Science on the Road program is to entice interest in science through an informal, interactive, hands-on approach. As the name implies, Science on the Road is a mobile program where a staff member from Discovery Centre travels to elementary schools across the province to facilitate fun scientific activities similar to those at the Centre. Children in grades four, five and six who normally are not able to make the trip to Halifax can learn about science by "doing" science in their own classroom. "We started Science on the Road in September 2003 because we wanted to ensure that all students in Nova Scotia have the opportunity to take part in Discovery Centre activities," says Liz Batstone, Executive Director of Discovery Centre. "The first year was a huge success. The $5,000 grant donated by PRAC and funding from our other partners will ensure that the program continues to spread enthusiasm for science and technology in our second year." "PRAC is pleased to be part of the Science on the Road program," says the organization's president Lee Shinkle. "We highly support Discovery Centre and the notion of exposing people of all ages to science." Discovery Centre is a not for profit organization and an integral part of the community, complementing the education system by presenting science and technology in a fun and innovative way. PRAC is a federally incorporated, not for profit, public-private partnership, that is committed to increasing the capacity and scale of petroleum related research and development in Atlantic Canada. Through Science on the Road, Discovery Centre, PRAC and other funding partners hope to facilitate the realization that science is everywhere and in everything. To learn more about this program, Discovery Centre or PRAC, please visit their respective Web sites at www.discoverycentre.ns.ca and www.pr-ac.ca. Contact Information: Anne Laybolt
Halifax, NS - Recently, Petroleum Research Atlantic Canada (PRAC) has partnered with Discovery Centre to support an existing science and technology program designed to encourage innovation and life-long learning for students across Nova Scotia.
Fund Development Coordinator
Discovery Centre
alaybolt@discoverycentre.ns.ca
(902) 494-4422 ext 231
www.discoverycentre.ns.ca
PRAC Funding Commitments Pass the $3 Million Mark
St. John’s
With these awards, PRAC’s funding contributions have amounted to over $3-million dollars. This funding has provided support to 50 projects and has participated in over $16,000,000 in total research in the region since April 2001. These projects cover a wide spectrum of activity in Atlantic Canada including engineering, natural and human sciences, environment, public policy and socio-economics and education and training.
Outcomes from these projects are designed to increase the pool of human knowledge and to develop world class petroleum R&D capability in Atlantic Canada focused on the unique operating and business challenges associated with this region. PRAC’s grant funded projects have demonstrated a high degree of success. Some of the activities included in one particular focus area are:
- The design of a prototype survival craft training simulator that is intended to assist in improving the safety of offshore installation evacuations during emergency situations;
- The improved design of survival suits for offshore workers; and
- The development of a computer program to evaluate specific platform musters and quantitatively assess the potential for, and consequences of, human error during escapes, evacuations and rescue situations.
The recent project funded under PRAC’s TTU granting stream was Brook Ocean Technology’s deep ocean penetrometer, which is used to free fall through a water column, impact the seabed and record geotechnical and geophysical data (see PRAC Web site for press release). PRAC currently has several other TTU projects under evaluation to assist researchers and entrepreneurs to move their ideas into the commercial marketplace.
Through grants, TTU projects, joint industry projects and public policy research papers, PRAC has been effective in allocating its members’ funding and assistance to the research and development community.
PRAC is a federally incorporated, not for profit, public-private partnership, that is committed to increasing the capacity and scale of petroleum related research and development in Atlantic Canada. PRAC began operation in 1999 and has full-time offices in
Visit PRAC online at www.pr-ac.ca
MOU between PRAC and EniTecnologie of Milan, Italy
March 30, 2004
Halifax, NS - Mr. Lee Shinkle, Executive Director of Petroleum Research Atlantic Canada (PRAC), and Mr. Ugo Romano, Chief Executive Officer of EniTecnologie, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which will enhance the ability of both organizations in participating in each other’s activities. This collaboration will allow each organization to become more aware of specific opportunities that might exist for the cooperation of their members.
The MOU is intended to increase technology transfer/licensing arrangements/joint venture agreements between Italy and Canada to better position Canadian and Italian companies in the world marketplace and to establish a stronger Canadian company presence in Italy, and Italian company presence in Canada. It seeks to improve bilateral research and development activities and expand bilateral activities in both countries.
EniTecnologie, Eni’s Corporate Technology Company, is a professional establishment and one of Italy’s centres of excellence dedicated to research and industrial development towards technological innovation, information, and active in the fields of oil, natural gas, natural gas conversion, downstream oil refining technologies, advanced energy systems and environment and sustainability. It develops innovative solutions and activities covering all aspects of the oil and gas industry: exploration, production, refining, petrochemicals, and the use of petroleum products.
PRAC is a federally incorporated, not for profit, public-private partnership that began operations in 1999. PRAC is committed to increasing the capacity and scale of petroleum related research and development in Atlantic Canada and operates from full-time offices in St. John’s, NL and Halifax, NS and a part-time office in Fredericton, NB. The mandate of PRAC is to foster, fund and facilitate petroleum related inter-disciplinary R & D within Atlantic Canada and the diffusion of that knowledge to the benefit of the region’s economy. Visit PRAC online at www.pr-ac.ca
