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Further investment for CelluForce’s oil and gas research

A supplier of oil and gas extraction technology has made an investment in CelluForce to explore the use of nanocellulose to enhance the productivity of oil and gas wells. Details of the investment by Schlumberger will remain confidential.

This infusion of funds follows a $4-million grant announced in February 2015 from the federal organization Sustainable Development Technology Canada for similar research and development work.

CelluForce, a joint venture between Domtar and FPInnovations, manufactures nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC, also called cellulose nanocrystals) using a patented process in a facility located at Domtar’s pulp mill in Windsor, Quebec.

“Innovation is one of our core values at Domtar, so we are pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with Schlumberger, a recognized technology innovator in hydrocarbon recovery and production,” said Patrick Loulou, Domtar’s senior vice-president for corporate development and a member of CelluForce’s board of directors.

“The Schlumberger investment, coupled with the recent grant from SDTC, creates positive momentum in realizing the benefits of using NCC to improve the efficiency of oil and gas production,” said Richard Berry, chief technology officer at CelluForce.

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