Calgary firm helps unlock oil reserves

Proflux technology was developed by a team of scientists and researchers at Bradford University in the U.K. as a potential "game-changer" for the heavy oil industry. In 2005 Oilflow Solutions was launched in Aberdeen, Scotland, to develop and commercialize the technology of the Proflux suite of operations, which provides a revolutionary integrated solution to mobilizing heavy oil.

Realizing the need to be better presented in the marketplace and identifying Calgary as the key core market for the application, Oilflow Solutions Canada was formed in 2008 and its centre of operations established here under the leadership of Mike Crabtree, who relocated from the U.K. along with his key scientists and technical specialists.

Crabtree left Oilflow Solutions this year to start his own oil production company and Fred Meyer, who has served 31 years in the oil and gas industry, has taken over as CEO.

Meyer worked for Schlumberger for 27 years in positions including field engineer in Alberta, British Columbia and Newfoundland and district manager of its operations on the East Coast before moving to a sales position in Egypt. He was transferred back to Canada at the start of the Hibernia project and then lived in Bolivia as country manager for a time before leaving Schlumberger in 2007.

Since then, Meyer served as president of TestAlta Services and sales manager for Calmena Energy Services before joining Oilflow Solutions in May of this year.

Its own R&D laboratories are located in northeast Calgary, where four PhDs and a reservoir engineer are on staff, but Meyer is moving his executive and sales office into Calgary Place downtown to be closer to the major oil companies who have been introduced to Oilflow Solutions' unique, patented chemistry.

Through its family of polymer-based products it is looking to be a global leader in unlocking heavy oil by increasing oil production; reducing downtime costs; reducing energy consumption and environmental impact; and increasing reserves.

By reducing flowing viscosity, Proflux is being used in wells to improve production, in pipelines to transport heavy oil, and it improves oil recovery in reservoirs.

Friendly to the environment, Proflux is non-toxic and biodegradable and in some applications, both field-produced water and the product can be recycled. collector of works by Calgary artist Paul Van Ginkel, using his western imagery paintings not only to show off on his office walls but also as graphics for his annual reports.

This year, Ward spoke with Van Ginkel on the possibility of creating a charity calendar. Ward agreed to pay the cost for producing 1,000 calendars that use 20 of the artist's paintings and donate 100 per cent of the proceeds to HOPEthiopia, an organization committed to the restoration of both the people and the land of Ethiopia.

Painted Pony hosted a calendar launch in its office in October and to date, Van Ginkel informs me that more than $40,000 has been raised for the charity.

A public showing and sale will be held at Merlot Vinotecca on Friday and Saturday, when Van Ginkel will be in attendance.

A thank you party was held yesterday at Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, the impressive new facility at Canada Olympic Park that shares the compelling stories of outstanding achievements in Canadian sports.

It was held in honour of Claire Buffone-Blair, who has stepped down from her position as president and CEO after achieving her target of opening the hall on time, under budget and fully financed. She says she has experienced rather a hectic time as director of operations for the Own the Podium initiative and readying and opening the hall, and says she now needs to spend more time with her young family.