The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday, Dec. 9, edition that the federal government is funding
research to understand how
microbes in oil and gas pipelines
cause corrosion, which can cost
the energy sector billions of dollars
a year and increase the risk of
a damaging leak.
The Globe's Eva Uguen-Csenge writes that a $7.8-million grant through
Genome Canada, an organization
created and funded by Ottawa,
will allow four Canadian universities
to collaborate on the
research study.
The corrosion of steel infrastructure
costs the oil industry an
estimated $3-billion to $7-billion
a year, at least 20 per cent of
which may be the result of microbial
activity.
"This is a piece of the puzzle
that's there to help our infrastructure,
to maintain it appropriately
and potentially reduce the number
of failures that occur," said
John Wolodko, one of the project
leads and an associate professor
from the University of Alberta.
The study will also include
researchers from the University of
Calgary, Memorial University in
St. John's and Dalhousie University
in Halifax.
Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan
unveiled the four-year project
in an announcement Thursday in
Montreal.
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