About

Dave Hassan

President

I am an innovator in the energy and environment space who is passionate about finding creative solutions to complex problems.

I have over 35 years of practical experience and expertise in oil sands and heavy oil, venture investing, CO2 EOR, leadership, strategic planning and economics. I also have experience in Board governance, public consultation and regulatory processes and was an expert witness in a regulatory proceeding.

As Vice President of Cenovus Environmental Opportunity Fund Ltd., I was responsible for overseeing the activity of two investment funds, one dedicated to improving energy efficiency within Cenovus' operations and the other directed externally to companies and research groups that are developing technologies to reduce the environmental impact of energy production and consumption.

I am a co-inventor on two patents for oil sands/heavy oil technology. I also directed a project that received an APEGGA Summit Award for Project Achievement. I have authored or co- authored several papers, one of which received a Canadian Heavy Oil Association award for Best Technical Paper.

I have a B.A.Sc. in Geological Engineering, numerous business, technical and leadership courses and a Venture Capital Executive certificate.

Some of Dave's technical and business innovations

Borehole analysis to confirm in-situ stress orientation supporting waterflood re-alignments to improve recovery.
Re-focusing strategy to develop cold production vs. thermal reservoirs leading to successful commercial projects.
Negotiation of fiscal and regulatory regimes for cold oil sands production enabling development
Insistence on “control tests” proving that “promising technology” was no better than base case.
Cyclic combustion test at Pelican proving potential to increase recovery.
Recognized potential of Pelican play. Led farm-in, land sale and development in successful commercial project.
Conceived open hole horizontal well completions at Pelican.
Built on open hole success to develop simplified multi-lateral wells. Cost savings led to first oil sands project to achieve royalty payout.
Conceived and tested intersecting wells that allow greatly reduced road and facilities costs.
Championed autumn road construction in muskeg leading to reduced costs.
Used fibreglass tubing for polymer injection to reduce polymer degradation.
Used water source and disposal wells to save cost of water recirculation line.
Lead role in OSL acquisition team. Recommended purchase of a mining lease; a first for the company.
Recommended organizational changes to improve reservoir management.
Prevented erroneous conclusions on CO2 containment by insisting on control points.
Conceived method of increasing CO2 recycle capacity by re-staging existing compressors and adding a pump saving time and money vs. a new compressor.
Led an infill drilling program with 8 out of 15 of the highest IP non-thermal wells in Western Canada 2004-2006.
Revised investment model allowing better access to leading edge technology developers who could not accept the existing model.
Convinced an oil company to invest in an “outrageously ambitious” fusion start-up that could revolutionize energy production. How cool is that!?!