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Inventors Dr Xue-Dong Yang (University of Regin) and Dr Orland Hoeber (Memorial University) believe the market opportunity for this technology is promising and further development continues. HotMap™ and WordBars web search interface software prototype systems which use interactive visualization to allow computer users to take a more active role in the Internet search process. Hoeber, a former doctoral student at the U of R, explains more about the software.

“These prototype systems represent instances of next-generation Web search systems,” Hoeber says. “They allow for interactive web searches that display results in a graphical, abstract style of presentation. They are general purpose interfaces, providing an intuitive way to search the Internet. They are easy to learn, and provide methods for visually exploring search results.”

The technology may also have other uses, according to Yang, who was Hoeber’s PhD supervisor.

“Our work on the HotMap™ and WordBars web search software has the potential to make Internet searching more productive in the future,” Yang says. “At the same time, these technologies can be applied to searching within other domains and databases, and will soon touch each of us in our daily pursuit of information.”

Patents and a trademark have been filed to protect the intellectual property associated with this research, and plans are currently underway for the creation of a public Internet search engine based on the prototype systems.

“Climate Ventures' connections with both investors and large industry partners will enhance the potential for these search technologies to be transferred to the marketplace for the benefit of Canada and the University of RRegina,” says President, Henry Jaffe. Climate Ventures will conduct a market assessment and develop a go to market plan to map out a commercialization scenario.

"The general purpose of the invention is to build very accurate 2D/3D reservoir model to analyze actual reservoir information, which implies that actual reservoir heterogeneity and complex wellbore conditions are integrated in the simulation study," explains University of Regina researcher, Dr. Gang Zhao. "Great potential for extensive research progresses in several aspects that are currently confronting industrial engineering practice."

In July 2009 the University of Regina filed a US provisional patent to protect the innovative 3D reservoir modeling technologies created by Dr. Gang Zhao. This is a new product over traditional simulation based on finite difference calculation of differentiate terms. The invention greatly improves the computational accuracy and reaches reliable derivative values of target parameters (pressure, temperature, and others). This technology can be applied to many applications including: reservoir property mapping, well performance analysis, CO2 storage monitoring and analysis, dynamic geostatic modeling, and technical challenges in structured matrix computation and parallel high performance computation.

"We will test the product description with selected industry experts for uniqueness, value-add, cost, procurement behaviour and functionality requirements and develop a go to market plan," says President, Henry Jaffe.

Part of this plan is to define requirements for running the software on the new IPAC-CO2 Research Inc. (IPAC-CO2) grid computing so that members can access it. Members will include the largest oil companies in the world. An examination will be made of the requirements to enable this simulation software to be offered to IPAC-CO2 members through the grid computing portal greatly accelerating opportunities for commercial uptake.

Climate Ventures, a Regina, Saskatchewan-based Sustainable Business Engineering firm announces the availability of its Benefit Potential Assessment offering. The Benefit Potential Assessment is a unique assessment tool to help Climate Ventures’ consultants converse with their client to enable them to make better decisions on the development of their innovation assets. These conversations provide actionable decision support information such as the market benefit potential of our clients’ innovation portfolio and the extent to which Climate Ventures can help the client realize that potential.

The assessment deliverables include:

• Innovation Value Potential
• Value Realization Options
• Knowledge Gaps
• Risks
• Vision, Strategy and Possible End State
• Cost benefit of Climate Ventures Offering

For a limited time Climate Ventures is offering this assessment for free. Learn more.Learn more.

Climate Ventures Inc, a Regina, Saskatchewan-based Sustainable Business and Community Engineering firm has completed the first phase of the implementation of a Community of Practice for IPAC-CO2, a federally- incorporated, not- for- profit organization that has established an international network to benchmark, evaluate and provide advice on the risks and performance of geological storage of carbon dioxide.

The IPAC-CO2 Community of Practice (www.ipac-co2.org) will connect experts from around the world in to engage in the reduction of risk and the realisation of the carbon capture and storage industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The IPAC-CO2 Community of Practice will facilitate and support this global scientific community through the development of best practices, standards and tools for CO2 storage.

It will maximize the opportunities and benefits of global collaboration, while preserving the capability for independent CS research in various international nodes.

The IPAC-CO2 Community of Practice’s implementation objectives are to create:

• An online mechanism whereby researchers and practitioners can share, exchange and develop best practices, standards and tools for the mitigation of the risks of geological storage of CO2;
• A mechanism to track, prioritize and communicate community activities on key processes such as standards setting and best practices development;
• A global online platform to provide advanced knowledge sharing and collaborative services;
• A comprehensive knowledge base for geological storage of CO2;
• The preferred destination resource for the sourcing, engagement and collaboration of global geological storage skills and resources.

The IPAC-CO2 CoP, through an online services, model:

• Supports building of teams within a globally dispersed, but interconnected “community” of high calibre researchers, to develop and manage various CO2 storage programs and functions;
• Facilitates the sharing of geological storage of CO2 information, and training and education programs between governments, universities, NGOs and companies;
• Enables project collaboration between international organizations engaged in risk assessment research on geological storage of CO2
• Simplifies access to resources and expertise to assist companies in designing, preparing and implementing geological storage of CO2 projects;
• Provides a communications capability for generating public awareness and coordinating outreach;

Key features of the IPAC-CO2 CoP include:

• Secure access control and management to ensure information is shared on a basis which rewards contribution to the CoP knowledgebase;
• Business Process and Workflow Management to map community activities to specific workflows and business process that are crucial to the community;
• Develop best practices wiki;
• Secure site creation and management;
• Professional training, certification and testing;
• Integrate with standard setting and regulatory workflows such as CSA, IPCC, EU, and Clean Development Mechanism workflows;
• Collaborative documentation review and editing;
• Community engagement through blogs, forums;
• Knowledge exchanges to enable “knowledge bartering”
• High performance computing gateway;
• Member knowledge profile;
• Real time alerting for important events
• Member reputation management