Dr. Murray Gray - University of Alberta, Deptartment of Chemical Engineering

Dr. Murray Gray is the scientific director for The Centre for Oil Sands Innovation. Information for prospective students can be found on the COSI Qualifications and Applications page.

The common link between high temperature cracking of Alberta oilsands bitumen and biotransformation of hydrocarbons is the importance of reaction and transport. My research is dedicated to the understanding of these reactions and transport processes, with applications ranging from upgrading of heavy oil to biological products. Working in multidisciplinary teams to bring chemistry, physics and biology to bear, we gain exciting new insights in the following areas:

Upgrading of oilsands bitumen and heavy petroleum oils

With over 3 trillion barrels of oil in place, the oilsands of Alberta are a secure source of petroleum that rivals the resources of the Middle East. The research challenge is to find better ways of upgrading the oil to meet consumer and environmental needs.

Bioremediation and Bioprocessing

Environmental contamination by hydrophobic compounds is widespread, including petroleum spills, creosote and industrial solvents. Our interest is to use a combination of transport processes and biological activity in order to eliminate these contaminants permanently and economically.

Bacteria and fungi have the ability to grow on a range of hydrophobic materials, such as hydrocarbons and organic sulfur and nitrogen compounds. While the objective of bacteria is to convert these compounds to carbon dioxide and more bacteria, we can harness their enzymes to achieve important and interesting reactions.

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