Research under this theme focuses on knowledge development contributing to the demonstration that CCGS is a safe, reliable and environmentally beneficial practice for long-term CO₂ storage (the order of thousands of years).

Research under this theme focuses on the science essential to minerals processing and beneficiation of metals, thermal and metallurgical coals and water-based oil sands extraction.

Research done at C⁵MPT is aimed at fundamentally changing the way bitumen, asphaltenes and low rank coal is converted and upgraded. The potential to convert low value solids into higher-value liquid products is one of the technical challenges being studied.

Research under the clean coal theme focuses on: coal cleaning and upgrading of both thermal and coking coals, multi pollutant control strategies, clean coal technologies to capture CO₂ and CH₄ in order to reduce GHG and other emissions, value added products, and underground coal gasification. 

IOSI research is working toward new methods for the rapid dewatering of tailings, as well as integrating the extraction process with tailings management.

IOSI supports research on new approaches to separation of desirable from undesirable components, reaction of bitumen feeds, catalysis, and production of value-added products. The emphasis of the research is to improve value and at the same time reduce energy consumption and the release of greenhouse gases.

This theme will look at the development of novel sensors or adaptation of existing sensors from other industries for the rapid real-time online measurements of pertinent operational parameters in oil sands extraction and froth treatment process streams.

IOSI supports research leading to water-free processing of oil sands, including technologies that use substantially smaller volumes of water.