In 2017, we invested approximately $350 million in technology development and deployment as part of a robust technology strategy, to optimize current assets and develop next-generation facilities. Significantly cheaper than a full upgrader. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings. In 2012 Suncor Energy Inc. cancelled the construction of its $11.4-billion Voyageur Upgrader, and in 2016 CNOOC suspended plans for an upgrader at its steam-driven Long Lake oilsands lease. “You don’t have to all or nothing—it’s not [either] raw bitumen or synthetic crude.”. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. Oilsands & Heavy Oil Since Alberta's crude must compete with other global sources, producers are therefore forced to take a significant haircut to get their oil to Chicago or Houston, where most of the customers are located. Product Blending: The different liquid fractions produced by the upgrader are then blended together to produce the desired crude oil product specification. Suncor's operations include oil sands development and upgrading, offshore oil and gas production, petroleum refining, and product marketing under the Petro-Canada brand. A higher H:C ratio is indicative of a better quality crude. Reporting by Rod Nickel in Winnipeg, Manitoba; Editing by Tom Brown. But it comes at a significant cost and isn't a viable alternative to building more pipelines. Upgrading is a process by which bitumen is transformed into light/sweet synthetic crude oil (SCO) by fractionation and chemical treatment, removing virtually all traces of sulphur and heavy metals. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. In 2004, the Alberta Government partnered with North West Refining to build a new 50,000 bbl/day bitumen processing plant in Sturgeon County, Alberta. Once received at the refinery, the diluent is removed and returned back to northern Alberta. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Coke-fired boilers are the cheaper alternative but produce higher CO₂ emissions. Although flowsheets can vary among the operators, upgrading heavy bitumen to a light synthetic crude involves 5 basic steps: 1.   Sour Water Stripper: Hydrogen sulphide and ammonia are stripped from sour water streams and also sent to the Sulphur Recovery Unit. WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Canada’s struggling oil industry is looking to what is known as partial upgrading technology to thin its sludge-like crude and squeeze more of it through congested pipelines. Carbon removal can also be achieved through solvent de-asphalting, where the very heavy-ends of the bitumen (asphaltenes) are removed through the addition of pentane. Unless the producer has a dedicated pipeline or relies on crude-by-rail, partially upgraded bitumen will travel on the same network as diluted bitumen. Our early investments in technology helped unlock the potential of the oilsands, by improving reliability and performance, expanding productivity and driving down costs while reducing our environmental footprint. “There’s a case to be made for product diversification,” said IHS Vice President Kevin Birn. Impurity Removal: Sulphur and nitrogen are removed, producing hydrogen sulphide and ammonia during a process known as catalytic hydrotreating. 2. One producer needs to swallow all the costs, but the benefit in terms of price uplift would be negligible, unless many producers also take the plunge. Residual sulphur is oxidized with sulphur dioxide, before being discharged to atmosphere. Suncor's common shares (symbol: SU) are listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges. The Sturgeon Refinery, now co-owned with Canadian Natural Resources, began processing diluted bitumen in May 2020, producing diesel and various other refinery input streams. The technology produces fuel compliant with tougher shipping emission requirements that take effect next year, said co-founder Neil Camarta. Suncor pioneered oilsands development. That all adds to the cost of production. By way of comparison the Hi-Q partial upgrading process, currently being developed by Calgary-based Meg Energy Corp., is expected to cost about $3 billion, or roughly $30,000 per barrel per day. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. This diluent is typically a naphthenic solvent (commonly referred to as naphtha) but can also be a paraffinic solvent or condensate. About 35% of bitumen produced from the oil sands is upgraded into synthetic crude before being sold to market. Heavy to Light Conversion: The lower-value heavy portion of the bitumen is converted into lighter hydrocarbons. SCO sells at a wide premium to diluted bitumen, typically close to par with WTI. Suncor Base Plant and Millennium.

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