Policy Insights to Accelerate Cleaner Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage Operations

The literature is replete with concerns on the environmental impact of steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), but rigorous analysis of its improved environmental performance over the past 20 years remains unresolved, as well as the underlying technological reasons for this improvement. Here, we present an analysis of historical and future greenhouse gas (GHG) performance of SAGD operations in Alberta, Canada, considering for the first-time factors that affected technology deployment. Depending on the case, the results show a reduction of 1.4–24% of SAGD GHG intensity over the past 12 years. Improvements mainly arise from incremental changes adopted based on technical, environmental, socio-economic, and policy drivers. Considering these factors, we propose policy interventions to accelerate further reductions of GHG emissions. However, if similar behaviour from industry continues, anticipated GHG intensity reduction will range between 6.5–40% by 2030, leading to an intensity between 58 and 68 kgCO2e/bbl. It still remains unclear if in situ oil sands bitumen extraction will reach current conventional oil emission intensities. Thus, we suggest that the SAGD industry drastically accelerate its deployment of cleaner oil sands extraction technologies considering the policy insights proposed.

Rheological Evaluation of Asphalt Cement Derived from Alberta Oil-sand Bitumen at Different Distillation Temperatures

In this study, high, intermediate and low temperature properties of two crude oil asphalts and three asphalts derived from Alberta oil sands bitumen distilled at temperatures of 400 °C, 430 °C and 460 °C were evaluated. High and intermediate temperature properties of the asphalt binders at different distillation temperatures were studied using a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) through the performance grading (PG) tests. Low-temperature properties and performance grading were evaluated using a bending beam rheometer (BBR). The DSR high-temperature analysis indicated that oil sand bitumens distilled at high temperatures have significantly higher stiffness and more resistant to permanent deformation. BBR test results showed that irrespective of the asphalt source, oil sand bitumens distilled at lower temperatures are more resistant to cracking at low temperatures. The overall results indicate that oil sand bitumens are thus suitable to be used for both asphalt pavements requiring low and high-temperature resistance.

Virgin Heavy Gas Oil from Oil Sands Bitumen as FCC Feed

This study deals with a systematic investigation of the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) performance of a bitumen-derived virgin heavy gas oil (HGO) in the presence of its counterpart from bitumen-derived synthetic crude oil (SCO). The objective is to determine the amelioration effect on yield and product slate by the addition of the premium SCO HGO. The 343–525 °C cut virgin bitumen HGO was obtained from distillation of a raw Athabasca oil sands bitumen. It was then blended with different amounts of the 343 °C+ fraction of commercial SCO. Four HGO blends were prepared containing 75, 64, 61, and 48 v% of SCO HGO. Each HGO blend, as well as 100% SCO HGO, were catalytically cracked at 500 and 520 °C using a bench-scale Advanced Cracking Evaluation (ACE) unit. The results show acceptable FCC performance of bitumen virgin HGO when an adequate amount of SCO HGO is added. However, the resulting liquid product may need some quality improvement before use. Several observations, including catalyst poisoning by feed nitrogen and the refractory nature of virgin HGO, are evident and help to explain some observed cracking phenomena.