What is a refinery upgrader?
What is a refinery upgrader?
An upgrader is a plant used to lower the density of extra-heavy crude oil (bitumen) before sending it to market. Upgraders employ standard refining bottoms conversion processes such as cokers and resid hydrocrackers to crack extra-heavy crude into a mix of lighter components.
What is an upgrader in oil and gas?
Upgraders. Upgraders are facilities that improve (or ‘upgrade’) the quality of crude oil products such as bitumen, which is very viscous and dense, to synthetic crude oil. This is done by breaking down large oil molecules into smaller ones by injecting fluids or adding heat.
What does a bitumen upgrader do?
Bitumen upgrading is the chemical treatment of bitumen that is used in an attempt to increase its value by creating a substitute for high quality crude oil, known as a synthetic crude oil. Generally this involves reducing the viscosity of the bitumen to allow for shipment.
Who owns the Shell Scotford refinery?
The Scotford upgrader is owned by the Athabasca Oil Sands Project (AOSP), a joint venture between Canadian Natural Resources (70%), Chevron Canada (20%), and Shell Canada (10%).
How many upgraders are there in Alberta?
Figure 1: Western Canada’s upgraders and bitumen refineries
| Active Upgraders Capacity | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 203.0 | 1 277.0 |
| Saskatchewan | 20.7 | 130.5 |
| Western Canada | 223.8 | 1 407.5 |
Can you make gas from tar sand?
On a lifetime basis, a gallon of gasoline made from tar sands produces about 15% more carbon dioxide emissions than one made from conventional oil. This important difference is attributable to the energy intensive extraction, upgrading, and refining process.
How is bitumen turned into crude oil?
BITUMEN UPGRADING Upgrading is a process by which bitumen is transformed into a lighter and sweeter crude by fractionation and chemical treatment. This improves the quality of the oil, reducing its viscosity and sulphur content. The SCO product is then sent to a downstream refinery for conversion into final product.
How is bitumen refined?
Refining bitumen generally requires a process called coking. Coking removes the excess carbon in the bitumen and distils it into a solid substance similar to coal called petroleum coke or petcoke.
Can you make gasoline out of bitumen?
Bitumen is made of hydrocarbons—the same molecules in liquid oil—and is used to produce gasoline and other petroleum products. Extracting bitumen from tar sands—and refining it into products like gasoline—is significantly costlier and more difficult than extracting and refining liquid oil.
How many oil refineries are there in Edmonton?
There are four operating refineries in Alberta with a combined crude processing capacity of over 458,200 bbl/d.
When was Shell Scotford built?
Overview. Shell Scotford opened in 1984 with the Shell Scotford Refinery and Chemicals Plant. The Shell-operated Scotford Upgrader was expanded in 2011 and the Shell-operated Quest CCS facility was added in 2015.
Does Alberta refine its own oil?
Canada has 17 refineries in operation, with 14 refineries producing gasoline 2. Generally, refineries are located on major waterways, near major cities, or near crude oil production. For example, all Alberta refineries are located in the heart of the WCSB, where they source their crude oil.
