UpgraderAn upgrader is a facility that upgrades conventional heavy crude oil or extra heavy bitumen, or both, into synthetic crude oil. Upgrader plants are typically located close to oil sands production, including: the Athabasca oil sands in Alberta; the heavy crude oil deposits around Lloydminster in Alberta and Saskatchewan; and the Orinoco tar sands in Venezuela.DilbitDilbit (diluted bitumen) is a bitumen diluted with one or more lighter petroleum products, typically natural-gas condensates such as naphtha. Diluting bitumen makes it much easier to transport, for example in pipelines.
Suncor EnergySuncor Energy Inc. (French: Suncor Énergie) is a Canadian integrated energy company based in Calgary, Alberta. It specializes in production of synthetic crude from oil sands. In the 2020 Forbes Global 2000, Suncor Energy was ranked as the 48th-largest public company in the world. Suncor was created by Sun Oil in 1979 by the merger of its Canadian conventional and heavy oil companies, the Sun Oil Company and Great Canadian Oil Sands.
Co-op Refinery ComplexThe Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC), is an oil refinery spread over 544 acres (2.20 km2) located in the city of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The CRC is owned and operated by Consumers Co-operative Refinery Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Federated Co-operatives Limited.Manure-derived synthetic crude oilManure-derived synthetic crude oil is a synthetic bio-oil chemically engineered (converted) from animal or human manure. Research into the production of manure-derived synthetic fuel began with pig manure in 1996 at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign by the research team led by professors and . They developed a method for converting raw pig manure into bio-oil through thermal depolymerization (thermochemical conversion).
Oil sandsOil sands are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. They are either loose sands, or partially consolidated sandstone containing a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay, and water, soaked with bitumen (a dense and extremely viscous form of petroleum). Significant bitumen deposits are reported in Canada, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Venezuela. The estimated worldwide deposits of oil are more than 2 trillion barrels (320 billion cubic metres).
Oil shaleOil shale is an organic-rich fine-grainedsedimentary rock containing kerogen (a solid mixture of organic chemical compounds) from which liquid hydrocarbons can be produced. In addition to kerogen, general composition of oil shales constitutes inorganic substance and bitumens. Based on their deposition environment, oil shales are classified as marine, lacustrine and terrestrial oil shales.
Shale oilShale oil is an unconventional oil produced from oil shale rock fragments by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. These processes convert the organic matter within the rock (kerogen) into synthetic oil and gas. The resulting oil can be used immediately as a fuel or upgraded to meet refineryfeedstock specifications by adding hydrogen and removing impurities such as sulfur and nitrogen.
SyncrudeSyncrude Canada Ltd. is one of the world's largest producers of synthetic crude oil from oil sands and the largest single source producer in Canada. It is located just outside Fort McMurray in the Athabasca Oil Sands, and has a nameplate capacity of 350,000 barrels per day (56,000 m/d) of oil, equivalent to about 13% of Canada's consumption.
API gravityThe American Petroleum Institute gravity, or API gravity, is a measure of how heavy or light a petroleum liquid is compared to water: if its API gravity is greater than 10, it is lighter and floats on water; if less than 10, it is heavier and sinks. API gravity is thus an inverse measure of a petroleum liquid's density relative to that of water (also known as specific gravity). It is used to compare densities of petroleum liquids.
PyrolysisThermal decomposition of materialsBurning pieces of wood, showing various stages of pyrolysis, followed by oxidative combustionPyrolysis (; from Ancient Greek πῦρ (pûr) 'fire' and λύσις (lúsis) 'separation') is a process involving the separation of covalent bonds in organic matter by thermal decomposition within an inert environment without oxygen. ApplicationsPyrolysis is most commonly used in the treatment of organic materials.
Aviation biofuelAn aviation biofuel (also known as bio-jet fuel, bio-aviation fuel (BAF), semi-synthetic jet fuel, or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)) is a biofuel used to power aircraft. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) considers it a key element in reducing the environmental impact of aviation.
Canadian Natural ResourcesCanadian Natural Resources Limited, or CNRL or Canadian Natural is a senior Canadian oil and natural gas company that operates primarily in the Western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, with offshore operations in the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea, and offshore Côte d'Ivoire and Gabon. The company, which is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, has the largest undeveloped base in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
Suncor EnergySuncor Energy Inc. (French: Suncor Énergie) is a Canadian integrated energy company based in Calgary, Alberta. It specializes in production of synthetic crude from oil sands. In the 2020 Forbes Global 2000, Suncor Energy was ranked as the 48th-largest public company in the world. Suncor was created by Sun Oil in 1979 by the merger of its Canadian conventional and heavy oil companies, the Sun Oil Company and Great Canadian Oil Sands.Co-op Refinery ComplexThe Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC), is an oil refinery spread over 544 acres (2.20 km2) located in the city of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The CRC is owned and operated by Consumers Co-operative Refinery Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Federated Co-operatives Limited.Manure-derived synthetic crude oilManure-derived synthetic crude oil is a synthetic bio-oil chemically engineered (converted) from animal or human manure. Research into the production of manure-derived synthetic fuel began with pig manure in 1996 at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign by the research team led by professors and . They developed a method for converting raw pig manure into bio-oil through thermal depolymerization (thermochemical conversion).Oil sandsOil sands are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. They are either loose sands, or partially consolidated sandstone containing a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay, and water, soaked with bitumen (a dense and extremely viscous form of petroleum). Significant bitumen deposits are reported in Canada, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Venezuela. The estimated worldwide deposits of oil are more than 2 trillion barrels (320 billion cubic metres).Oil shaleOil shale is an organic-rich fine-grainedsedimentary rock containing kerogen (a solid mixture of organic chemical compounds) from which liquid hydrocarbons can be produced. In addition to kerogen, general composition of oil shales constitutes inorganic substance and bitumens. Based on their deposition environment, oil shales are classified as marine, lacustrine and terrestrial oil shales.Shale oilShale oil is an unconventional oil produced from oil shale rock fragments by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. These processes convert the organic matter within the rock (kerogen) into synthetic oil and gas. The resulting oil can be used immediately as a fuel or upgraded to meet refineryfeedstock specifications by adding hydrogen and removing impurities such as sulfur and nitrogen.SyncrudeSyncrude Canada Ltd. is one of the world's largest producers of synthetic crude oil from oil sands and the largest single source producer in Canada. It is located just outside Fort McMurray in the Athabasca Oil Sands, and has a nameplate capacity of 350,000 barrels per day (56,000 m/d) of oil, equivalent to about 13% of Canada's consumption.API gravityThe American Petroleum Institute gravity, or API gravity, is a measure of how heavy or light a petroleum liquid is compared to water: if its API gravity is greater than 10, it is lighter and floats on water; if less than 10, it is heavier and sinks. API gravity is thus an inverse measure of a petroleum liquid's density relative to that of water (also known as specific gravity). It is used to compare densities of petroleum liquids.PyrolysisThermal decomposition of materialsBurning pieces of wood, showing various stages of pyrolysis, followed by oxidative combustionPyrolysis (; from Ancient Greek πῦρ (pûr) 'fire' and λύσις (lúsis) 'separation') is a process involving the separation of covalent bonds in organic matter by thermal decomposition within an inert environment without oxygen. ApplicationsPyrolysis is most commonly used in the treatment of organic materials.Aviation biofuelAn aviation biofuel (also known as bio-jet fuel, bio-aviation fuel (BAF), semi-synthetic jet fuel, or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)) is a biofuel used to power aircraft. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) considers it a key element in reducing the environmental impact of aviation.Canadian Natural ResourcesCanadian Natural Resources Limited, or CNRL or Canadian Natural is a senior Canadian oil and natural gas company that operates primarily in the Western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, with offshore operations in the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea, and offshore Côte d'Ivoire and Gabon. The company, which is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, has the largest undeveloped base in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.