Oil sands · Upgrading
Bitumen Upgrader
A plant that turns bitumen or extra heavy oil from the oil sands into synthetic crude oil, a lighter crude that ordinary refineries can run.
What it does
It does the heavy conversion work at the source. Coking removes carbon and gives about 80 to 90% synthetic crude per barrel of bitumen; hydroconversion adds hydrogen and can give 100% or more, at a higher cost.
Basics
| Product | Synthetic crude oil (SCO) |
| Routes | Coking (carbon rejection) or hydroconversion (hydrogen addition) |
| In Canada (2020) | Four upgraders in Alberta, two in Saskatchewan |
Common failures
- Unplanned outage that leaves bitumen without an outlet and cuts synthetic crude supply
Troubleshooting
- Symptom
- Synthetic crude volume lower than the bitumen fed
- Likely cause
- Coking rejects carbon, so it yields about 80 to 90%
- What to check
- Expected for the coking route; hydroconversion keeps 100% or more at higher cost