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filters, letting some molecules with specific
sizes and shapes through while holding
others back to continue reacting.
Sometimes high-pressure hydrogen is 0.70
added in the process of catalytic cracking,
which is called “hydroprocessing.” Adding 0.60
hydrogen helps to produce lighter,
hydrogen-rich molecules. This is necessary
in upgrading bitumen, which is rich in
carbon but contains proportionally less
hydrogen than conventional oils.
Natural Gas Use in Oil Sands Declining
Natural Gas Consumed per Barrel of Oil Sands Production
thousand cubic feet per barrel
0.50
0.40
0.30
Catalytic conversion is more expensive than 0.20
thermal conversion, but produces more
upgraded product for later refining. 0.10
0.00
The third stage of the upgrading process is 1994-1997 1998-2000 2001-2003 New Technologies
distillation, a very common industrial
process that can be used to sort liquids and Upgraders use natural gas as a hydrogen source. New sources are being found to eliminate natural gas
gases into their component parts inside a dependency
distillation or fractionating tower. SOURCE: Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
vapour condenses into heavy and light gas degrees Celsius depending on the liquid.
The temperature inside the tower varies, oils, kerosene and naphtha. The various petroleum liquids pass through
with the hottest temperatures at the separate towers and flow around catalytic
bottom and the coolest at the top. Since The fourth major process in upgrading is pellets. Hydrotreating stabilizes the crude oil
bitumen is a mixture of hydrocarbons, the hydrotreating. This process is used on the synthesized from the original bitumen by
lightest hydrocarbons, with the lowest gas oils, kerosene and naphtha produced adding hydrogen to some unsaturated
boiling points, travel as a vapour to the top from the original bitumen feedstock. In this molecules. If this is not done, the crude oil
of the tower. Heavier and denser process, heated hydrocarbon feedstock is produced continues to react and change its
hydrocarbons, with higher boiling points, mixed with hydrogen at high pressures and chemical composition on its way to final
collect as liquids lower in the tower. The gas temperatures, ranging from 300 to 400 refining.
From Canada . . . to around the World.
Galaxy is a 100% Canadian owned wellhead manufacturer dedicated to the
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thermal heavy oil projects around the World.
Canadian solutions . . . for a World of opportunity.
sales@galaxy-oilfield.com • www.galaxy-oilfield.com
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