The resulting thick paste is then upgraded in a refinery, where it is converted into lighter, more valuable products like synthetic crude oil. These include land disturbance, water usage, and greenhouse gas emissions, which are generally higher than those from conventional oil production.
Bitumen Oil Sands Infrastructure Needs for Extraction and Upgrading
These methods, such as Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD), involve injecting steam underground to heat the bitumen, reducing its viscosity so it can flow to a production wellbore and be brought to the surface without disturbing the land surface. This heavy density, measured in API gravity, presents a fundamental challenge for transport and refining.
Processing and Upgrading: From Tar to Transportation Fuel Once extracted, whether mined or produced in-situ, the raw bitumen requires significant processing to become valuable. However, the industry continues to invest heavily in technological innovation to reduce its footprint.
Bitumen Oil Sands Infrastructure Needs for Extraction and Upgrading
For deeper reserves, in-situ techniques are necessary. Other substantial but less developed deposits exist in Venezuela, the United States, and Kazakhstan, presenting a diverse but geographically concentrated global resource base.
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