Utilization of CO2 to reduce environmental impact of diluted bitumen transportation and improve economics of CCS operations

Abstract

Environmental impact and economics of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and bitumen transportation are among the major challenges of oil sands operations. We propose and assess a new approach to address these important challenges by using diluted bitumen (DilBit) as a carrier for large-scale CO2 transportation. The proposed approach provides a unique prospect to significantly reduce the cost of CO2 transportation from the carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain, facilitate more efficient detection of DilBit spills from pipelines, utilize CO2, and improve public perception of both oil sands and CCS operations. These opportunities will offer the possibility of sustaining access to oil resources while reducing environmental impact and improving the economics of CCS and oil sands operations. Through experimental measurements, we have shown that 80–200 kg of CO2 per m3 of DilBit can be dissolved and transported. We also report simulation results from the simultaneous transportation of DilBit and CO2 and DilBit spill detection through monitoring concentration of leaked CO2.