Abstract:

The resource condition,main properties,current status of upgrading technology and crude oil export capacity of oil sands in Canada were introduced,and focusing on the investigation of some partial upgrading technologies with potential in-dustrial application,including process technology status,core process,technical characteristics and existing issues.The future development trend of oil sand bitumen partial upgrading was analyzed from multiple dimensions,such as the properties of partial upgraded products,severity of upgrading,carbon emission intensity of upgrading process and issues of by-products.Among them,moderating thermal cracking of oil sand bitumen,or moderating thermal cracking combined with asphaltene re-moval technology were the technical core of oil sand bitumen partial upgrading.The goal was to reduce the amount of diluent as much as possible,maintain the stability of some upgraded products,and reduce the carbon emission intensity of the upgrad-ing process on the premise of meeting the specification of pipeline in Canada.

Key words: oil sands bitumen, partial upgrading, diluent, moderating thermal cracking