Unraveling the oil sands processing via partial upgrading: techno-economic and environmental perspectives

초록

Oil sands production is a highly energy-intensive and environmentally challenging process, requiring systemlevel innovations that reflect realistic constraints. This study proposes an oil sands production system incorporating enhanced solvent-steam assisted gravity drainage with partial upgrading. The process addresses critical environmental challenges of conventional methods through energy integration, which reduces external energy input. A techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment were conducted to evaluate the economic feasibility and environmental impact of the proposed process. The energy integration strategy optimized heat exchange networks, leading to 65%-72% and 60%-67% reductions in heating and cooling requirements, respectively, thereby lowering overall energy consumption. As a result, the minimum selling price of synthetic oil was significantly reduced from $149.7/bblto$71.3/bbl at a 100,000 BPD process scale, demonstrating a 52% improvement in market competitiveness. Life cycle assessment results showed a 41% reduction in global warming potential due to energy integration. Sensitivity analysis identified the steam-to-oil and solvent-to-steam ratios as highly influential parameters affecting economic and environmental performance, respectively. Overall, the findings provide a systematic framework for optimizing oil sands production and support the transition of the industry towards more energy-efficient and environmentally responsible practices.

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