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The diversification of Canadian oil sands markets is imperative for the long-term economic growth of oil sands products. To ensure a competitive place in the global market, supply chain costs of oil sands must be as low as possible. This study conducts a comparative techno-economic analysis of potential pathways for the transportation of Canadian oil sands products (synthetic crude oil and diluted bitumen) to seaport destinations in the Asia-Pacific region. We developed data-intensive techno-economic models to estimate total supply chain costs from the production site in Alberta to ports in China, Japan, and India. Four pathways were developed using production (steam assisted gravity drainage), transportation (production-upgrader-port in Vancouver), upgrading, and shipping operations. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify cost ranges with their occurrence probability measures and evaluate the effect of key parameters for each stage of operation. Supply chain costs (C$ per barrel of bitumen) to China, Japan, and India are from 61–87, 60–86, and 62–90, respectively. Overall supply chain costs of dilbit (a blend of bitumen and diluent) and synthetic crude oil (SCO) are affected most by production and upgrading costs. The production and upgrading costs are influenced by capital cost, while pipeline lifetime and capacity highly impact transportation (pipeline) and shipping costs, respectively. The developed models can be used to predict total supply chain costs of different pathways in Canadian oil sand markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the total energy requirements associated with the production of bitumen from oil sands and its upgrading to synthetic crude oil (SCO) are modeled and quantified. The production scheme considered is based on the commercially applied steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) for bitumen extraction and delayed coking for bitumen upgrading. In addition, the model quantifies the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the production of energy required for these operations from technologies utilized in the currently existing oil sands energy infrastructure. The model is based on fundamental engineering principles, and Aspen HYSYS and Aspen Plus simulations. The energy demand results are expressed in terms of heat, power, hydrogen, and process fuel consumption rates for SAGD extraction and bitumen upgrading. Based on the model’s output, a range of overall energy and emission intensity factors are estimated for a bitumen production rate of 112,500 BPD (or 93,272 BPD of SCO), which were determined to be 262.5–368.5 MJ/GJ SCO and 14.17–19.84 gCO 2 /MJ SCO , respectively. The results of the model indicate that the majority of GHG emissions are generated during SAGD extraction (up to 60% of total emissions) due to the combustion of natural gas for steam production, and the steam-to-oil ratio is a major parameter affecting total GHG emissions. The developed model can be utilized as a tool to predict the energy demand requirements for integrated SAGD/upgrading projects under different operating conditions, and provides guidance on the feasibility of lowering GHG emissions associated with their operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of Ca and Ce and Synergetic effects of these promoters on the catalytic properties of 15wt.% Co/CNTs catalyst in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) are investigated. Catalysts with atomic ratios of 100Co, 100Co/2Ca, 100Co/2Ce and 100Co/1Ca/1Ce were prepared. Catalysts were characterized by BET, TPR, XRD and H2 chemisorption techniques. The FTS performance of the catalysts was studied in a fixed-bed micro-reactor under conditions of 220°C, 18bar, and H2/CO = 2 (v/v). Addition of small amounts of Ce to the Co/CNTs catalyst shifted both TPR peaks significantly to the lower temperatures. According to XRD results, average crystallite sizes of Co decreased in Co-Ce/CNTs and Co-Ce-Ca/CNTs catalysts. In Ca promoted catalyst in comparison with unprompted catalyst, the FTS activity decreased slightly and C5+ selectivity increased by about 12.5%. Addition of Ce increased the FTS activity by about 10.3% and increased C5+ selectivity from 72% to 77%. Synergistic effects of Ca and Ce in Co-Ca-Ce/CNTs, caused significant increase of C5+ selectivity to 80%. Explanations for the selectivity trends are provided based on the effects of Ce, Ca on structural and electronic properties of Co/CNTs catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the influence on the system performance and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of different biomass pretreatment methods before gasification and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) crude production was evaluated. Entrained flow gasification has the benefit of producing a practically tar-free synthesis gas with nearly complete carbon conversion. This gasifier type requires a relatively dry fuel, with small particle size, at high pressure. The size can be acquired by milling, which is energy intensive and feeding is challenging. Torrefaction of biomass facilitates milling; it thus requires less electricity, however, the torrefaction process requires heat. Pyrolysis decomposes the biomass into gaseous, liquid, and solid parts, respectively. This further makes feeding easier, but comes with a greater heat demand than torrefaction. The impact of the different pretreatment methods on the overall energy system has been evaluated using process integration methodology. The results show that the excess heat from an FT process with a biomass input of 300 MW can replace the bark boiler in a large chemical pulp and paper mill, producing 350,000 tonnes of bleached paperboard annually. With the preconditions given for this study, thermal pretreatment of biomass may be beneficial in terms of wood-to-FT crude efficiency, with efficiencies up to 68 %, assuming 40 % electrical efficiency. Pretreatment using pyrolysis performed the best in regards to GHG emissions, if CO from acid gas removal was vented, while milling, with an annual reduction of around 700,000 tonnes of CO,, had the best results if the CO was captured and sequestrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cracking squalene over a zeolite catalyst produced an organic liquid containing light hydrocarbons. The distillate of the organic liquid product (b.p. <275 °C) was analyzed by ASTM gasoline methods and found to have a research octane number of 98. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A simple and efficient route for preparing 2,3,5,6-tetraaminopyridine hydrochloride salt (TAP·3HCl·H2O) was introduced in this paper. The title compound was synthesized, as usual, in two steps (nitration and hydrogenation) with a total yield of 90%. The use of an oleum and fuming nitric acid mixture in the nitration step improved the yield and purity of the intermediate product. A highly efficient hydrogenation using a H2/Pd/C/C2H5OH system was developed. The products were characterized by TG, IR, 1HNMR, 13C-NMR, HPLC and elemental analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Direct coal liquefaction residue (DCLR) contains a significant fraction of heavy liquids. Better use of DCLR is an important task to overall economy of direct coal liquefaction. This paper studies hydro-treatment of a DCLR and its solvent-extraction components under typical direct coal liquefaction conditions. The DCLR is found hydro-treatable, resulting in more light products and less heavy products. In one case, 40wt% heavy fractions in the DCLR are converted into light fractions. Hexane soluble fraction (HS) is the most stable while pre-asphaltene fraction (PA) is the most active during the hydro-treatment. Some synergetic effect can be observed when DCLR is treated as whole. The fractions of DCLR, before and after the hydro-treatment, are subjected to FTIR and NMR analyses, which show increase in hydrogen content and decrease in oxygen content in HS fractions after the hydro-treatment. GPC analysis reveals that the hydro-treatment results in slight decreases in molecular weight of HS fraction. The data seem to suggest that separation and hydro-treatment of liquid fractions from a DCLR is a viable option for high oil yield. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We describe an experimental study of diesel-fuel reformation by a plasmatron and diesel-engine exhaust cleaning by means of plasma-chemical pretreatment of fuel. The plasma-chemical reformation of fuel was carried out by a dc arc plasmatron that was designed to increase gas-activation efficiency. Some portion of the fuel was processed by arc discharge and turned into a hydrogen-rich synthesis gas. By using Ar, He, H2, and N2 as cathode protection gases, we discuss the plasma-forming gases and their effects on the reformation process. We analyze the volt-ampere characteristics of the arc discharge in the plasmatron for different gases. The yields of diesel-fuel reformation reached 80%-100% when small quantities of fuel (flow rate of up to about 6 mL/min) were reformed. This technology may be applied to diesel-engine exhaust cleaning by means of the plasma-chemical pretreatment of fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article cites the study conducted by Robert Williams, physicists at Princeton University, regarding the ways of making synthetic fuels green in the U.S. Researchers reveal that there are two ways of making synthetic fuels, also known as synfuels, including the use of large amounts of plant biomass along with coal and storing in the ground the CO2 emitted during the production of synfuels. Such process is not implement because most environmental groups are still horrified to see coal mining expanded.

Wettability control of carbonates is a central concept for enhanced petroleum recovery, but a mechanistic understanding of the associated molecular-scale chemical processes remains unclear. We directly probe the interface of calcium carbonate (calcite) with natural petroleum oil, synthetic petroleum analogues, and aqueous brines to understand the molecular scale behavior at this interface. The calcite–petroleum interface structure is similar whether or not calcite was previously exposed to an aqueous brine, and is characterized by an adsorbed interfacial layer, significant structural changes within the calcite surface, and increased surface roughness. No evidence for an often-assumed thin-brine wetting layer at the calcite–petroleum interface is observed. These features differ from those observed at the calcite–brine interface, and for parallel measurements using model synthetic petroleum mixtures (consisting of representative components, including dodecane, toluene, and asphaltene). Changes to the interface after petroleum displacement by aqueous brines are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]