Field Upgrading Ltd

Field Upgrading is a Canadian company based in Calgary, Alberta, dedicated to the development and commercialization of a new sulphur removal and upgrading technology called DSU®.  DSU® uses molten sodium to significantly reduce the levels of sulphur, metals, acid (TAN) and asphaltenes in heavy oil feedstocks, including oil sands bitumen. DSU® also significantly increases the API gravity of the feedstocks while achieving a relatively higher yield compared to conventional upgrading technologies (i.e. no large piles of coke or asphaltenes are left behind).  In the case of oil sands bitumen, the API gravity is increased from 8 API to 18 API, reducing the need for diluent for pipeline transportation. Preliminary cost estimates indicate that the technology compares favourably against delayed coking with lower capital costs and higher operating margins and is also conducive to relatively small-scale applications.  Field Upgrading has built a 10 barrel per day pilot facility in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta to further prove and showcase their DSU® technology. The pilot has been operational since the end of 2015. Our pilot plant has confirmed our earlier lab results.  We are building a demonstration facility using our ground breaking DSU® technology to produce finished low sulphur marine fuel using local heavy oil feedstocks. 

Process

The DSU® process is a disruptive approach for removing sulphur and metals from heavy oil.  At the same time, it is simple, scalable and has very little direct SOx or GHG emissions. It does not leave big piles of coke or asphaltenes behind. The key to the process is sodium, a powerful reducing agent with a strong affinity for sulphur and metals atoms interspersed in the complex heavy oil molecules.

• Sodium, hydrogen and heavy oil are mixed in a reactor. The sodium preferentially seeks out and eliminates sulphur and metal atoms from the heavy oil molecules. Hydrogen capping of the open molecular bonds created during the removal of sulphur and metals results in lower-weight molecules that make the product oil ‘lighter’ without removing coke or asphaltenes. The resulting DSU® product contains very low levels of sulphur and metals and is also much lighter and less viscous than the original feed while retaining the energy content.
• The oil leaving the reactor contains solids, which are primarily sodium sulphide and metals. These solids are separated from the oil using gravity separation. The solid sodium sulphide is then dissolved in a solvent which is fed to the sodium recovery section. The metals do not dissolve and are recovered as a saleable by-product.
• The dissolved sodium sulphide is introduced to a bank of electrolytic cells. When electricity is applied across the cells, pure sodium is separated from the sodium sulphide and recycled back to the reactor. The sulphur is then a saleable by-product of the process.