Oil sands contain a mixture of sand, water, clay and bitumen, an extra-heavy oil that is too thick to be pumped without first being diluted or heated. In Alberta, Chevron Canada is using its vast resources of technology and expertise to help bring this energy source to market.

Chevron Canada has a 20 percent nonoperated interest in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project (AOSP), operated by Canadian Natural Resources, and a 60 percent operated interest in its Ells River heavy oil leases. At AOSP, oil sands are mined from both the Muskeg River and the Jackpine mines. Bitumen is extracted from the oil sands and transported by pipeline to the Scotford Upgrader near Edmonton, Alberta, where it is upgraded into synthetic oil using hydroprocessing technology. Carbon dioxide emissions from the upgrader are reduced by the Quest carbon capture and storage facilities. In 2021, average net daily synthetic oil production was 55,000 barrels. Total carbon dioxide captured through Quest since inception in 2015 is over 6 million tonnes.

reducing oil sands emissions

The Quest Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Project was commissioned in 2015 and is the first CCS project in the Canadian oil sands. Quest is designed to capture more than 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually from AOSP’s Scotford Upgrader, transport it approximately 80 km (50 miles) by pipeline and then permanently store it more than two kilometres (one mile) underground. Direct emissions from the Scotford Upgrader are reduced by as much as 35 percent – equivalent to taking 250,000 cars off the roads annually.

Explore the Quest Carbon Capture and Storage Project