Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Current Oil Sands Technologies: Surface Mining and In Situ Applications

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 46; no. 14; pp. 7865 - 7874
• Main Authors: Bergerson, Joule A, Kofoworola, Oyeshola, Charpentier, Alex D, Sleep, Sylvia, MacLean, Heather L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 17.07.2012
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - analysis; Alberta; Applied sciences; Climatology. Bioclimatology. Climate change; Crude oil; Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products; Earth, ocean, space; Emissions; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Extraction processes; Fuels; Global environmental pollution; Greenhouse Effect; Greenhouse gases; Hydrocarbons - chemistry; Life cycles; Meteorology; Mining - methods; Models, Theoretical; Oil sands; Oils - chemistry; Pollution; Prospecting and production of crude oil, natural gas, oil shales and tar sands; Silicon Dioxide - chemistry; Strip mining; Surface Properties; Technology; Transportation; Canada; Alberta; North America; America; Alberta Canada; Dynamical climatology; Climate change; Oil industry; Gas emission; Life cycle (environment); Extraction process; Greenhouse gas; Environment impact; Sustainable development; Environmental protection; Tar sand
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es300718h

Life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with two major recovery and extraction processes currently utilized in Alberta’s oil sands, surface mining and in situ, are quantified. Process modules are developed and integrated into a life cycle model-GHOST (GreenHouse gas emissions of current Oil Sands Technologies) developed in prior work. Recovery and extraction of bitumen through surface mining and in situ processes result in 3–9 and 9–16 g CO2eq/MJ bitumen, respectively; upgrading emissions are an additional 6–17 g CO2eq/MJ synthetic crude oil (SCO) (all results are on a HHV basis). Although a high degree of variability exists in well-to-wheel emissions due to differences in technologies employed, operating conditions, and product characteristics, the surface mining dilbit and the in situ SCO pathways have the lowest and highest emissions, 88 and 120 g CO2eq/MJ reformulated gasoline. Through the use of improved data obtained from operating oil sands projects, we present ranges of emissions that overlap with emissions in literature for conventional crude oil. An increased focus is recommended in policy discussions on understanding interproject variability of emissions of both oil sands and conventional crudes, as this has not been adequately represented in previous studies.