StatoilHydro is planning its first technology centre outside Norway, the Heavy Oil Technology Centre, which will be situated in Alberta in Canada.
The centre will carry out research and technology development to support our heavy oil business worldwide. The emphasis will be on the development of a sustainable value chain for heavy oil.
The technology centre represents a long-term investment in existing and future activities and development projects. According to Rolf Utseth, head of the centre, "locating our research in Canada close to one of the world's biggest deposits of heavy oil is also about being a good corporate citizen."
Our ambitions in connection with heavy oil increased considerably with the acquisition of NAOSC, which alone is expected to produce 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day by 2020.
"New technology will have to play a key role if we are to realise these ambitions in connection with the recovery and upgrading of heavy oil," says Mr Utseth. He emphasises that the development of new, clean technologies will be a major focus.
Recovering extra heavy oil is demanding and energy intensive, and it requires the use of technology that is at the cutting edge of what has been developed so far.
Extra heavy oil is found in Canada and Venezuela, among other places. The oil is mature, but biodegraded. This means that bacteria can form and reproduce at temperatures lower than 80 degrees Celsius in the reservoir. They eat up the light part of the oil, leaving only the heavy oil behind.
Heavy oil can be divided into two main categories: Heavy oil: The quality of the oil is 10-20 API (American Petroleum Institute).
Extra heavy oil: The quality of the oil is 10 API or lower (Sincor in Venezuela and NAOSC in Canada).
North Sea oil is normally between 20 and 30 API, and often 30+.
There is also heavy oil in the Ekofisk and Grane fields in the North Sea and in the Norne field in the Norwegian Sea.
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