Oil Sands Technology Pathway Evaluation Using Life Cycle Assessment and Mathematical Optimization

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dc.contributor.advisorBergerson, Joule A.
dc.contributor.authorDadashi Forshomi, Zainab
dc.contributor.committeememberGates, Ian D.
dc.contributor.committeememberMahinpey, Nader
dc.contributor.committeememberChen, Shengnan (Nancy)
dc.contributor.committeememberMohamad, Abdulmajeed
dc.contributor.committeememberElkamel, Ali
dc.dateSpring Convocation
dc.date.accessioned2023-02-11T00:31:39Z
dc.date.embargolift2023-02-22
dc.date.issued2022-03-03
dc.description.abstractOil sands producers must improve the environmental performance of their operations to remain competitive in the energy sector in a carbon constrained world. These improvements include both incremental changes in the existing operation to make it more efficient (e.g., by applying process integration techniques) or fundamental changes to the operation (e.g., by adopting emerging technologies). However, an individual company will consider regulatory requirements and economic feasibility prior to making decisions about investments in these technologies. This thesis investigates the potential improvements in oil sands operations through both incremental efficiency improvements (i.e., lower energy consumption per unit of energy produced) and fundamental changes in their operations. In the first part of the thesis, cost and energy savings opportunities in Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) (an oil sands extraction and recovery process) are assessed by applying process integration techniques through the sequential application of a water treatment system optimization followed by conventional energy pinch analysis (incremental improvement). In the second part of the thesis, the focus is on exploring fundamental improvements in the oil sands sector and identifying the optimal technology pathways for oil sands production and processing with respect to economic and environmental objectives. A comprehensive techno-economic framework is developed that considers all technological and economic input parameters that affect the performance of the oil sands supply chain in terms of total cost, total energy consumption and GHG emissions. This framework is used to: 1) find the technical, economic and policy conditions under which emerging oil sands technologies become competitive alternatives in global crude oil markets, and 2) investigate the prospect of reaching Canada’s climate goals (as it relates to the oil sands sector) by implementing available emission reduction solutions while maintaining oil sands production capacity at the current or increased level in the next three decades. The results of this study help oil sands producers to better understand the long-term effects associated with the use of existing and emerging oil sands technologies. In addition, the results inform short- and long-term investment decision making in oil sands sector under various scenarios with different combinations of input parameters.
dc.identifier.citationDadashi Forshomi, Z. (2022). Oil Sands Technology Pathway Evaluation Using Life Cycle Assessment and Mathematical Optimization (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/115843
dc.identifier.urihttps://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/40737
dc.language.isoenen
dc.language.isoEnglish
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studiesen
dc.publisher.facultySchulich School of Engineering
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en
dc.subjectLife Cycle Assessment
dc.subjectOptimization
dc.subjectProcess Integration
dc.subject.classificationEngineering--Chemical
dc.titleOil Sands Technology Pathway Evaluation Using Life Cycle Assessment and Mathematical Optimization
dc.typedoctoral thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineEngineering – Chemical & Petroleum
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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