Editing Bitumen (section)

=== Synthetic crude oil ===
{{Main|Synthetic crude oil}}
{{See also|Petroleum production in Canada}}
Synthetic crude oil, also known as syncrude, is the output from a bitumen upgrader facility used in connection with oil sand production in Canada. Bituminous sands are mined using enormous (100-ton capacity) [[power shovel]]s and loaded into even larger (400-ton capacity) [[dump trucks]] for movement to an upgrading facility. The process used to extract the bitumen from the sand is a hot water process originally developed by [[Karl Clark (chemist)|Dr. Karl Clark]] of the [[University of Alberta]] during the 1920s. After extraction from the sand, the bitumen is fed into a [[Upgrader|bitumen upgrader]] which converts it into a [[light crude oil]] equivalent. This synthetic substance is fluid enough to be transferred through conventional [[oil pipeline]]s and can be fed into conventional oil refineries without any further treatment. By 2015 Canadian bitumen upgraders were producing over {{convert|1|Moilbbl}} per day of synthetic crude oil, of which 75% was exported to oil refineries in the United States.<ref name=NEBstats>{{cite web | url = https://www.neb-one.gc.ca/nrg/sttstc/crdlndptrlmprdct/index-eng.html | title = Crude Oil and Petroleum Products | publisher = [[National Energy Board]] of Canada | access-date = 21 January 2016}}</ref>

In Alberta, five bitumen upgraders produce synthetic crude oil and a variety of other products: The [[Suncor Energy]] upgrader near [[Fort McMurray, Alberta]] produces synthetic crude oil plus diesel fuel; the [[Syncrude Canada]], [[Canadian Natural Resources]], and [[Nexen]] upgraders near Fort McMurray produce synthetic crude oil; and the Shell [[Scotford Upgrader]] near Edmonton produces synthetic crude oil plus an intermediate feedstock for the nearby Shell Oil Refinery.<ref name=CAPP2015>{{cite web|url=http://www.capp.ca/publications-and-statistics/publications/264673 |title=2015 CAPP Crude Oil Forecast, Markets & Transportation |publisher=[[Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers]] |access-date=21 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120081514/http://www.capp.ca/publications-and-statistics/publications/264673 |archive-date=20 January 2016 }}</ref> A sixth upgrader, under construction in 2015 near [[Redwater, Alberta]], will upgrade half of its crude bitumen directly to diesel fuel, with the remainder of the output being sold as feedstock to nearby oil refineries and petrochemical plants.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.nwrpartnership.com/ | title = The Project | publisher = North West Redwater Partnership | access-date = 21 January 2016}}</ref>