Secondary hydrocarbon products known as bitumen and solid bitumen can be found in the majority of natural resource rocks as well as in rocks that make uptight reservoirs. They come into existence throughout various stages of the evolution of the organic matter that occurred after burial. There are five distinct stages in the evolution of solid bitumen: diagenetic solid bitumen, also known as degraded bituminate, which is derived from the degradation of bituminate during the diagenesis stage and is not a secondary maceral that results from the thermal cracking of kerogen; initial-oil solid bitumen, which is a consolidated form of early cytogenetically generated bitumen at the incipient oil window; Scientists from Manu have provided an in-depth review on the topic of the origin, characteristics, and implications of solid bitumen found in source-rock reservoirs. 
During the diagenesis stage of the evolution of organic matter, a succession of post-burial bacterial activities and low-temperature chemical reactions take place. These are followed by thermal maturation and thermal cracking during the cytogenesis and metagenesis phases of this process. At the end of the diagenesis stage, the synthesis of kerogen takes place as a result of reactions that take place at low temperatures and involve recently deposited organic matter. During the ensuing stages of cytogenesis and metagenesis, kerogen undergoes a thermal cracking process that results in the creation of oil and gas, respectively. The characteristics of the bitumen and oil that are produced determine the migration range, pore distribution, and overall physical qualities of the solid bitumen that is produced in source rocks and tight reservoirs. This material can also be manufactured in the refineries, despite the fact that it can be created naturally. The term "bitumen upgrading" refers to the process of transforming bitumen into oil that has improved physical and chemical characteristics. 
Therefore, upgrading is not the same as refining since upgrading results in the production of oil as a product, whereas refining results in the production of products such as fuels for transportation and petrochemicals. The refined oil that is produced as a byproduct of upgrading bitumen is considered an intermediate product in the larger process of refining petroleum. It is instructive to have a look at the reasons behind bitumen upgrading first, before examining the layout of the facilities that will be used for bitumen upgrading. The primary goal of upgrading bitumen is to make it possible to transport oil through pipelines without the addition of a substance with a low viscosity that acts as a diluent. A secondary goal of upgrading bitumen is, to some extent, to create an oil that has a greater market value. Because bitumen may only be sold to petroleum refineries that are designed to process heavy oils as part of their combined feed, the second objective is to broaden the market for the commodity. As a result, the rationale behind the upgrading of bitumen comes from a combination of economic and technological considerations. Refineries that were built specifically to process heavy oil do not require bitumen to be upgraded before they can begin processing it. 
In a petroleum refinery, the feed of crude oil is first distilled into a variety of boiling fractions, which are then processed in units that are suited to their respective boiling ranges. It is possible to distill bitumen with the other crude oils that are brought into the refinery for processing. However, a refinery's capacity to handle each boiling range of material is limited, just as the refinery's capacity to distill liquids is also limited. A refinery that processes petroleum typically acquires a variety of oils to be used as feed material for the refinery. The combination is chosen so that it will result in the production of a well-balanced oil mixture that will allow the refinery to make the most efficient use of the capacity of its various units. The capacity of petroleum refineries to process vacuum residue is a limiting factor in the market for bitumen. Since approximately half of the bitumen feed consists of vacuum residue boiling range material, the market for bitumen is constrained. In the end, bitumen is refined using the same technology that is used to refine conventional petroleum, and the most significant impact of using bitumen as a feedstock for a petroleum refinery is the atypical distillation profile that it produces. There are also other possible restrictions placed on the refining process. 
Not only does flow rate affect the capacity of each residue refining unit to process residue, but the number of heteroatoms and metals present in the residue also plays a role in this determination. The amount of sulfur found in bitumen is relatively high. In the same way as the capacity of the other refining units is limited, the sulfur treatment capacity is as well. The process of upgrading the bitumen results in a decrease in the quantity of vacuum residue in the upgraded oil, an increase in the amount of material with a lighter boiling point in the upgraded oil, and a reduction in the number of heteroatoms in the upgraded oil. To put it another way, the process of upgrading the bitumen alters its distillation profile such that it more closely resembles the profile of conventional crude oil. Because of this, the improved oil is not only less viscous, which makes it possible to transfer it via pipeline, but it also has a bigger potential market. 
In comparison to raw bitumen, improved oil's boiling range distribution and reduced heteroatom content make it simpler for refineries to incorporate a greater quantity of upgraded oil into the combination used to produce refinery feed. This, in turn, leads to an expansion of the market for upgraded oil. Our company is a pioneer in the bitumen business and trade. We are suppliers of bitumen in all grades and specifications. If you are interested in the bitumen trade and purchase, contact us. Our sales executives are online 24/7 and will answer all your questions and guide you through the purchase process.
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