OXIDATION OF THE ATHABASCA OIL SAND AND ITS FRACTIONS.

The Athabasca oil sand and its fractions are known to be thermally unstable and sensitive to air. They react with molecular oxygen even at low temperatures. The reported study was undertaken in order to gain an insight into the oxidation and weathering processes taking place in this oil sand. Experimental results are presented which show that exposure of the oil sand to air has an adverse effect on the quality of the bitumen. The increase in asphaltene content would likely lead to an increase in the yield of coke formation and a lowering in the yield of synthetic crude in the upgrading process. The possibility of aerobic oxidation should therefore be taken into consideration in the storage of the mined oil sands, especially during the summer months when sand temperatures could significantly exceed ambient air temperature. It could also be a factor in affecting bitumen quality during storage of liquid bitumen and in the initial stages of the in situ recovery processes of the bitumen.