Diluent Recovery Unit, AB, CA
Our patented diluent recovery unit (“DRU”), launched in 2021 with our partner, Gibson Energy Inc. The DRU technology separates the diluent that has been added to the raw bitumen in the production process which meets two important market needs – it returns the recovered diluent for reuse in the Alberta market, reducing delivered costs for diluent, and it creates DRUbit™, a proprietary heavy Canadian crude oil specifically designed for rail transportation. DRUbit™ is crude oil or bitumen that has been returned to a more concentrated, viscous state that creates safety and environmental benefits when transported by rail in Canada and the U.S. DRUbit™ is a market access solution that will satisfy demand for heavy Canadian crude oil on the U.S. Gulf Coast and in other markets at a cost that is economically competitive to the crude oil that is transported by pipeline today. Following separation at the DRU, the DRUbit™ owned by anchor customer ConocoPhillips will be railed by CP and KCS from the existing Hardisty and Hardisty South terminals to a new terminal in Port Arthur, Texas.
Our DRU technology provides a sustainable, long-term solution for shipping Canadian crude oil to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Additionally, it provides safety and environmental benefits in transportation, provides greater take-away capacity, and improved economics across the value chain.
