Not all innovation takes place in a lab.
From the corporate office to the well site, our scientists and engineers work together every day to acquire and apply technologies that increase our profitability and reduce our environmental impacts.
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SAGD
The hydrocarbon resource found in Canada’s oil sands is called bitumen. Because it does not flow like conventional crude oil, it must be heated underground before it can be processed.
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Non-Condensable Gas Co-Injection
ConocoPhillips is piloting technology that has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase production.
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Fracking
Hydraulic fracturing has been safely used in Canada for more than 60 years.
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Vacuum-Insulated Tubing
At a SAGD development like Surmont, steam is injected into the ground to melt subsurface bitumen, which reduces its viscosity enough that it can be extracted.
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Flow distribution control
Our Surmont facility uses a process called steam-assisted gravity drainage – or SAGD – to recover bitumen resources.
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Offset frac notifications
Steam additives
A pilot project in Canada’s oil sands is testing the use of steam additives to optimize the steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process. The effort aims to reduce steam-oil ratio (SOR) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity, with a goal of avoiding significant operational emissions of CO2e annually. Initial results from the effort are promising, decreasing SOR while increasing oil production.
