Innovation
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.
A successful business and a responsible business are not mutually exclusive. We develop oil sands recovery technologies that help us use less water and burn less natural gas, while decreasing costs and increasing production, creating win-win solutions to today’s energy challenges.
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 mined or heated underground before it can be processed.
NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE
Challenging the world to reimagine what we can do with carbon dioxide emissions.
Non-Condensable Gas Co-Injection
ConocoPhillips is piloting technology that has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase production.
GT-OTSG
The steam-assisted gravity drainage recovery technique we use at our Surmont facility requires the production of steam using large boilers called once-through steam generators, or OTSGs.
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.
Flow Distribution Control
Our Surmont facility uses a process called steam-assisted gravity drainage – or SAGD – to recover bitumen resources.