OptiCrude

Heavy Oil Upgrading

Upgrading heavy crude and bitumen using methane as the hydrogen donor — eliminating the need for molecular hydrogen infrastructure.

Capabilities

What we deliver

Catalytic methanotreating (CMT) process design and optimisation

Methane-based hydrogen donor chemistry: C–H activation, hydrocracking

Viscosity reduction, API gravity improvement, and sulphur removal

In-situ and surface upgrader configurations for heavy oil and bitumen

Catalyst selection, lifecycle management, and regeneration protocols

Integration with SAGD, CSS, and conventional heavy oil production

Downstream tie-in to refinery feed or pipeline specification compliance

Techno-economic feasibility, FEED, and EPC delivery

Catalytic methanotreating offers a transformative pathway for heavy oil upgrading by activating methane — the primary component of natural gas — as a direct hydrogen source for catalytic hydrocracking reactions. Unlike conventional hydrotreating, CMT does not require a separate hydrogen plant or high-pressure H₂ supply chain, dramatically reducing capital and operating costs for remote heavy oil, oil sands, and stranded bitumen assets. OPTI Industries applies process engineering and automation expertise to design CMT systems that improve crude quality to pipeline or refinery specifications, unlocking value from resources previously constrained by upgrading economics.

Technology

Technology & Applications

CMT Capability	Application / Benefit
Methane C–H activation catalysis	No H₂ plant required — lower CAPEX/OPEX
Heavy oil / bitumen hydrocracking	API gravity uplift, viscosity reduction
Desulphurisation & demetallisation	Pipeline spec compliance, refinery feed quality
SAGD / thermal production integration	Wellsite or centralised upgrader configurations
Process control & DCS integration	DeltaV, Allen Bradley — automated catalyst mgmt