Gasia Energy Partners Ltd. has applied with the Alberta Energy Regulator for permitting to build a 60,000 b/d diluent recovery unit (DRU), Homestead DRU, near Bruderheim, Alta. The company expects project approval in second-quarter 2023, construction start in August 2023, and the plant to be operational November 2024.
The area near Gasia’s 46-acre site outside Edmonton is a major hub for oil sands pipelines and provides access to Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railways. Homestead DRU, situated within 5 km of several area oil sand producers with ensured access to existing pipeline rights-of-way, will include an 80-car/day rail-loading terminal and about 220,000-bbl of storage.
Gasia says it has completed engineering on the DRU and is in commercial talks with both Canadian oil sands producers and refineries on the US Gulf Coast. Homestead DRU would treat up to 60,000 b/d of diluted bitumen (dilbit), removing condensate diluent and shipping the undiluted bitumen via unit train to the US Gulf Coast for re-blending and either processing or export.
Recovered diluent will be sold and reused in Canada and will be priced at the CRW Condensate Blend premium, according to Gasia. Scherzer GMBH will supply the railcar-loading technology.