Browse > Article

Patent Analysis of Oil Sands Technologies  

Lee, Ki-Bong (Alternative Fuels Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research)
Jeon, Sang-Goo (Alternative Fuels Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research)
Nho, Nam-Sun (Alternative Fuels Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research)
Kim, Kwang-Ho (Alternative Fuels Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research)
Shin, Dae-Hyun (Alternative Fuels Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research)
Lee, Heoung-Yeoun (Korea National Oil Corporation)
Publication Information
Resources Recycling / v.18, no.1, 2009 , pp. 3-12 More about this Journal
Abstract
Oil sands are sands containing bitumen similar to crude petroleum. Oil sands had not received enough interest because of the high production cost. However, in the current record-high oil price situation, oil sands are considered as new sources for unconventional oil. In this study, patents analysis was performed for the technologies of production of synthetic crude oil from oil sands. The patents covered were open patents applied in Korea, US, Canada, Japan, Europe, and China. The patents were divided into five detailed technologies; mining and in-situ, extraction, upgrading, fuelling, and other technologies. For oil sands technologies, there have been steady patent applications, since the first patent was applied in 1969. The number of patents applied appeared to be affected by the variation of world oil price. The portion of patents applied in US and Canada was about 90% of the overall patents and it means 05 and Canada have led oil sands technologies. Mining and in-situ technologies, and extraction have been developed actively and occupied more than 77% of the overall patents. However, the number of patents applied for mining and in-situ technologies, and extraction has been constant or started to decrease since 2000. The number of patents applied for upgrading technologies increases recently and it shows the development of upgrading technologies is active now.
Keywords
oil sands; bitumen; synthetic crude oil (SCO); patent analysis;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, 2007 : Alberta's Energy Reserves 2006 and Supply/Demand Outlook 2007-2016
2 Isaacs, E., 2007 : The Canadian Oil Sands in the Context of the Global Energy Demand, 17th Convocation of the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS), Tokyo, Japan, October 2007
3 Yui, S., 2008 : Producing Quality Synthetic Crude Oil from Canadian Oil Sands Bitumen, J. Jpn. Petrol. Inst., 51(1), pp1-13   DOI   ScienceOn
4 Furimsky, E., 1998: Gasification of Oil Sand Coke: Review, Fuel Process. Technol., 56(3), pp263-290   DOI   ScienceOn
5 McCann, T. J. and Associates Ltd., 2002: Petrochemicals from Oil Sands, report for Alberta Energy Research Institute, Nova Chemicals Ltd., Shell Chemicals Canada, and Suncor Energy Inc
6 IBM, www.delphion.com
7 WIPS, www.wips.co.kr
8 BP Statistical Review of World Energy, 2008: www.bp.comlstatisticalreview
9 Bruce, G. W, 2006: Alberta Oil Sands in the Global Marketplace - Getting There? 4th Upgrading and Refining of Heavy Oil, Bitumen, and Synthetic Crude Oil Conference, National Centre for Upgrading Technology, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 25-27 September 2006.
10 National Energy Board, 2004: Canada's Oil Sands: Opportunities and Challenges to 2015
11 Canadian Intellectual Property Office, www.cipo.ic.gc.ca
12 Alberta Department of Energy, 2007: Alberta's Oil Sands 2006
13 OECD, 2007: Compendium of Patent Statistics
14 KIPRIS, www.kipris.or.kr
15 Intevep, S. A.: 천연유화 액체연료의 제조 및 연소방법, 대한민국 특허 1989-0003932