In-Situ Upgrading Technology

Market Challenge

More. Faster. Cleaner

Thermal heavy-oil operations face persistent constraints: high steam and energy intensity, rising diluent dependence, pipeline and facility bottlenecks, and declining mobility in heterogeneous reservoirs. At the same time, producers are under pressure to lower emissions while improving returns from mature assets. ISUT® addresses these constraints by introducing catalytic upgrading directly inside the reservoir, where viscosity and quality limitations originate.

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Fewer emissions, more oil

Next-gen oil recovery

ISUT® is not just EOR, and it’s not only upgrading. It combines mobility improvement, in-reservoir upgrading, and thermal efficiency gains into one reservoir-integrated system. The result is a lighter, more pipeline-friendly barrel produced with lower steam and diluent intensity, unlocking both emissions and economic benefits without major changes to surface facilities.

ISUT® benefits

Improved Thermal Recovery. Enhances mobility and sweep efficiency through in-reservoir catalytic reactions, enabling higher recovery per well pair and more stable chamber growth.
In-Situ Oil Quality Upgrading, Partially upgrades heavy fractions inside the reservoir, increasing API gravity and reducing TAN and metals before the oil reaches surface facilities.
Reduced Steam and Energy Intensity Localized heat release and improved chamber efficiency lower steam-to-oil ratio (SOR), reducing fuel use, emissions, and operating costs.
Lower Diluent Requirement Density and viscosity reduction at the source decreases diluent demand, improving netbacks and freeing up pipeline capacity.
Infrastructure-Compatible Deployment. Integrates into existing CSS, SAGD, and hybrid well designs without major surface modifications or new processing units.

How ISUT® works

Step 2

2. Catalytic Fixed Zone

As heated fluids pass through the catalytic zone, heavy fractions partially crack and are partially redistributed into lighter components. This reduces viscosity and density, improves mobility, and increases API gravity before the oil reaches surface facilities.
_{*Represents catalyst anchoring and interaction along steam-influenced rock surfaces, as observed in controlled laboratory testing}

Step 1

1. NanoCatalyst Injection

A proprietary, unsupported nanocatalyst is injected during early steam or thermal operations. The catalyst self-disperses and anchors to rock surfaces along the steam-influenced flow paths, forming a stable in-reservoir catalytic zone.

Step 3

3. Sustained Performance Improvement

The combined effects of improved mobility, localized heat retention, and upgraded fluid quality enhance steam-chamber conformance, reduce steam and diluent intensity, and deliver higher recovery and more stable, higher-value production over time.

Step 1

1. NanoCatalyst Injection

Step 2

2. Catalytic Fixed Zone

As heated fluids pass through the catalytic zone, heavy fractions partially crack and are partially redistributed into lighter components. This reduces viscosity and density, improves mobility, and increases API gravity before the oil reaches surface facilities.
^{*Represents catalyst anchoring and interaction along steam-influenced rock surfaces, as observed in controlled laboratory testing}

Step 3

3. Sustained Performance Improvement

Getting started with Isut

Is ISUT® right for my company?

What key challenges does ISUT solve?

ISUT reduces GHG emissions and water use, extracts more oil (up to 90%), and saves producers money in transportation costs.

When is catalyst injected?

Catalyst is injected at the start of ISUT implementation. It takes a number of weeks to fully dose a well, depending on well length and reservoir characteristics. Once catalyst has been placed, the CatSkid can be removed. The ISUT process continues with a simple heater and pump skid that circulates hot vacuum residue and hydrogen into the reservoir for the life of the well.

What is ISUT used for?

The ISUT process upgrades oil in a reservoir below ground, as opposed to in an above-ground upgrader or refinery. ISUT may initially be deployed as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) at brownfield operations with minor surface facility improvements, re-using significant capital investments while improving recovery and NPV of the resource.

What is a catalyst?

A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change. For ISUT, we’ve designed a highly reactive nanocatalyst that’s mixed with heavy crude oil and pumped down a well-bore into a reservoir. Once there, the nanocatalyst permanently attaches to the sand grains and creates a reactor bed around the well-bore.