The oil product obtained by upgrading oil sands bitumen or heavy crude oil. Existing commercial-scale upgrading facilities employ coking and hydrotreating to eliminate sulfur and reduce the viscosity of the bitumen. The resulting synthetic crude is shipped via pipeline to petroleum refineries for the production of gasoline and other light petroleum products.
A crude oil derived from processing carbonaceous material such as shale oil or unrefined oil in coal conversion processes.
Crude oil produced by upgrading bitumen. Considered synthetic because its original hydrocarbon mark has been altered in the upgrading process.