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Heavy oil production facilities in giant Wilmington oil field, in Long Beach, CA.
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As higher gravity crudes (lighter oil) become increasingly scarce
in the U.S., American operators are looking more and more to
low-gravity crudes (heavy oil) to prop up the Nation’s declining oil
output.
The original oil in place (OOIP) volume of heavy oil in the United
States was 105 billion barrels. Heavy Oil cumulative production to
date totals approximately 13 billion barrels. This relatively small
percentage of recovery is because heavy oil is thick and resistant
to movement. It’s both more costly and more time-consuming to get
that oil out.
However, advances in oil production technology are making the
production of heavy hydrocarbons a commercial reality. The U.S.
Department of Energy has played a pivotal role in the research and
development partnerships that have brought these advanced
technologies into the marketplace.
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