AQP processes heavy petroleum fractions at the source: raising API gravity, cutting sulfur, reducing viscosity, and eliminating total acid number in a single fixed-bed pass. The Triton catalyst generates its own hydrogen via in-situ water splitting. No reformer, no hydrogen supply chain.
AQP is a fixed-bed upgrading system that partially upgrades heavy petroleum fractions, including high-sulfur crudes, vacuum residues, oil sands bottoms, and bitumen, in a single pass. It performs in-situ hydrogenation, desulfurization, and deacidification simultaneously without the need for external hydrogen supply. The result is a lighter, lower-sulfur, more transportable product that meets pipeline specifications with reduced or eliminated diluent blending.
AQP runs on the Triton catalyst family, a proprietary fixed-bed formulation developed by NanosTech. Triton generates the hydrogen required for hydroprocessing by splitting water molecules inside the reactor from steam, eliminating the dependency on external hydrogen supply or natural gas reforming. The catalyst is designed for mild operating conditions and maintains activity at any sulfur level, where most conventional catalysts deactivate rapidly. Industrial-scale catalyst batches are in production at NanosTech's Calgary facility.
| Catalyst property | Specification |
|---|---|
| Type | Fixed-bed; in-situ water splitting and hydrogenation |
| H₂ source | In-situ water splitting |
| Sulfur tolerance | Reduces sulfur content by up to 25% of sulfur present |
| TAN elimination | Yes (output TAN = 0.0) |
| Production status | Industrial scale, Calgary AB |
| Accepted feedstocks | Suitability |
|---|---|
| Vacuum residues | Primary |
| Oil sands bitumen | Primary |
| High-sulfur crudes | Primary |
| Heavy crude bottoms | Primary |
| Tower bottoms / residuals | Primary |
| Mixed production streams | Compatible |
| Parameter | Before AQP (typical feed) | After AQP (typical output) | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| API gravity | 5° – 12° API | +5° uplift (10°– 17°) | Meaningful improvement in barrel marketability; partial upgrade result |
| Sulfur content | > 4.5% S (45,000 ppm) | Up to 25% reduction of existing S | Removes S molecules without catalyst deactivation; no pre-treatment required at any sulfur level |
| Viscosity | High (pipeline-spec failure) | Reduced up to 50% | Eliminates or significantly reduces diluent requirement |
| Total acid number (TAN) | 1.5 – 4.0+ mg KOH/g | 0.0 mg KOH/g | Eliminates corrosion risk; enables direct refinery acceptance |
| Heavy bottoms fraction | 49.9% of barrel (mixed stream) | 0% (fully converted) | Eliminates the lowest-value fraction entirely |
| Distillate yield (diesel) | 25.5% of barrel | 36.0% of barrel | +41% increase in the highest-value product fraction |
| High-value distillate (total) | Baseline | Up to 30% yield uplift | More of the input barrel reaches premium product streams |
Performance values are representative of the Triton catalyst operating on heavy crude bottoms and vacuum residue feeds. Results vary by feed composition, operating pressure, and temperature. Full test data available on request.
The AQP upgraded output exits as a single stream. That stream contains commercially valuable fractions that clients capture upon downstream processing. Distribution varies by feed characteristics and reactor operating conditions. The values below are representative of a heavy crude bottoms feed.
| Output product | Specification | Market | Value vs. heavy bottoms input |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel / distillate fraction | Low sulfur, reduced TAN | Transport fuel, export | Highest value product |
| Marine Gas Oil (MGO) | Low sulfur, low TAN | Bunker fuel market | Premium bunker grade |
| Condensate / naphtha fraction | Light end, low viscosity | Diluent offset, blendstock | Replaces purchased diluent |
| Unreacted heavy fraction | Reduced sulfur, lower TAN | Residual fuel / further processing | Positive value (vs. negative input) |
| Constraint | Conventional hydrocracking | AQP |
|---|---|---|
| Hydrogen supply | External reformer or pipeline required | Self-generating (in-situ) |
| Deployment location | Centralized refinery or upgrader | Field, terminal, or any point |
| Minimum viable scale | High (capex-intensive) | Low (starts at 500 bbl/day) |
| Target output | Full refinery output (fuel production) | Partial upgrade (barrel value) |
| Gas contract required | Yes | No |
| High-sulfur feed tolerance | Limited without pre-treatment | Any sulfur level, no catalyst deactivation |
AQP is not a competing technology to refinery hydrocracking. It is a complementary, upstream step that improves the value of the crude before it reaches any downstream facility.
This scenario isolates the economic impact of AQP on a pure heavy bottoms feed stream: the fraction of production that carries negative value as-is. Each input barrel values at -$6.99/bbl, a liability that grows with volume. After AQP partial upgrading, the same barrel yields a blended output product worth +$3.20/bbl. The table below shows the value composition of each side.
Output product values are blended across the full product slate derived from the heavy bottoms feed. Diesel fraction pricing is based on reduced-sulfur distillate market rates. Contact NanosTech for full yield distribution and pricing methodology.
| Heavy bottom barrel volume (input) | Value before AQP (per year) | Value after AQP (per year) | Annual revenue uplift |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 bbl/day | -$1.3M | +$0.6M | +$1.9M / year |
| 1,000 bbl/day | -$2.6M | +$1.2M | +$3.7M / year |
| 2,000 bbl/day | -$5.1M | +$2.3M | +$7.4M / year |
| 5,000 bbl/day | -$12.8M | +$5.8M | +$18.6M / year |
Calculated at $10.19/bbl swing on 365 operating days. Excludes OPEX, capital recovery, and transport savings from diluent reduction. These are additive benefits not reflected in this table.
A 4,000–4,700 bbl/day facility with a mixed production stream had 49.9% of its barrel trapped in heavy bottom fractions. AQP eliminated those fractions and reallocated volume into diesel and distillate. Same input barrel. Same input volume. Significantly better economics.
Based on a 4,000–4,700 bbl/day processing facility operating on a mixed crude production stream. Heavy bottoms fraction was 49.9% of input barrel before AQP. Results will vary by feedstock composition and operating conditions.