Advanced Hydrocarbons

Focus Areas 

Cleaner Hydrocarbon Production 

We’re investing in technologies that lead to cleaner and more cost-effective techniques and equipment to extract hydrocarbons from the ground. 

This focus area provides funding through three programs: 

• Recovery Technologies Program – Supports processes and products that improve hydrocarbon recovery while reducing associated emissions, lowering costs, and/or enabling new resources to be developed. 
• Methane Emissions Reduction Program – Supports technologies that detect, monitor, and mitigate methane emissions reductions from Alberta’s oil and gas industry.
• Digital Innovation in Clean Energy (DICE) Program – Supports development and optimization of energy production through digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), AR/VR, digital twins, and more to create jobs in the digital economy and reduce energy sector emissions. 

Innovative Hydrocarbon Products 

We’re investing in technologies that convert raw hydrocarbons into value-added and lower emissions products. 

This focus area provides funding through two programs: 

• Bitumen Partial Upgrading Program – Supports processes that upgrade bitumen into higher-value combustion products that can also utilize reduced diluent for transportation. 
• Bitumen Beyond Combustion (BBC) Program – Supports technologies that convert bitumen into high-value non-fuel products such as carbon fibre, high-quality asphalt binder, activated carbon, and other high-value carbon materials.