Field Upgrading

What Field Upgrading does

Field Upgrading Ltd. is a Calgary, Alberta-based clean energy technology company developing and commercialising the proprietary DSU® (Disruptive Sulphur Upgrading) process. The technology uses molten sodium as a powerful reducing agent to remove sulphur, heavy metals, acid (TAN), and asphaltenes from heavy oil feedstocks including oil sands bitumen, vacuum residues, and oil shale. The three-stage architecture — a reactor where sodium selectively eliminates sulphur and metal atoms and hydrogen caps open bonds to create lighter molecules, an oil-solids separation stage that recovers metals as a saleable by-product, and an electrolytic sodium recovery cell that recycles pure sodium back to the reactor — is designed to lift API gravity (from 8 to 18 for oil sands bitumen), avoid the large coke and asphaltene waste streams typical of delayed coking, and yield saleable sulphur and metal by-products.

Field Upgrading serves four primary customer segments: heavy oil producers, oil refineries, marine fuel manufacturers, and oil shale producers. Use cases span modular upgrading for smaller-scale steam injection projects, refinery residue destruction, catalyst life extension, and IMO/ECA-compliant low sulphur marine bunker fuel. The company operates a 10 barrel-per-day pilot facility in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, running since late 2015 and used to validate the technology across more than 40 global feedstocks. A commercial-scale demonstration facility is being constructed in partnership with CleanSeas to produce finished low sulphur marine fuel from local heavy oil.

Revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed; the company pursues direct enterprise sales to industrial customers, with pricing likely project-based given the capital-intensive, custom-engineered nature of each deployment. Field Upgrading operates as a division of Enlighten Innovations Inc. and has received venture backing from BDC Venture Capital and the BDC Capital Cleantech Practice. The company's public go-to-market footprint is minimal — a corporate website, technical demonstration projects, and direct engagement with heavy industrial buyers across the heavy oil, refining, and marine fuel value chains — reflecting an early-stage, pre-commercial commercial posture.

Name

Field Upgrading

Legal name

Field Upgrading Ltd.

Website

https://fieldupgrading.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Field Upgrading Ltd., a Calgary-based division of Enlighten Innovations Inc., develops DSU® — a proprietary molten sodium-based process for removing sulphur, metals, and asphaltenes from heavy oil feedstocks, serving heavy oil producers, refineries, and marine fuel manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Oil Upgrading Technology

NAICS

Petroleum Refineries (32411), Oil and Gas Field Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333132)

SIC

Petroleum Refining (2911), Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment (3533)

akta.pro primary industry

Hydrotreating, Hydroprocessing & Desulfurization (HDS/HDT) (EUALAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Field Treating & Separation (Heater Treaters, Separators, LACT) (EUALACAI)

Keywords

• Heavy oil upgrading
• Sulphur removal technology
• Bitumen desulphurization
• Low sulphur bunker fuel
• Molten sodium reduction

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Field Upgrading develops and commercializes DSU® (Disruptive Sulphur Upgrading), a proprietary three-stage process using molten sodium to remove sulphur, metals, acid (TAN), and asphaltenes from heavy oil feedstocks including oil sands bitumen, while increasing API gravity and producing no large piles of coke or asphaltenes. The technology supports low sulphur bunker fuel production, heavy oil field upgrading, refinery stream treatment, and oil shale processing, and is validated on over 40 global feedstocks at a 10 barrel-per-day pilot facility operational in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta since end of 2015.

Product overview

Field Upgrading offers DSU® as its core proprietary technology—a disruptive molten sodium-based process for removing sulphur, metals, and asphaltenes from heavy oil and oil sands bitumen. The technology is showcased through a 10 barrel per day pilot facility in Fort Saskatchewan (operational since 2015) and is being scaled up through a demonstration facility for producing IMO and ECA-compliant low sulphur marine bunker fuels. The DSU® process differs from conventional upgrading by avoiding coke and asphaltene byproducts while increasing API gravity significantly.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DSU® (Disruptive Sulphur Upgrading) Technology A proprietary sulphur removal and upgrading process that uses molten sodium to significantly reduce sulphur, metals, acid (TAN), and asphaltenes in heavy oil feedstocks including oil sands bitumen. The process increases API gravity (from 8 to 18 for oil sands bitumen) while achieving higher yields than conventional upgrading, leaving no large piles of coke or asphaltenes behind. The offering is targeted at heavy oil producers, refineries, marine fuel producers, and oil shale producers.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CleanSeascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerField Upgrading is building a demonstration facility using DSU® technology to produce finished low sulphur marine fuel using local heavy oil feedstocks. CleanSeas.ca is referenced as part of this initiative to showcase the technology's application for marine bunker fuel production.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• ClearSign Technologies: US-based clean energy technology company specializing in emissions reduction and process intensification for the energy sector. Comparable as a smaller clean-tech firm serving oil & gas and industrial customers with proprietary process technologies.
• Envergent Technologies: Pioneer of fast pyrolysis technology for converting biomass and heavy feedstocks into fuels and chemicals. Comparable as a process technology developer targeting heavy/viscous feedstocks with novel conversion routes, similar to Field Upgrading's approach with heavy oil.
• N-Solv: Calgary-based company developing solvent-based in-situ heavy oil extraction technology. Comparable as a Canadian clean-tech firm addressing heavy oil/bitumen processing with proprietary technology, though targeting upstream extraction rather than refining/upgrading.

Broad incumbents

• Axens: French provider of advanced refinery process technologies, catalysts, and services with deep hydroprocessing expertise. Comparable as an established incumbent in the oil refining and heavy oil upgrading solutions space where DSU® competes.
• Haldor Topsoe: Global leader in hydrotreating catalysts and process technology for refineries worldwide. Comparable as the dominant incumbent in the desulphurization/hydroprocessing space where DSU® competes, offering established solutions at scale.
• Honeywell UOP: Major licensor of refining and petrochemical process technologies, including hydrotreating, hydrocracking, and residue upgrading. Directly comparable to Field Upgrading as an incumbent offering the conventional upgrading pathways (delayed coking, hydroprocessing) that DSU® seeks to displace.
• Marathon Petroleum (delayed coking operations): Major US refiner with extensive delayed coking and residue upgrading operations. Comparable as a large-scale operator of the conventional heavy oil upgrading pathway (delayed coking) that DSU® is positioned against, representing the incumbent competitive threat.

Regional players

• Cenovus Energy: Major Canadian oil sands producer with significant heavy oil and upgrading operations. Comparable as a primary target customer for Field Upgrading's DSU® technology in the Alberta oil sands market, and as an operator of conventional upgrading facilities.
• Suncor Energy: Canada's largest integrated oil sands and refining company, operating extensive upgrading facilities. Comparable as a primary potential customer for DSU® technology in the Canadian heavy oil market and as a regional operator of incumbent upgrading technologies.

Direct peers

• Fractal Systems: Calgary-based company developing proprietary heavy oil and bitumen upgrading technology using electrically-driven cavitation reactors. Directly comparable to Field Upgrading as a Canadian clean-tech firm targeting heavy oil desulphurization and upgrading with novel process technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/field-upgrading

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Field Upgrading