Operations

At Baytex, we produce our heavy oil from vertical, slant and horizontal wells using progressive cavity pumps capable of handling large volumes of heavy oil combined with gas, water and sand. Initial production from these wells usually averages between 40 and 500 bbl/d of crude with gravities ranging from 11 to 18 degrees API. Once produced, the oil is trucked or pipelined for delivery to a sales pipeline. Prior to entering the sales pipeline, the heavy crude oil is usually blended with light-hydrocarbon diluents (such as condensate). At this point, the blended crude oil is sold by Baytex to various purchasers, and is delivered to markets in both Canada and the United States via pipeline. After reaching a refinery, the blended crude oil may be upgraded into lighter grades of crude or refined into petroleum products such as fuel oil, lubricants, and asphalt by the crude purchasers.