180,000 BBL/D
SAGD PRODUCTION CAPACITY SUPPORTED
What We Do
Obsidian delivers integrated engineering for thermal facilities and heavy oil infrastructure, supporting projects from early concept and studies through detailed design, construction support, commissioning, and ongoing optimization.
Our teams combine deep thermal experience with practical project execution across SAGD and CSS developments, steam generation, produced water treatment, oil treating, well pads, pipelines, and balance-of-plant systems. We understand how design decisions affect production, reliability, constructability, cost, schedule, and long-term operability, helping our clients maintain production today while planning for future growth.
Oil Treating
We design and optimize systems that separate, condition, and stabilize thermal production for reliable downstream handling.
Emulsion exchangers
Free water knockouts
Treaters
Bitumen stabilization
Oil handling and transfer
Heat integration
De-Oiling
We design produced water de-oiling systems that recover hydrocarbons, improve water quality, and support downstream treatment performance.
Skim tanks
Induced gas flotation (IGF)
Oil removal filtration (ORF)
Slop and skim oil handling
Produced water handling
Disposal injection
Water Treatment
We engineer treatment and recycling systems that prepare produced water for reuse and reliable boiler feedwater service.
Produced water treatment and cooling
Filtration and water softening
Reverse osmosis and evaporation
SAC systems
Boiler feedwater pumping
Water recycling and reuse
Steam Generation
We design and optimize steam generation systems that support reliable thermal production, from boiler feedwater through steam production and distribution.
Once-through steam generators (OTSGs) and drum boilers
Steam separators and blowdown systems
Boiler feedwater systems
Combustion systems
Waste heat recovery
Steam distribution
Thermal & Heavy Oil Projects
STEAM, EMULSION & PRODUCED GAS PIPELINES
HIGH-TEMPERATURE PIPELINES
Obsidian completed detailed design and procurement and provided construction management for new high-pressure, high-temperature NPS 12 and NPS 8 pipelines in Alberta.
Designed for process temperatures ranging from 230°C to 295°C and MOPs up to 12,115 kPag, the pipeline program included tie-ins to multiple existing facilities as well as modifications and retrofits to existing pipeline infrastructure.
MULTI-WELL PAD DEVELOPMENTS
THERMAL WELL PADS
Our team has delivered engineering services for more than 20 thermal and conventional multi-well pad developments and expansions, ranging from four-well pads to large-scale 24-well facilities.
Our scope has included process and facility design for sour service and low-temperature operating requirements, supporting safe and reliable operation across both greenfield developments and brownfield expansions. Through close collaboration with operators, our teams develop practical, scalable designs that support efficient drilling and production programs.
CRUDE BY RAIL FACILITY EXPANSION
HIGH-TEMPERATURE TRANSLOADING
Obsidian completed detailed design and procurement and provided construction management support for a major crude transloading expansion.
The project included two new crude truck off-loading stations, five rail loading stations, two storage tanks, a new incinerator, and multiple pumps, designed for process temperatures up to 98°C.
DEBOTTLENECKING STUDIES
THERMAL FACILITIES
Obsidian has completed debottlenecking studies across multiple thermal assets in Western Canada, helping operators identify practical opportunities to increase production and improve facility performance.
Our teams use process simulation, material balances, and hydraulic modelling to identify discrete production upgrade scopes, supported by associated cost estimates and execution plans.
IGF INSTALLATION & SKIM SYSTEM MODIFICATIONS
DE-OILING & PRODUCED WATER
Obsidian provided engineering design, procurement, installation, and construction management for a new induced gas flotation unit and associated system upgrades supporting increased produced water handling and recycling requirements.
The project included skim tank upgrades, skim pumps, water recycling, and storage tank modifications, providing an integrated upgrade to the facility's produced water and de-oiling systems.
ONCE-THROUGH STEAM GENERATOR ADDITION
STEAM GENERATION
Obsidian provided full EPCM delivery of a 351 MMBTU OTSG, increasing steam capacity through a complex brownfield integration and planned facility outage.
The project included:
300+ instruments, 27 pumps, 7 tanks, and 8 vessels/exchangers
15+ construction work packages supporting parallel execution
Full tie-in and commissioning support during a planned outage
Approximately 2,640 m³/d steam production, representing approximately 98% of design
Operation with 40% produced water reuse at approximately 80% steam quality
Ready to optimize your thermal assets?
Whether you're developing a new thermal project, planning a brownfield modification, evaluating a production constraint, or looking to improve the performance of an existing facility, talk to a team with experience across the full thermal project lifecycle.