Pyrolysis kinetics of thermal decomposition of bitumen was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). TGA experiments were conducted at multiple heating rates of 5, 10, 20 degrees C?min1 up to 800 degrees C to obtain the pyrolysis characteristics of bitumen. Weight loss curve from TGA shows that two different stages occurred during bitumen pyrolysis. Differential method has been used for determining the kinetic parameters and the best fit for the order of reaction was found based on the R2 values. Kinetics results confirm the presence of two different stages in bitumen pyrolysis with varying kinetic parameters. The average activation energy for the first and second stage was 29 and 60?kJ?mol-1 and the average order of the reaction was 1.5 and 0.25, respectively. Experiments have been conducted with different reservoir sand. The effect of different source of sand reveals no effect on the pyrolysis behaviour of bitumen. A considerable difference was found with the pyrolysis of bitumensand mixtures and bitumen alone based on coke yield and activation energy. (c) 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering