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Abstract

An improved low energy extraction process for recovering bitumen from oil sand whereby essentially all of the thermal energy input for processing the oil sand takes place at the slurry mixing step as opposed to at both the slurry mixing step and the slurry flooding step. Mined oil sand is mixed with sufficient hot slurry water to produce an oil sand slurry having a density in the preferred range of about 1.50 g/cc to about 1.60 g/cc and a temperature in the preferred range of about 40.degree. C. to about 55.degree. C., more preferably greater than about 43.degree. C. The oil sand slurry is conditioned, preferably by pumping it through a pipeline for a sufficient length of time, and then flooded with cold flood water to produce a diluted slurry having a density in the range of about 1.4 g/cc to about 1.5 g/cc and a temperature generally below 40.degree. C. and typically in the range of about 30.degree. C. to about 35.degree. C. The diluted slurry is introduced into a gravity separation vessel where bitumen froth is recovered.

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