Extraction of bitumen from bitumen froth generated from tar sands
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United States of America Patent
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Dec 28, 1999
Grant Date -
N/A
app pub date -
Dec 31, 1997
filing date -
Dec 31, 1997
priority date (Note) -
Expired
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Abstract
A process for the extraction of bitumen from bitumen froth generated from tar sands is presented. In this process bitumen froth, extracted from tar sands using a water process not requiring the use of caustic soda, is treated in a counter-current decantation circuit with a paraffinic solvent to remove precipitated asphaltenes, water, and solids from the bitumen froth. The instant invention produces a dilute bitumen product having final water and solids content of about 0.01 to about 1.00% by weight rendering the dilute bitumen product amenable to direct hydrocracking. This process provides an alternative route to the conventional process utilizing centrifuges to separate bitumen from precipitated asphaltenes, water, and solids thereby avoiding the high capital and operating costs associated with the conventional bitumen froth treatment by centrifugation. Because the invention utilizes bitumen froth produced from a water process that does not require the use of caustic soda, it advantageously avoids the production of tailings sludges through clay dispersion. Furthermore, because the diluted bitumen product can be directly hydrocracked, the instant invention avoids the conventional and capital intensive upgrading steps, such as coking, which are required for treatment of the dilute bitumen product produced in the traditional naphtha dilution and centrifugation bitumen extraction process.
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