Apex Engineering Inc.

Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority

Baki Ozum

Roger Kai Lott

Lap-Keung Lee

Theodore J Cyr

Zvonko Burkus

Leszek Lewkowicz

In a method for enhancing the efficiency of separation of bitumen from oil sands ore, lipids, lipid by-products, and lipid derivatives are used as process additives for ore-water slurry-based bitumen extraction processes or in situ bitumen recovery processes. These additives act as surfactants reducing surface and interfacial tensions, thus promoting breakdown the oil sands ore structure and resultant liberation of bitumen from the ore. Lipid treatment does not deleteriously affect release water chemistry in bitumen recovery processes, and it does not appreciably affect the fuel value of recovered bitumen. Lipids which may be effectively used as additives include biodiesel, tall oil fatty acids, monoglycerides, vegetable oil, and soap water, and combinations thereof. Lipids may also be used as process additives to enhance the efficiency of clean-up of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils, in the production of bitumen-water or oil-water emulsions, and to enhance the transportability of emulsions such as in pipelines.

Methods for enhancing efficiency of bitumen extraction from oil sands using lipids and lipid by-products as process additives

In a method for increasing the efficiency of bitumen recovery from oil sands, bitumen asphaltenes naturally present in the oil sands ore are treated with selected chemical agents to produce surfactants which reduce surface and interfacial tensions and promote the production of bitumen-water emulsions, thus facilitating the extraction and recovery of bitumen for use in producing synthetic crude oil. The agents react with the asphaltenes by oxidation, sulfonation, sulfoxidation, or sulfomethylation reactions, or by a combination of such reactions. These reactions may be initiated by adding selected agents into water-based oil sand slurries in process vessels or in pipelines. Alternatively, the agents may be injected directly into subsurface oil sand formations for in situ production of surfactants to enhance the efficiency of in situ thermal bitumen recovery processes. The methods of the invention may also be used to improve the stability of bitumen-water emulsions to facilitate transportation of the emulsions by pipeline, and to enhance the recoverability of bitumen from oil sands tailings.

Method for improving bitumen recovery from oil sands by production of surfactants from bitumen asphaltenes

In a method for enhancing the efficiency of bitumen recovery from oil sands ore, CaO lime (or Ca(OH)) is mixed into an oil sands ore-water slurry prior to or during the operation of slurry-based bitumen extraction processes. The lime is introduced at dosages effective to reduce the electro-chemical attraction between clay particles and bitumen in the slurry, thereby promoting detachment of clay particles from bitumen droplets in the ore-wafer slurry. This occurs because water-soluble asphaltic acids formed at the bitumen-water interface act as surfactants which reduce or eliminate the activity of Caand Mgions binding the clay particles and bitumen together. The detachment of clay particles promotes the attachment of air bubbles to the bitumen droplets, thereby forming a bitumen-rich froth which will float to the surface of the ore-water slurry, thus facilitating bitumen recovery.

Method for extraction of bitumen from oil sands using lime

In a hydrocracking process a feed mixture comprising: heavy oil containing asphaltenes and sulfur moieties; an oil-soluble, metal-containing compound additive (such as iron pentacarbonyl or molybdenum 2-ethyl hexanoate), which additive is operative to impede coalescence of coke precursors and which forms hydrocracking catalytic particles in situ; and, optionally, a hydrocarbon diluent which is a solvent for asphaltenes and which will assist with dispersion of the additive; is mixed for a prolonged period at low temperature (e.g., 80.degree. C.-190.degree. C.) in a first vessel or vessels to disperse the additive without significantly decomposing the additive. Preferably, the product mixture is then digested in a second vessel or vessels by mixing it at an elevated temperature (e.g., 250.degree. C.), to decompose the additive. The resulting mixture is then heated to hydrocracking temperature (e.g., 450.degree. C.) and introduced into a reactor. A hydrogen flow, sufficient to maintain mixing in the reactor and efficient (e.g., greater than 98%) stripping of light ends (e.g., end point boiling 20.degree. C.), is provided. the steps of low temperature mixing to achieve dispersion without additive decomposition, preferably digesting to decompose the additive under mixing conditions, and mixing in the reactor with stripping, combine to yield well dispersed, colloidal catalytic particles which function to impede coke evolution and provide high conversion of the high boiling (504.degree. C.) fraction of the feedstock.

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Edmonton, Canada

Baki Ozum