Gulf Canada Corporation

Herbert S Johnson

Bitumen is separated and recovered from tar sands deposits by use of special hydraulic mining techniques. One or more jets of hydraulic mining fluid are projected by a nozzle or nozzles against a face of a tar sands deposit and advanced towards the face as the face erodes under the jetting action. Sand and bitumen separate, due to the jetting action, and are removed from the eroding area by the flow of hydraulic fluid which is cycled to a recovery zone for separation of fluid, sand, and bitumen. Fluid is recycled, bitumen recovered, and sand disposed of as backfill. Advance of a single nozzle is varied by lateral diversion to erode over a wider area of the face and increase the volume eroded by a single advancing jet.

Hydraulic mining of tar sands with submerged jet erosion

A process is disclosed for removing and recovering from gas streams the sulfur values of dilute concentrations of sulfur vapor, hydrogen sulfide, and sulfur dioxide which are not recoverable by previously known methods. The gas streams are scrubbed with aqueous suspensions of solid catalytic material which precludes formation of collodial sulfur in the aqueous suspension and collects the sulfur values as solid sulfur deposit, which is recovered during restoration of catalytic activity of the solid catalytic material.

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Oakville, Canada

Herbert S Johnson