Suncor Energy Inc.

Exergy Solutions

Iftikhar Huq

Ali Abbaspour

Brian Doucette

Jiayi Claire Cao

Farid Vaezi Ghobaeiyeh

Richard Anthony McFarlane

Gary L Bunio

John Bleile

Kasra Nikooyeh

Prabhakar Reddy

Arno De Klerk

Alexander Hyndman

Billy James Rideout

Martin Hadzima

Ruoyu Cheng

Paul Morris

Gary Bunio

Govinder Parmar

Randy Segato

A non-aqueous extraction process for producing a bitumen product from an oil sands material that includes an ablation stage is provided. The ablation stage can include adding an ablation solvent to an oil sands material to achieve a solvent-to-ore ratio of less than about 10, mixing the ablation solvent and the oil sands material to reduce the size of the oil sands material and produce ablated ore that includes ablated ore fragments having a diameter of less than about 2 inches, and retrieving the ablated ore as a single stream. The ablated ore can be subjected to a reject separation stage to separate reject material therefrom. The reject material can also be subjected to a wash reject stage. The ablated ore can then be subjected to an extraction stage. Examples of ablators are also described, which can include for instance a conveyor, or can be a rotary screen ablator.

Ablation process for oil sands subjected to non-aqueous extraction

A non-aqueous extraction (NAE) process for producing bitumen from oil sands ore can include a multistage bitumen extraction step where paraffinic solvent and deasphalted oil are added at a downstream stage of extraction at solvent-to-bitumen ratios below asphaltene precipitation onset threshold to remove bitumen from the solid mineral material, while the ore is added to a first stage to mix with the solvent-bitumen mixture and produce solvent diluted bitumen. The process includes recovering the solvent diluted bitumen and the solvent diluted tailings from the extraction step. The solvent diluted bitumen is subjected to deasphalting to produce solvent diluted deasphalted bitumen that is used as a source of the paraffinic solvent and deasphalted oil supplied to extraction. The tailings and asphaltene fraction from deasphalting can be subjected to washing and the washed material can then be subjected to sand solvent recovery. The NAE process can be operated within an operating envelop for effective and efficient performance.

Non-aqueous extraction and separation of bitumen from oil sands ore using paraffinic solvent and deasphalted bitumen

Rotating elements receivable within an extractor trough of an extractor configured for non-aqueous extraction of bitumen from oil sands are described. The rotating element can include a shaft operatively couplable to a motor, and projections extending outwardly from the shaft and being removably secured thereto. The rotating element can also include a shaft mounting structure couplable to a shaft, comprising a shaft receiving hub configured for receiving the shaft therein. The rotation of the rotating element can provide digestion and extraction of bitumen from the oil sands while advancing solids in a downstream direction within the extractor trough, as solvent diluted bitumen flows in an upstream direction toward a liquid outlet. Methods for servicing a rotating element and for manufacturing a non-aqueous extraction (NAE) extractor are also provided.

Non-aqueous extraction and separation of bitumen from oil sands ore with rotating elements

A non-aqueous process for producing bitumen from oil sands is provided, and includes contacting oil sands and solvent to produce solvent diluted bitumen and solvent diluted tailings. The solvent diluted bitumen is subjected to a first fines separation stage that produces an overflow solvent diluted bitumen stream with residual fines that is subjected to a second fines separation stage to remove residual fines and produce a solvent diluted bitumen stream, which is subjected to solvent recovery. The fines streams are subjected to washing to produce washed tailings and solvent wash liquor comprising solvent and bitumen. Another non-aqueous process for producing bitumen from oil sands is provided, and includes subjecting oil sands to solvent extraction, including displacing the oil sands material and a solbit counter-currently and horizontally, and recovering a bitumen enriched solbit stream which is subjected to fines separation and subjecting the solvent diluted bitumen stream to solvent recovery.

Non-aqueous extraction of bitumen from oil sands

Partial upgrading processes can include thermal treatment combined with solvent deasphalting, and recycling of certain streams, to process bitumen feedstocks and produce a bitumen product. The thermal treatment can be done so that the feedstock is in liquid phase at conditions below incipient coking conditions. Solvent deasphalting can be done before or after thermal treatment depending on the configuration of the process. Subjecting the bitumen feedstock to a partial upgrading can facilitate viscosity reduction of the bitumen feedstock and can facilitate avoiding the need for the addition of an external source of hydrogen.

Partial upgrading of bitumen with thermal treatment and solvent deasphalting

Methods are described for the production of a hydrocarbon product and selective rejection of low quality hydrocarbons from a bitumen-containing material, where product quality, production yield, processing input requirements, and environmental benefits are assessed for selecting a candidate method for deployment. The methods facilitate selection and deployment of sustainable hydrocarbon production operations rather than focusing on maximizing volumetric yield of hydrocarbons.

Production of hydrocarbon product and selective rejection of low quality hydrocarbons from bitumen material

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Calgary, Canada

Iftikhar Huq