Canada-Cities Service, Ltd.

Petro-Canada Exploration Inc.

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of Alberta, Government of

Pan Canadian Petroleum Limited

Esso Resources Canada Limited

Imperial Oil Limited

Gulf Canada Resources Limited

Gulf Oil Canada Ltd.

Ontario Energy Corporation

Joseph K Liu

Lubomyr M Cymbalisty

Stephen J Lane

Bryan J Fuhr

The hot water extraction process for recovering bitumen from tar sand produces a large volume of solids-laden aqueous tailings as a waste product. The solids in the tailings stream may be flocculated by the addition of time and the components of the stream then separated into a water-free solids phase and a clarified water phase. During flocculation, the zeta potential of the stream is monitored. It rises from an initial negative zeta potential, as the lime is added. Flocculation is terminated when the zeta potential is about zero. At this point, the tailings are in optimum condition for separation into the water-free solids phase and the clarified water phase. Separation is preferably effected by vacuum filtration.

Method for controlling flocculant addition to tar sand tailings

Whole tailings are treated with a flocculant to cause fines to agglomerate with the coarse particles. The product is then vacuum filtered to separate the fines from the water.

Filtration of hot water extraction process whole tailings

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Edmonton, Canada

Joseph K Liu