Oslo Alberta Limited

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, As Represented by the Minister

Petro-canada

Canadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd.

Pan Canadian Petroleum Limited

Esso Resources Canada Limited

Gulf Canada Resources Limited

Alberta Energy Company Ltd.

Murphy Oil Company Ltd.

Mocal Energy Limited

Hbog-oil Sands Limited

Robert N Tipman

Bruce M Sankey

Varagur S Rajan

Yi-Cheng Long

Dean Wallace

A paraffinic solvent is mixed with bitumen froth containing water and solids. Sufficient solvent is added to induce inversion when the mixture is subjected to gravity or centrifugal forces. The emulsion reports to the water phase and a dry bitumen product is obtained.

Solvent process for bitumen separation from oil sands froth

A process for treating bitumen froth containing mixtures of a hydrocarbon component, water and solids, comprises heating said bitumen froth to a temperature in the range of about 80.degree. C. to about 300.degree. C., preferably in the range of 100.degree. C. to 180.degree. C., under pressure of about 150 to about 5000 kPa, preferably in the range of 800 to about 2000 kPa, sufficient to maintain said hydrocarbon component in a liquid phase, passing said heated froth into a plurality of separation stages in series, and gravity settling the solids and water from the hydrocarbon layer while maintaining said elevated temperature and pressure. A diluent miscible with the bitumen may be mixed with the bitumen froth in an amount of 0 to about 60 per cent by weight of the bitumen, preferably in an amount of 15 to 50 per cent by weight of the bitumen in a mixing stage for preconditioning of the froth prior to each gravity separation stage. A low molecular weight hydrocarbon diluent, such as typified by naphtha, kerosene, toluene or natural gas condensate, is preferred.

Process for separation of hydrocarbon from tar sands froth

A process and an apparatus are described for separation of water and solids from oil sands froth in which heated froth is fed into a gravity settling vessel at a level below a bitumen-water interface established between a bitumen froth layer floating on a quiescent body of water whereby water and solids contained in the froth separate from the froth stream, the oil rises to accumulate in the bitumen froth layer, and the solids fall by gravity to the bottom of the gravity settling vessel. The apparatus comprises an injector manifold suspended horizontally within the vessel below the bitumen-water interface, said injector manifold having a plurality of equispaced, inwardly facing openings for the inward discharge of oil sands froth into the body of water. The injector ring manifold may also have a plurality of outwardly facing openings for both inward and outward discharge of froth. A level probe for monitoring the level of the bitumen-water interface preferably is mounted in the vessel in electrical communication with a valve for discharging underflow for control of the level of the bitumen-water interface.

Process for increasing the bitumen content of oil sands froth

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Sherwood Park, Canada

Robert N Tipman