Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

Imperial Oil Resources

Wei Ren

Robert D Kaminsky

Ken N Sury

Scott R Clingman

Paul Lawrence Tanaka

Babak Adam Jajuee

David Carl Rennard

Aaron Ortiz Gomez

Chien-Chiang Chen

Shahram Yazdanpanah

David C Rennard

Babak A Jajuee

Systems and methods for separating mine tailings from water-absorbing polymers and regenerating the separated water-absorbing polymers. The systems and methods include a separation assembly that is configured to receive an augmented mine tailings slurry that includes mine tailings, water, and a swollen water-absorbing polymer. The separation assembly separates the swollen water-absorbing polymer from the augmented mine tailings slurry to produce a dewatered mine tailings slurry. The systems and methods further include a water-absorbing polymer regeneration unit that is configured to receive the swollen water-absorbing polymer. The water-absorbing polymer regeneration unit at least partially releases water from the swollen water-absorbing polymer to produce a regenerated water-absorbing polymer, and as a separate output or product, the released water.

Systems and methods for separating mine tailings from water-absorbing polymers and regenerating the separated water-absorbing polymers

Systems and methods for dewatering mine tailings. The systems and methods include distributing a slurry of high permeability material on a sloped surface to define a high permeability layer and subsequently distributing a slurry of low permeability mine tailings on the high permeability layer to define a low permeability layer that is vertically above and in contact with the high permeability layer. The sloped surface defines a non-zero surface grade, and natural slopes of both the slurry of high permeability material and the slurry of low permeability mine tailings are within a threshold grade difference of the surface grade. In some embodiments, the systems and methods may include augmenting the slurry of high permeability material and/or augmenting the slurry of low permeability mine tailings to adjust the natural slope thereof.

Systems and methods for dewatering mine tailings

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Missouri City, TX, United States of America

Wei Ren