Process for recovery of hydrocarbons from inorganic host materials

Abstract

A dry thermal processor is provided for recovering hydrocarbons from oil sand solids. The processor comprises concentric, radially spaced, horizontal inner and outer tubular members connected for rotation together. The inner member provides a substantially open preheat zone and vaporization zone while the outer member provides, in the annular space between the tubular members, a substantially open combustion zone and heat transfer zone. The ends of the outer member are sealed by stationary feed end and product end structures. Advance means move the oil sand solids from the feed end structure through the preheat and vaporization zones to the product end structure and back through the combustion and heat transfer zones. In the preheat zone the oil sands are progressively heated and dehydrated by heat transferred through walls of the inner member from hot solids being dropped thereon in the heat transfer zone. Rotation of the inner member causes size reduction of the oil sand feed in the preheat zone, and oversize is discharged directly into the annular space at the second end of the preheat zone. In the vaporization zone, the preheated oil sands are mixed with hot sand solids recycled from the combustion zone to thereby vaporize the hydrocarbon content of the oil sands and produce a coke residue on the sands. These coked sands are transferred into the combustion zone where they are struck by air to support combustion of the coke. This combustion together with supplemental heat provide the heat requirements of the processor.