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US 10,093,861 B2Granted
Method and systems for transporting bitumen in solidified form
OwnerJames Auld, John Bleile +4inventors
InventorsJames Auld, John Bleile, Kasra Nikooyeh, Amanda Prefontaine, Derek Stanger, Jesse White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solid bitumen pellet, including a mixture of bitumen and an additive, where the additive operates to increase the viscosity of the mixture. Optionally, the pellet includes a protective shell.
Claims29
A method for environmental risk reduction during transport of crude oil refinery feedstock, the method comprising:
- receiving a load of solid pellets in a shipping container at an origin,
- each pellet in said load of solid pellets including a mixture of crude oil refinery feedstock and a hydrocarbonaceous polymer, the polymer having a melting point temperature of at least 50° C., wherein the crude oil refinery feedstock before being mixed with the polymer to form the mixture is suitable for use as a feedstock to an oil refinery to separate the crude oil refinery feedstock into constituents that can be used as fuels, lubricants and feedstocks in petrochemical processes,
- the polymer having a solubility in the crude oil such that the crude oil refinery feedstock maintains compatibility with the oil refinery to allow separation of the crude oil refinery feedstock into said constituents, and
- transporting the shipping container with the load to a destination,
- wherein the load includes at least 100 solid pellets having a probability, per pellet, of failing a crush-resistance test that does not exceed 0.25 when the height of the pellet load is of 1 meter.
2 more elements
A method for environmental risk reduction during transport of crude oil refinery feedstock, the method comprising:
- receiving a load of solid pellets in a shipping container at an origin,
- each pellet in said load of solid pellets including a mixture of crude oil refinery feedstock and a hydrocarbonaceous polymer, the polymer having a melting point temperature of at least 50° C., wherein the crude oil refinery feedstock before being mixed with the polymer to form the mixture is suitable for use as a feedstock to an oil refinery to separate the crude oil refinery feedstock into constituents that can be used as fuels, lubricants and feedstocks in petrochemical processes,
- the polymer having a solubility in the crude oil such that the crude oil refinery feedstock maintains compatibility with the oil refinery to allow separation of the crude oil refinery feedstock into said constituents, and
- transporting the shipping container with the load to a destination,
- wherein the load includes 100 solid pellets having a probability, per pellet, of failing a crush-resistance test that does not exceed 0.25 when the height of the pellet load is of 5 meters.
2 more elements
A method for environmental risk reduction during transport of crude oil refinery feedstock, the method comprising:
- receiving a load of solid pellets in a shipping container at an origin,
- each pellet in said load of solid pellets including a mixture of crude oil refinery feedstock and a hydrocarbonaceous polymer, the polymer having a melting point temperature of at least 50° C., wherein the crude oil refinery feedstock before being mixed with the polymer to form the mixture is suitable for use as a feedstock to an oil refinery to separate the crude oil refinery feedstock into constituents that can be used as fuels, lubricants and feedstocks in petrochemical processes,
- the polymer having a solubility in the crude oil such that the crude oil refinery feedstock maintains compatibility with the oil refinery to allow separation of the crude oil refinery feedstock into said constituents, and
- transporting the shipping container with the load to a destination,
- the load including 100 solid pellets having a probability, per pellet, of failing a crush-resistance test that does not exceed 0.25 when the height of the pellet load is of 10 meters.
2 more elements
A method for environmental risk reduction during transport of crude oil refinery feedstock, the method comprising:
- receiving a load of solid pellets in a shipping container at an origin,
- each pellet in said load of solid pellets including a mixture of crude oil refinery feedstock and a hydrocarbonaceous polymer, the polymer having a melting point temperature of at least 50° C., wherein the crude oil refinery feedstock before being mixed with the polymer to form the mixture is suitable for use as a feedstock to an oil refinery to separate the crude oil refinery feedstock into constituents that can be used as fuels, lubricants and feedstocks in petrochemical processes,
- the polymer having a solubility in the crude oil such that the crude oil refinery feedstock maintains compatibility with the oil refinery to allow separation of the crude oil refinery feedstock into said constituents, and
- transporting the shipping container with the load to a destination,
- the load including 100 solid pellets having a probability, per pellet, of failing a crush-resistance test that does not exceed 0.25 when the height of the pellet load is of 20 meters.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.