Hydrocarbon extraction of oil from oil sand

A partial extraction process for producing a high quality crude oil product from oil sand, comprising:

• (a) supplying oil sand containing bitumen to a contact zone of an extraction vessel, wherein the oil sand supplied to the contact zone has an average particle size of not greater than 20,000 micons;
• b) moving the oil sand particles through the contact zone of the extraction vessel;
• c) injecting a light solvent blend comprised of pentane into the extraction vessel, wherein the light solvent blend has the following properties:
• (i) a Hansen dispersion blend parameter of not greater than 16,
• (ii) a Hansen polarity blend parameter of not greater than 2.5, and
• (iii) a Hansen hydrogen bonding blend parameter of not greater than 2,
• (iv) an ASTM D86 10% distillation point of at least 30° C., and
• (v) ASTM D86 90% distillation point of not greater than 160° C.;
• d) contacting the oil sand particles moving through the contact zone of the extraction vessel in step b) with the light solvent blend in a contact zone of the extraction vessel, extracting not greater than 80 wt % of the bitumen from the supplied oil sand particles as an extracted crude oil composition, wherein
• the contact zone is at a temperature and pressure in which at least 20 wt % of the light solvent blend within the contact zone of the extraction vessel during contacting of the oil sand particles is in vapor phase, and
• ii) no water is used in extracting the crude oil composition;
• e) removing the extracted crude oil composition from the vessel, wherein the extracted crude oil composition comprises at least a portion of the light solvent blend;
• and
• f) separating recycle solvent from the extracted crude oil composition removed in step e) to produce the high quality crude oil product, wherein
• (i) the high quality crude oil product is defined as having a nickel plus vanadium content of not greater than 150 wppm, an asphaltene content of not greater than 10 wt % and an API gravity of at least 12, and
• (ii) the recycle solvent has a Hansen dispersion blend parameter of not greater than 16, a Hansen polarity blend parameter of not greater than 2.5, a Hansen hydrogen bonding blend parameter not greater than 2, an ASTM D86 10% distillation point of at least 30° C. and an ASTM D86 90% distillation point of not greater than 160° C.