Method for obtaining bitumen from tar sands

A method for obtaining bitumen, comprising:

• mixing a first quantity of tar sand with a light aromatic solvent to form a first mixture;
• separating the first mixture into a bitumen-enriched light aromatic solvent phase and a first quantity of bitumen-depleted sand phase;
• separating the bitumen-enriched light aromatic solvent phase into a first bitumen product and a recovered light aromatic solvent;
• mixing the recovered light aromatic solvent with a second quantity of tar sand;
• mixing the first quantity of bitumen-depleted sand phase with a volatile hydrocarbon solvent to form a second mixture;
• separating the second mixture into a bitumen-enriched volatile hydrocarbon solvent phase and a residual sand phase;
• separating the bitumen-enriched volatile hydrocarbon solvent phase into a second bitumen product and a recovered volatile hydrocarbon solvent;
• and
• mixing the recovered volatile hydrocarbon solvent with a second quantity of bitumen-depleted sand phase.

A system for obtaining bitumen, comprising:

• a first separator for separating a first mixture comprising a tar sand and a light aromatic solvent into a bitumen-enriched light aromatic solvent phase and a bitumen-depleted sand phase;
• a second separator for separating the bitumen-enriched light aromatic solvent phase into a first bitumen product and a recovered light aromatic solvent;
• a third separator for separating a second mixture comprising a bitumen-depleted sand phase and a volatile hydrocarbon solvent into a bitumen-enriched volatile hydrocarbon solvent phase and a residual sand phase;
• and
• a fourth separator for separating the bitumen-enriched volatile hydrocarbon solvent phase into a second bitumen product and a recovered volatile hydrocarbon solvent.