Recovery of tailings ponds
AssigneeRJ Oil Sands Inc.
InventorsWade Ralph Bozak, Michael E. Kessick, Roderick Michael Facey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of treating tailings comprising a solids fraction and a hydrocarbon fraction is disclosed. A primary flow is supplied to a jet pump, the primary flow comprising water and less than 20% solids by mass. A secondary flow is supplied to a mixing chamber of the jet pump, the secondary flow comprising a slurry of water and tailings, the slurry comprising more solids by mass than the primary flow. The jet pump is operated using the primary flow such that the tailings are agitated to effect at least a partial phase separation of the hydrocarbon fraction from the tailings. The methods disclosed herein may also be applied to treat tailings ponds.
Claims115
A method of treating tailings from a first tailings pond comprising a solids fraction, water, and a hydrocarbon fraction, the method comprising the steps of:
- supplying a primary flow to a jet pump, the primary flow comprising water;
- supplying a secondary flow to a mixing chamber of the jet pump, the secondary flow comprising tailings;
- and
- operating the jet pump using the primary flow to produce agitated tailings and to effect at least a partial separation of the hydrocarbon fraction from the agitated tailings.
A method of recovering at least one tailings pond, comprising the steps of:
- supplying a material having a first density from the at least one tailings pond to a mixing chamber of a jet pump, the material having a hydrocarbon fraction and a solids fraction;
- supplying a primary flow having a second density from the at least one tailings pond to the jet pump, the second density being different than the first density;
- and
- operating the jet pump using the primary flow to agitate the material and supply agitated material from the jet pump to effect at least a partial phase separation of the hydrocarbon fraction from the solids fraction.
A method of recovering at least one tailings pond, comprising the steps of:
- supplying a material having a first liquid content from the at least one tailings pond to a mixing chamber of a jet pump, the material having a hydrocarbon fraction and a solids fraction;
- supplying a primary flow having a second liquid content to the jet pump, the second liquid content being different from the first liquid content;
- and
- operating the jet pump using the primary flow to agitate the material and supply agitated material from the jet pump to effect at least a partial phase separation of the hydrocarbon fraction from the solids fraction.
A method of recovering a tailings pond, comprising the steps of:
- supplying tailings from a tailings pond to a mixing chamber of a jet pump, the tailings having at least a hydrocarbon fraction and a solids fraction;
- supplying a primary flow to the jet pump;
- supplying a flow of gas to the mixing chamber of the jet pump;
- operating the jet pump using the primary flow to agitate the tailings and flow of gas to effect at least a partial phase separation of the hydrocarbon fraction from the solids fraction;
- separating at least a portion of the hydrocarbon fraction from the tailings in at least one separator;
- flocculating the tailings to give flocculated tailings;
- and
- dewatering the flocculated tailings.
A method for phase separation of a mixture having at least a solids fraction and a hydrocarbon fraction, the method comprising the steps of:
- supplying the mixture to a mixing chamber of a jet pump;
- supplying a primary flow to an input of the jet pump;
- supplying a flow of gas to the mixing chamber of the jet pump;
- and
- operating the jet pump using the primary flow and controlling the flow of gas to agitate the mixture and gas and supply an agitated mixture into a separator to effect at least a partial phase separation of the hydrocarbon fraction from the solids fraction and to create effervescence in the separator.
A method of recovering at least one tailings ponds, the method comprising the steps of:
- supplying tailings from a first tailings pond, the tailings comprising a solids fraction, a hydrocarbon fraction, and a water fraction;
- separating at least a portion of the water fraction from the hydrocarbon fraction and the solids fraction;
- and
- returning the at least a portion of the water fraction to a second tailings pond different from the first tailings pond.
A method of recovering a tailings pond, the method comprising the steps of:
- supplying tailings from a tailings pond, the tailings comprising a solids fraction, a hydrocarbon fraction, and a water fraction;
- separating at least a portion of the water fraction from the hydrocarbon fraction and the solids fraction using at least a jet pump;
- and
- returning the at least a portion of the water fraction to the tailings pond.
A method of recovering a tailings pond, the method comprising the steps of:
- supplying tailings from a tailings pond, the tailings comprising a solids fraction, a hydrocarbon fraction, and a water fraction;
- separating at least a portion of the solids fraction from the hydrocarbon fraction and the water fraction;
- and
- returning the at least a portion of the solids fraction to the tailings pond.
A method of recovering a series of tailings ponds, the method comprising the steps of:
- supplying tailings from a first tailings pond, the tailings comprising a solids fraction, a hydrocarbon fraction, and a water fraction;
- separating the solids fraction from the hydrocarbon fraction and the water fraction;
- and
- returning the solids fraction to a second tailings pond different from the first tailings pond.
A method for at least partial phase separation of a mixture comprising tailings, the mixture having at least a solids fraction and a hydrocarbon fraction, the method comprising the steps of:
- diluting the mixture with a diluent to give a diluted mixture;
- supplying the diluted mixture to a mixing chamber of a jet pump;
- supplying a primary flow to an input of the jet pump;
- and
- operating the jet pump using the primary flow to agitate the diluted mixture and supply an agitated mixture from the jet pump to effect at least a partial phase separation of the hydrocarbon fraction from the solids fraction.
A method of recovering a tailings pond, comprising the steps of:
- supplying a first material from a first vertical level of the tailings pond to a mixing chamber of a jet pump, the material having a hydrocarbon fraction and a solids fraction;
- supplying a second material from a second vertical level of the tailings pond as a primary flow to the jet pump, the second vertical level being different than the first vertical level;
- and
- operating the jet pump using the second material to agitate the first material and supply the agitated material from the jet pump to effect at least a partial phase separation of the hydrocarbon fraction from the solids fraction.
A method of recovering a tailings pond, comprising the steps of:
- supplying tailings from the tailings pond to a mixing chamber of a jet pump, the tailings having a hydrocarbon fraction and a solids fraction;
- supplying a primary flow to the jet pump;
- operating the jet pump using the primary flow such that the tailings are agitated to effect at least a partial separation of the hydrocarbon fraction from the solids fraction;
- separating at least a portion of the hydrocarbon fraction from the tailings in at least one separator;
- and
- dewatering the tailings.
A method for washing a hydrocarbon fraction supplied from a first separator, the method comprising:
- supplying the hydrocarbon fraction into a jet pump;
- supplying a flow of gas to a mixing chamber of the jet pump;
- and
- operating the jet pump using the hydrocarbon fraction and the flow of gas to agitate the hydrocarbon fraction and supply an agitated hydrocarbon fraction from the jet pump into a second separator to effect at least a partial phase separation of the hydrocarbon fraction from the solids fraction.
A method of separating hydrocarbons from a mixture comprising a hydrocarbon fraction, a solids fraction, and a water fraction, the method comprising the steps of:
- supplying at least a portion of the mixture as a primary flow into a jet pump;
- supplying a flow of gas to a mixing chamber of the jet pump;
- and
- operating the jet pump using the at least a portion of the mixture and the flow of gas to agitate the at least a portion of the mixture and supply an agitated mixture from the jet pump into a separator to effect at least a partial phase separation of the hydrocarbon fraction from the solids fraction.
A method of treating a mixture comprising tailings, the tailings being at least partially separated from the mixture in a separator, comprising the steps of:
- supplying at least a portion of the tailings from the mixture in the separator;
- adding a flocculent to the tailings to create flocculated tailings;
- and
- dewatering the flocculated tailings.
A method of treating tailings comprising at least a solids fraction and a hydrocarbon fraction, the method comprising the steps of:
- supplying a primary flow to a jet pump, the primary flow comprising water;
- supplying a secondary flow to a mixing chamber of the jet pump, the secondary flow comprising tailings, the secondary flow comprising more solids by mass than the primary flow;
- and
- operating the jet pump using the primary flow to produce agitated tailings and to effect at least a partial separation of the hydrocarbon fraction from the agitated tailings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.