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US 2012/0074045 A1Published application
Extraction of bitumen from oil sands
OwnerJohn E. STAUFFERinventor
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Abstract
Carbon disulfide is used as a solvent to extract bitumen from oil sands in an anhydrous countercurrent flow process that is compatible with existing procedures for upgrading bitumen. The solution is then treated in a thermal reaction to reduce viscosity and then fractionated to recover the bitumen.
Claims2
A process for the extraction of bitumen from oil sands comprising the steps of:
- dissolving the bitumen in carbon disulfide to produce a solution;
- treating the solution to reduce viscosity in a thermal reaction;
- and
- fractionating the solution to recover the bitumen.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.