Formulations and methods for removing oil-wet solids from aqueous streams

A method for separating oil or solids from an aqueous slurry, comprising:

• providing an aqueous slurry comprising oil and solids;
• treating the slurry with an effective amount of a formulation comprising a tunable surfactant, thereby segregating the oil or the solids from the slurry;
• and
• physically sequestering at least one of the oil and the solids, thereby separating the oil or the solids from the slurry.

A method for desorbing oil from oil-wet solids, comprising:

• providing a sample comprising oil-wet solids;
• treating the sample with an effective amount of a formulation comprising a tunable surfactant to segregate the oil from the oil-wet solids;
• and
• sequestering the segregated oil, thereby separating the oil from the oil-wet solids.

A method for extracting bitumen from oil sands ore, comprising:

• providing an oil sands ore containing bitumen;
• treating the oil sands ore with a hydrocarbon diluent to form a hydrocarbon-based slurry;
• treating the hydrocarbon-based slurry with at least one tunable surfactant to separate the bitumen from the oil sands ore, thereby forming a bitumen-containing portion and a separate inorganic-containing portion comprising the oil sands ore;
• and
• separating the bitumen-containing portion from the inorganic-containing portion, thereby extracting the bitumen from the oil sands ore,
• wherein each step takes place at a process fluid temperature within in a lower temperature environment.

A system for separating bitumen from inorganic oil sands ore, comprising:

• a mixing chamber, whereby oil sands ore containing bitumen bound to inorganic oil sands ore is collectable in the mixing chamber;
• an introducer in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and in fluid communication with a reservoir containing a hydrocarbon diluent, wherein the hydrocarbon diluent is flowable from the reservoir through the introducer into the mixing chamber to contact the oil sands ore;
• a mechanical agitator disposed within the mixing chamber, wherein the agitation produced by the mechanical agitator mixes the hydrocarbon diluent and the oil sands to form a hydrocarbon-based slurry;
• a dispenser for a tunable surfactant in fluid communication with the hydrocarbon-based slurry, wherein the tunable surfactant is flowable at the ambient temperature into the hydrocarbon-based slurry to form a treated slurry, the treated slurry comprising a first phase containing bitumen and a second phase containing inorganic oil sands ore;
• and
• a separator adapted for separating the first phase from the second phase,
• wherein each component of the system operates at a temperature within a lower process fluid temperature environment.