# US 2014/0151268 A1 · Formulations and methods for removing oil-wet solids from aqueous streams > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0151268 A1 - Document ID: US20140151268A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/920,489 - Filed: 2013-06-18 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-06-19 - Assignees: Soane Energy, LLC - Applicants: Soane Energy, LLC - Inventors: David S. Soane; Robert P. Mahoney; Eric A. Verploegen; Rosa Casado Portilla - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151268A1 ## CPC - C10G 1/045: {Separation of insoluble materials} - C10G 21/14: Hydrocarbons - C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES ## Abstract The invention encompasses methods for aggregating oil-wet solids in an aqueous suspension comprising providing an aqueous suspension containing oil-wet solids, and treating the aqueous suspension with an effective amount of a formulation comprising a tunable surfactant, thereby aggregating the oil-wet solids as removable aggregates. The invention also encompasses methods for extracting bitumen from oil sands ore and systems for separating bitumen from inorganic oil sands ore. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for aggregating oil-wet solids in an aqueous suspension, comprising: providing an aqueous suspension containing oil-wet solids; and treating the aqueous suspension with an effective amount of a formulation comprising a tunable surfactant, thereby aggregating the oil-wet solids as removable aggregates. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the removable aggregates. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a flocculant and adding the flocculant to the aqueous suspension before, during or after the step of treating the aqueous suspension with the effective amount of the formulation comprising a tunable surfactant. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a particulate formulation and adding the particulate formulation to the aqueous suspension, before, during or after the step of treating the aqueous suspension. ### Claim 5 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. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the slurry is derived from spent drilling fluid. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the step of physically sequestering yields a reclaimable spent drilling fluid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the step of physically sequestering yields a brine solution. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising providing a particulate formulation and adding the particulate formulation to the slurry, before, during or after the step of treating the slurry. ### Claim 10 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. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising isolating the sequestered segregated oil, thereby recovering the oil. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising reusing the recovered oil. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the desorbing of oil from the oil-wet solids reduces the amount of a waste material for disposal. ### Claim 14 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. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the process fluid temperature is between 10 and 35 degrees Centigrade. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the hydrocarbon diluent is diesel or naphtha. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one tunable surfactant is an aromatic surfactant. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one tunable surfactant is an aliphatic surfactant. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising treating the hydrocarbon-based slurry with a second tunable surfactant, wherein the second tunable surfactant is added to the hydrocarbon-based slurry with the at least one tunable surfactant to separate the bitumen from the oil sands ore. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one tunable surfactant is an aromatic surfactant and the second tunable surfactant is an aliphatic surfactant. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the inorganic-containing portion comprises an aqueous phase containing suspended fines and a solid particulate phase containing sand. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of mechanically agitating the hydrocarbon-based slurry before the step of treating the hydrocarbon-based slurry with the at least one tunable surfactant. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising applying mechanical agitation after the step of treating the hydrocarbon-based slurry with the at least one tunable surfactant. ### Claim 24 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of adding an acid after the step of treating the hydrocarbon-based slurry with the at least one tunable surfactant. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the step of adding the acid adds the acid to the aqueous phase containing suspended fines. ### Claim 26 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. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The system of claim 26, wherein process fluid temperature is between 10 and 35 degrees Centigrade. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The system of claim 26, further comprising a mixer adapted for applying mechanical agitation to the treated slurry.