# US 2014/0151269 A1 · Enhanced temperature control of bitumen froth treatment process > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0151269 A1 - Document ID: US20140151269A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/114,859 - Filed: 2012-05-02 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-05-18 - Assignees: Fort Hills Energy L.P. - Inventors: Shawn Van Der Merwe; Thomas Hann - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151269A1 ## CPC - C10G 1/04: by extraction - C10G 1/047: {Hot water or cold water extraction processes} - C10G 33/00: Dewatering or demulsification of hydrocarbon oils (by distillation C10G7/04) - C10G 2300/1033: Oil well production fluids - 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 A method for pre-treating bitumen froth for mixing with solvent for froth treatment includes heating the froth to a froth-solvent mixing temperature below the solvent flash temperature and suitably high to provide reduced bitumen viscosity sufficiently low for complete mixing of the solvent and the froth prior to introduction into a separation apparatus. A method of improving energy use in froth treatment includes reducing heat provided to the solvent, increasing heat provided to the froth prior to adding the solvent to reduce bitumen viscosity and adding the temperature-reduced solvent to the heated froth. A froth treatment separation process includes trim heating first and second solvent streams to adjust the first and second stage separation temperatures. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for pre-treating bitumen containing froth for mixing with a paraffinic solvent containing stream to produce a diluted froth for introduction into a separation apparatus for separation into a diluted bitumen component and a solvent diluted tailings component, the method comprising heating the bitumen froth to produce a heated froth with a reduced viscosity and a froth-solvent mixing temperature that is below a flash temperature of the solvent and ranging from about 75° C. to about 95° C., the heated bitumen froth viscosity being at most about 700 cP higher than a solvent stream viscosity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the bitumen froth has a bitumen content between about 40 wt % and about 75 wt %. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, comprising adapting the heating of the bitumen froth in accordance with the bitumen content thereof. ### Claim 4 (canceled) ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heating is conducted by direct steam injection. ### Claim at position 6 -9. (canceled) ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heating is conducted to cause formation of bitumen droplets having a maximum droplet size dmax of about 100 μm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heating is conducted to cause formation of bitumen droplets having a maximum droplet size dmax between about 100 μm and about 25 μm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heating is conducted to control the reduced bitumen viscosity of at most about 650 cP. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heating is conducted to control the reduced bitumen viscosity between about 100 cP and about 650 cP. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heating is conducted to provide the reduced bitumen viscosity between about 1.5 times and about 100 times lower than the viscosity of the bitumen in the froth. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heating is conducted to control the froth-solvent mixing temperature at least about 10° C. below the flash temperature of the solvent. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heating is conducted to reduce a bitumen/solvent viscosity ratio by at least about an order of magnitude. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heating is conducted to control the froth-solvent mixing temperature above a temperature of the solvent. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the froth-solvent mixing temperature is at least about 10° C. above the temperature of the solvent. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the separation apparatus comprises a first stage separation vessel and a second stage separation vessel in counter-current configuration. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, comprising: supplying the diluted froth to the first stage separation vessel and producing the diluted bitumen component and a first stage underflow component; adding a make-up solvent stream to the first stage underflow component to produce a diluted first stage underflow; supplying the diluted first stage underflow to the second stage separation vessel and producing the a second stage overflow component and a second stage underflow component as the solvent diluted tailings component; and supplying the second stage overflow component as the solvent containing stream added to the heated froth. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, comprising trim heating the solvent containing stream to control temperatures of the diluted froth and the first stage separation vessel. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, comprising trim heating the make-up solvent stream to control temperatures of the diluted first stage underflow to the second stage separation vessel. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, comprising maintaining a first operating temperature of the first stage separation vessel above a second operating temperature of the second stage separation vessel. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, comprising providing the make-up solvent stream cooler than the solvent containing stream added to the heated froth. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising subjecting the solvent diluted tailings component to solvent recovery flashing and operating the second stage separation vessel such that the solvent diluted tailings component has a temperature suitable for the solvent recovery flashing. ### Claim 26 A method of improving energy use in a froth treatment operation, the froth treatment operation comprising adding a paraffinic solvent containing stream to bitumen froth to produce a diluted froth, introducing the diluted froth into a separation apparatus and producing from the separation apparatus a diluted bitumen component and a solvent diluted tailings component, the method comprising: reducing heat provided to the solvent containing stream thereby producing a temperature-reduced solvent stream; increasing heat provided to the bitumen froth prior to adding the solvent containing stream thereto to produce a heated froth with a froth-solvent mixing temperature that is below a flash temperature of the solvent and suitably high to provide a reduced bitumen viscosity; adding the temperature-reduced solvent to the heated froth and thereby producing the diluted froth for separation. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the bitumen froth has a bitumen content between about 40 wt % and about 75 wt %. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27, comprising adapting the heating of the bitumen froth in accordance with the bitumen content thereof. ### Claim 29 (canceled) ### Claim 30 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the heating is conducted by direct steam injection. ### Claim 31 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the heating is conducted to control the froth-solvent mixing temperature above about 60° C. ### Claim 32 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the heating is conducted to control the froth-solvent mixing temperature above about 70° C. ### Claim 33 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the heating is conducted to control the froth-solvent mixing temperature above about 90° C. ### Claim 34 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the heating is conducted to control the froth-solvent mixing temperature in between about 90° C. and about 120° C. ### Claim 35 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the heating is conducted to cause formation of bitumen droplets having a maximum droplet size dmax of at most about 100 μm. ### Claim 36 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the heating is conducted to cause formation of bitumen droplets having a maximum droplet size dmax in between about 100 μm and about 25 μm. ### Claim 37 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the heating is conducted to control the reduced bitumen viscosity of at most about 650 cP. ### Claim 38 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the heating is conducted to control the reduced bitumen viscosity in between about 100 cP and about 650 cP. ### Claim 39 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the heating is conducted to provide the reduced bitumen viscosity between about 1.5 times and about 100 times lower than the viscosity of the bitumen in the froth. ### Claim 40 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the heating is conducted to control the froth-solvent mixing temperature at least about 10° C. below the flash temperature of the solvent. ### Claim 41 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the heating is conducted to reduce a bitumen/solvent viscosity ratio by at least about an order of magnitude. ### Claim 42 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the heating is conducted to control the froth-solvent mixing temperature above a temperature of the solvent. ### Claim 43 (depends on 42) The method of claim 42, wherein the froth-solvent mixing temperature is at least about 10° C. above the temperature of the solvent. ### Claim 44 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the separation apparatus comprises a first stage separation vessel and a second stage separation vessel in counter-current configuration. ### Claim 45 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, comprising: supplying the diluted froth to the first stage separation vessel and producing the diluted bitumen component and a first stage underflow component; adding a make-up solvent stream to the first stage underflow component to produce a diluted first stage underflow; supplying the diluted first stage underflow to the second stage separation vessel and producing the a second stage overflow component and a second stage underflow component as the solvent diluted tailings component; and supplying the second stage overflow component as the solvent containing stream added to the heated froth. ### Claim 46 (depends on 45) The method of claim 45, comprising trim heating the solvent containing stream to control temperatures of the diluted froth and the first stage separation vessel. ### Claim 47 (depends on 45) The method of claim 45, comprising trim heating the make-up solvent stream to control temperatures of the diluted first stage underflow to the second stage separation vessel. ### Claim 48 (depends on 45) The method of claim 45, comprising maintaining a first operating temperature of the first stage separation vessel above a second operating temperature of the second stage separation vessel. ### Claim 49 (depends on 45) The method of claim 45, comprising providing the make-up solvent stream cooler than the solvent containing stream added to the heated froth. ### Claim 50 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, comprising subjecting the solvent diluted tailings component to solvent recovery flashing and operating the second stage separation vessel such that the solvent diluted tailings component has a temperature suitable for the solvent recovery flashing. ### Claim 51 A process for separating a bitumen froth into a diluted bitumen component and a diluted tailings component, the process comprising: adding a first solvent containing stream to the bitumen froth to produce a diluted bitumen froth, the first solvent-containing stream having a first solvent temperature and the bitumen froth having a froth temperature; separating the diluted bitumen froth into a first stage overflow component and a first stage underflow component having an underflow temperature, wherein the first stage overflow component comprises the diluted bitumen component; adding a second solvent containing stream to the first stage underflow component to produce a diluted first stage underflow component, the second solvent containing stream having a second solvent temperature; separating the diluted first stage underflow component into a second stage overflow component and a second stage underflow component, wherein the second stage underflow component comprises the diluted tailings component; trim heating the first solvent containing stream to adjust the first solvent temperature to maintain consistent first stage separation temperature; and trim heating the second solvent containing stream to adjust the second solvent temperature to maintain consistent second stage separation temperature. ### Claim 52 (depends on 51) The process of claim 51, wherein the froth temperature is at least 65° C. ### Claim 53 (depends on 51) The process of claim 51, wherein the froth temperature is controlled between about 70° C. and about 120° C. ### Claim 54 (depends on 51) The process of claim 51, wherein the froth temperature is controlled at above 90° C. ### Claim 55 (depends on 51) The process of claim 51, wherein the first stage separation temperature is maintained above the second stage separation temperature. ### Claim 56 (depends on 51) The process of claim 51, wherein the bitumen froth is preheated before the adding of the first solvent containing stream to the bitumen froth. ### Claim 57 (depends on 51) The process of claim 51, wherein the trim heating of the first and second solvent containing streams are performed with heat exchangers. ### Claim 58 (depends on 51) The process of claim 51, wherein the solvent is a naphthenic solvent. ### Claim 59 (depends on 51) The process of claim 51, wherein the solvent is a paraffinic solvent.