# US 2014/0151270 A1 · Sodium triphosphate and caustic as process aids for the extraction of bitumen from mined oil sands

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- Number: US 2014/0151270 A1
- Document ID: US20140151270A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/705,015
- Filed: 2012-12-04
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04
- Assignees: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude Project
- Applicants: Syncrude Canada Ltd. In Trust for the Owners of Th
- Inventors: JUN LONG; YONG GU
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151270A1

## CPC

- C10G 1/047: {Hot water or cold water extraction processes}
- 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 process of extracting bitumen from oil sand ores having a fines content up to about 60% and a bitumen content higher than about 6% is provided, comprising: determining a dosage (wt %) of caustic necessary to yield a desired primary bitumen recovery; determining an amount of caustic (wt %) and an amount of sodium triphosphate (wt %) which yields substantially the same desired primary bitumen recovery or greater as the dosage of caustic (wt %) alone; mixing the oil sand ore with heated water to produce an oil sand slurry; and adding the amounts of caustic (wt %) and sodium triphosphate (wt %) before, during or after mixing the oil sand ore with heated water to condition the oil sand slurry and to improve bitumen recovery from the oil sand ore; whereby the sum of the amounts of caustic (wt %) and sodium triphosphate (wt %) is substantially equal to the dosage of caustic (wt %) alone.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process of extracting bitumen from an oil sand ore having a fines content up to about 60% and a bitumen content higher than about 6%, comprising:
determining a dosage (wt %) of caustic necessary to yield a desired primary bitumen recovery;
determining an amount of caustic (wt %) and an amount of sodium triphosphate (wt %) which yields substantially the same desired primary bitumen recovery or greater as the dosage of caustic (wt %) alone;
mixing the oil sand ore with heated water to produce an oil sand slurry; and
adding the amounts of caustic (wt %) and sodium triphosphate (wt %) before, during or after mixing the oil sand ore with heated water to condition the oil sand slurry and to improve bitumen recovery from the oil sand ore;
whereby the sum of the amounts of caustic (wt %) and sodium triphosphate (wt %) is substantially equal to the dosage of caustic (wt %) alone.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the bitumen content ranges from about 6% to about 10%, the fines content is greater than about 25%, the caustic amount ranges from about 0 wt % to about 0.05 wt %, and the sodium triphosphate amount ranges from about 0.005 wt % to about 0.05 wt %.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein the bitumen content is about 8%, the fines content is about 40%, the caustic amount is about 0.03 wt %, and the sodium triphosphate amount is about 0.005 wt %.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein the bitumen content is about 9%, the fines content is about 26%, the caustic amount is about 0.03 wt %, and the sodium triphosphate amount is about 0.05 wt %.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein the bitumen content is about 9.5%, the fines content is about 35%, the caustic amount ranges from about 0.01 wt % to about 0.02 wt %, and the sodium triphosphate amount ranges from about 0.005 wt % to about 0.05 wt %.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the bitumen content is greater than about 10%, the fines content is less than about 20%, the caustic amount ranges from about 0.01 wt % to about 0.05 wt %, and the sodium triphosphate amount ranges from about 0.003 wt % to about 0.009 wt %.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The process of claim 6, wherein the bitumen content is about 12%, the fines content is about 16%, the caustic amount is about 0.01 wt %, and the sodium triphosphate amount is about 0.003 wt %.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein a total dosage of caustic and sodium triphosphate is about 0.04 wt %, wherein the caustic amount ranges from about 0.01 wt % to about 0.03 wt %, and the sodium triphosphate amount ranges from about 0.01 wt % to about 0.03 wt %.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the caustic comprises sodium hydroxide.