Hydraulic mining technique for recovering bitumen from tar sand deposit

Abstract

Viscous petroleum including bitumen may be recovered from unconsolidated sand formations such as tar sand deposits by hydraulic mining. Hot water of steam and an amine are introduced into the subterranean deposit with sufficient velocity to dislodge bitumen and particles of sand therefrom. The process is a single wellbore operation using rotatable vertically moveable injection string with one or more jets near the bottom thereof, with separate return flow path to surface, the inlet to which may be on the bottom of the injection string. The injection string may be raised or lowered while rotating and jetting so the full vertical thickness of tar sand interval is contacted by aqueous mining fluid. Jet pump may be used to pump petroleum to surface. The aqueous hydraulic mining fluid comprises hot water or steam and an amine having the following formula: R.sub.1 R.sub.2 NR.sub.3 wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are each hydrogen or a C.sub.1 to C.sub.6 and preferably a C.sub.2 to C.sub.4 alkyl, linear or branched, and R.sub.3 is an alkyl, linear or branched, having from 3 to 20 and preferably 4 to 12, or R.sub.3 is --R.sub.4 NH.sub.2 wherein R.sub.4 is a C.sub.2 to C.sub.18 alkyl, linear or branched, and preferably 3 to 11, the sum of carbon atoms in R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 being from 3 to 20 and preferably from 7 to 13.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.