Filtration of hot water extraction process whole tailings
AssigneesPetro-Canada Exploration Inc., Her Majesty the Queen in right of the Province of Alberta, Government of the Province of Alberta, Department of Energy and Natural Resources, Alberta Syncrude Equity, Ontario Energy Corporation, Imperial Oil Limited, Canada-Cities Service, Ltd., Gulf Oil Canada Limited
InventorsJoseph K. Liu, Stephen J. Lane, Lubomyr M. Cymbalisty
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Whole tailings are treated with a flocculant to cause fines to agglomerate with the coarse particles. The product is then vacuum filtered to separate the fines from the water.
Claims3
A method for treating combined whole tailings from a hot water extraction process plant, said tailings including water, and coarse and fine solids, which comprises:
- mixing the whole tailings, without prior settling, with a flocculating agent to aggolmerate fine solids with coarse solids and co-settling the fine solids with the coarse solids;
- and
- immediately thereafter vacuum filtering the entire product without a filter aid to separate the water and solids.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.