Tar sands extract fines removal process
AssigneeAmoco Corporation
InventorsWilliam J. Lechnick, Richard A. Stone
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for removing fines from a tar sands extract is provided. The tar sands extract is contacted with a specific solvent to form agglomerates and a substantial portion of the agglomerates are separated from the balance of the extract prior to any substantial attrition of the agglomerates.
Claims16
A method of removing fines from a tar sands extract comprising bitumen, non-specific solvent and mineral fines, said method comprising the steps of:
- contacting a tar sands extract comprising non-specific solvent, fines and bitumen including asphaltenes, with a specific solvent effective to agglomerate a selected quantity of mineral fines contained in said extract;
- intimately mixing said specific solvent with said extract to form agglomerates comprising asphaltenes and a substantial portion of said fines contained in said extract;
- and
- separating a substantial portion of said agglomerates from the balance of said extract prior to any substantial attrition of said agglomerates.
A method of removing fines from a tar sands extract comprising non-specific solvent, fines and bitumen, said method comprising the steps of:
- static in-line mixing a specific solvent with a tar sands extract comprising non-specific solvent, bitumen including asphaltenes and fines comprising inorganic materials selected from the group consisting of clays, carbonates, silicates and mixtures thereof, with said fines having a size less than about 10 microns and being present in an amount of about 5 weight percent to about 50 weight percent of said extract based on solvent free bitumen, to form agglomerates comprising asphaltenes and a substantial portion of the fines of said extract;
- and
- gravitationally separating a substantial portion of said agglomerates from the balance of said extract to avoid substantial attrition of said agglomerates.
A method of removing fines from tar sands, said method comprising the steps of:
- slurrying tar sands including asphaltenes and fines comprising inorganic materials selected from the group consisting of clays, carbonates, silicates and mixtures thereof, with said fines having a size less than about 10 microns, with a non-specific solvent selected from the group consisting of cyclic hydrocarbons, aromatic petroleum fractions and naphtha cut solvents to form a tar sands extract, with said fines being present in an amount of about 5 weight percent to about 50 weight percent of said extract based on solvent free bitumen;
- adding specific solvent selected from the group consisting of C.sub.3 14 C.sub.7 alkanes and petroleum fractions having boiling point ranges corresponding to those of C.sub.3 -C.sub.7 alkanes to said tar sands extract effective to agglomerate a selected quantity of fines contained in said extract;
- mixing said specific solvent with said tar sands extract in a static in-line mixer;
- and
- gravitationally separating a substantial portion of said agglomerates from the balance of said extract in a lamella separator to avoid attrition of more than about 10 percent of the total number of agglomerates formed as a result of said mixing and to attain a fines rejection rate of at least about 80 percent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.