Separation of oil and precious metals from mined oil-bearing rock material
OwnerJay P. Nielsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing oil, bitumen, precious metals, and hydrocarbon gases from mined oil-bearing rock material, such as tar sands and soil shale. The rock is ground, preconditioned in a heated and pressurized atmosphere devoid of oxygen, and subsequently centrifuged in the presence of an oil-replacement gas to produce oil, and also any precious metal particles that are present in the oil-bearing rock material. The produced oil and precious metals are subsequently separated from each other by centrifuging.
Claims16
A method of producing oil and hydrocarbon gas from broken oil-bearing rock material, comprising the steps of preconditioning said rock material by contacting it with a heated and pressurized conditioning gas substantially devoid of oxygen so as to produce hydrocarbon gases which intermingle with said conditioning gas;
- subjecting the preconditioned oil-bearing rock material to centrifugal force in a centrifuge while simultaneously moving said oil-bearing rock material axially in said centrifuge and also simultaneously subjecting said oil-bearing rock material to a pressurized oil-replacement gas, thereby producing oil and spent rock;
- collecting said produced oil;
- and separately accumulating said spent rock.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.