System and method for minimizing the negative enviromental impact of the oilsands industry

A method for recovering bitumen from minable bitumen formations, comprising the steps of:

• mining a formation having bitumen and inorganic soil;
• combusting fuel with oxygenated gas under a controlled pressure and temperature to generate a combustion gas, wherein said fuel is carbon based fuel;
• mixing the combustion gases with process water at a controlled pressure to heat said process water;
• mixing the mined bitumen ore with heated process water to generate a slurry;
• recovering bitumen from said slurry;
• recovering said process water from said slurry;
• and
• recycling said process water to repeat the step of mixing the combustion gases with process water.

A system for extracting bitumen from oilsand ore, the system comprising:

• a combustor means for mixing fuel, said fuel being comprised of carbon based fuel, with oxidation gases, said combustor means forming a mixture, wherein said mixture is combustible under controlled pressures and temperatures therein to generate combustion gases;
• a gas-solids separation unit in fluid connection with said combustor means, wherein combustion gases transfer to said gas-solids separation unit, said gas-solids separation unit separating solids from the combustion gases to generate a solid lean gas;
• a heat exchanger having a controlled pressure enclosure and being in fluid connection with said gas-solids separation unit, said heat exchanger heating process water with said solid lean gas flow in said controlled pressure enclosure so as to generate heated process water and non condensable gases;
• and
• an oilsands extraction facility in fluid connection with said heat exchanger, said oilsands extraction facility mixing oilsands ore with said heated process water to generate slurry, wherein said slurry is separable into bitumen and slurry water for use as said process water.

A system for extracting bitumen from oilsands formations, the system comprising:

• a combustor, containing fuel, said fuel being comprised of carbon and oxidation gases mixed with said fuel to form a mixture, said mixture being contained therein, said combustor having controlled pressures and temperatures for combustion of said mixture and generating combustion gases;
• a direct contact steam generator being in fluid connection with said combustor and being formed integral with said combustor, said direct contact steam generator containing waste water with solids, said combustion gases of said combustor mixing with said waste water in said direct contact steam generator to evaporate liquids and generate additional steam, combustion gases, and a solids mixture;
• a gas-solid separation unit in fluid connection with said direct contact steam generator, said additional steam, combustion gases, and said solids mixture being transferred therein, said gas-solid separation unit forming a solid lean gas flow by separating solids from said additional steam, combustion gases, and said solids mixture;
• and
• a heat and water recovery unit in fluid connection with said gas solid separation unit, wherein said heat and recovery unit recovers heat and water from said solid lean gas flow, said heat and water recovery unit being fluidly connected to an oilsands bitumen production facility.

A method for recovering bitumen from a minable oilsands formation, the method comprising the steps of:

• mining an oilsands formation, the formation having bitumen and inorganic soil, the step of mining forming oilsands fine-tailings water;
• combusting fuel with oxygenated gas so as to generate combustion heat and combustion gas;
• heating said oilsands fine-tailings water with said combustion heat, while evaporating water and generating steam, solids and combustion gas;
• separating the solids from said combustion gas to generate a solids lean gas phase;
• heating a process water flow with heat from said solids lean gas phase;
• mixing the mined formation with said heated process water to generate a slurry;
• recovering bitumen from said slurry while generating fine tailings.