# US 8,771,502 B2 · Closed loop solvent extraction process for oil sands > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,771,502 B2 - Document ID: US8771502B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/887,352 - Filed: 2010-09-21 - Published: 2011-06-02 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2009-09-29 - Assignees: Shell Oil Company - Applicants: Robert Lawrence Blackbourn; Reinhard Alfred Bott; Steven Paul Giles; Bradley Dean Komishke; Yicheng Long; Ingmar Hubertus Josephina Ploemen; Bernardus Cornelis Maria IN' T Veen - Inventors: Robert Lawrence Blackbourn; Reinhard Alfred Bott; Steven Paul Giles; Bradley Dean Komishke; Yicheng Long; Ingmar Hubertus Josephina Ploemen; Bernardus Cornelis Maria IN' T Veen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771502B2 ## CPC - C10G 1/045: {Separation of insoluble materials} - C10G 1/04: by extraction - C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES ## Abstract The present invention is directed to a method comprising contacting an oil sand with a suitable solvent to generate a solvated oil sand slurry; separating solvent-diluted bitumen from the solvated oil sand slurry to generate (a) a solvent-diluted bitumen and (b) a slurry with increased solids concentration; and filtering the slurry with increased solids concentration. The method of the present invention may be used to produce a low ash bitumen product and dry tailings from oil sands. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for extracting bitumen from an oil sand, the method comprising: contacting an oil sand with a solvent to generate a solvated oil sand slurry, wherein the solvent is a C3 to C9 paraffinic solvent, or a mixture thereof; separating solvent-diluted bitumen from the solvated oil sand slurry to generate (a) a solvent-diluted bitumen and (b) a slurry with increased solids concentration, the increased solids concentration being between 60 and 85 percent by weight solids; filtering the slurry with increased solids concentration; adding solvent vapour above the filter bed to produce solids, and a filtrate output; and drying the solids resulting from the filtering to produce solids having dry tailings. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising size-reducing the oil sand to produce a size-reduced oil sand feed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the solvent is a C5 solvent. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the separating step is carried out in a settler. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the solvent in either or both of the solids and the filtrate is recovered and recycled to either or both of the contacting step and the filtering step. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the filtrate is recycled to the contacting step. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising heating the solids during the filtering step. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the solvent in the solvent-diluted bitumen is recovered and recycled to either or both of the contacting step and the filtering step. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising feeding overflow from the separating step to a second separating step. ### Claim 10 A method for extracting bitumen from an oil sand, the method comprising: reducing the size of an oil sand feed to produce a size-reduced oil sand feed; adding to the size-reduced oil sand feed to form a slurry a solvent, wherein the solvent is a C3 to C9 paraffinic solvent, or a mixture thereof; feeding the slurry to a separation device; allowing the slurry to be separated into a solvent-diluted bitumen and an underflow containing between 60 and 85 percent by weight solids; feeding the underflow to a filtration unit; introducing solvent vapor above the filter bed of the filtration unit: recovering a filtrate from the filtration unit; recovering the solids from the filtration unit; and recovering solvent from the solids from the filtration unit by drying the solids wherein produce dry tailings are produced. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein at least some of the solvent in either or both of the solids and the filtrate is recovered and recycled to either or both of the step of adding solvent to the size-reduced oil sand feed to form a slurry, and the filtration unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein at least some of the filtrate is recycled to the step of adding solvent to the size-reduced oil sand feed to form a slurry. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising heating the solids in the filtration unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein at least some of the solvent in the solvent-diluted bitumen is recovered and recycled to either or both of the step of adding solvent to the size-reduced oil sand feed to form a slurry and the filtration unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising depressurizing the solids from the filtration unit to recover additional solvent. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising desolventising the underflow within the filtration unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising drying the solids from the filtration unit to produce dry tailings. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 comprising adding solvent to the oil sand feed using a rotary breaker. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the solvent is a C5 solvent. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising purging with an inert gas while introducing the oil sand into a hydrocarbon atmosphere. ### Claim 21 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein washing of the solids is carried out in the filtration unit. ### Claim 22 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising feeding the solvent diluted bitumen from the separation device to a second separation device. ### Claim 23 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the separation device comprises a settler. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the solvent vapour added above the filter bed condenses in the filter bed. ### Claim 25 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of condensing at least a portion of the solvent vapor that was introduced above the filter bed.