# US 9,039,893 B2 · Process for the extraction of hydrocarbons from oil sands and oil shale > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,039,893 B2 - Document ID: US9039893B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/378,549 - Filed: 2010-06-14 - Published: 2012-06-28 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2009-06-19 - Assignees: ENI S.p.A. - Applicants: Alberto Delbianco; Giambattista De Ghetto - Inventors: Alberto Delbianco; Giambattista De Ghetto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039893B2 ## CPC - C10B 49/02: with hot gases or vapours, e.g. hot gases obtained by partial combustion of the charge - C10B 47/28: Other processes - C10B 49/14: with hot liquids, e.g. molten metals - C10B 53/06: of oil shale and/or or bituminous rocks - C10G 1/047: {Hot water or cold water extraction processes} - F24S 20/20: Solar heat collectors for receiving concentrated solar energy, e.g. receivers for solar power plants - F24S 80/20: Working fluids specially adapted for solar heat collectors - C10G 2300/80: Additives - C10G 2300/805: Water - Y02E 10/40: Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers - Y02P 20/133: Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight - Y02P 80/20: using renewable energy - C10B: DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS FOR PRODUCTION OF GAS, COKE, TAR, OR SIMILAR MATERIALS (cracking oils C10G; underground gasification of minerals E21B43/295) - 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 - F24S: SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS (for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract Process for the extraction of hydrocarbons contained in oil sands and oil shale comprising feeding said oil sands or oil shale to a suitable apparatus in which they are heated, directly and/or by means of a suitable vector fluid, making use of solar energy collected by means of optical concentration systems. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for extracting hydrocarbons contained in oil sand, the process comprising: feeding an oil sand into a heating apparatus; and heating the oil sand within the heating apparatus, wherein the heating apparatus comprises an extraction column, wherein energy for the heating is provided directly, indirectly through a vector fluid, or both, from solar energy collected by at least one optical concentration system to form a hot vector fluid; wherein the hot vector fluid acts an extracting fluid; and wherein said extracting fluid is in a supercritical phase and the extraction can be effected by modifying the temperature and pressure conditions to achieve subcritical conditions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, comprising: heating a vector fluid, which acts as an extracting fluid, with the solar energy to convert a cold extracting fluid into a hot extracting fluid; feeding the vector fluid as the hot extracting fluid into the extraction column in counter-current to the feeding of the oil sand; separating a product sand at the bottom of the extraction column from a product stream at the head of the extraction column, wherein the product sand is substantially free of an organic component and the product stream comprises the organic component and the hot extracting fluid; and separating the organic component from the extracting fluid which is recycled as the vector fluid. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2, wherein the organic component is separated from the cold extracting fluid with a flash step. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The process according to claim 2, wherein the vector fluid is selected from water containing alkaline agents and/or organic fluids with a naphthene and/or aromatic base. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The process according to claim 4, wherein the water is at a pH>7. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2, wherein the hot extracting fluid is accumulated in a heat tank from which it is collected. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the oil sand is fed into the top of the extraction column; and further comprising: heating a vector fluid, which acts as an extracting fluid, with the solar energy to convert a cold extracting fluid into a hot extracting fluid; feeding the vector fluid as the hot extracting fluid into the extraction column in equi-current to the feeding of the oil sand; separating a product sand from a bottom stream, wherein the product sand is substantially free of an organic component and the bottom stream comprises the organic component and the hot extracting fluid; discharging the product sand from the heating apparatus; and separating the organic component from the extracting fluid which is recycled as the vector fluid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The process of claim 7, wherein the organic component is separated from the cold extracting fluid with a flash step. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The process of claim 7, wherein the hot extracting fluid is accumulated in a heat tank from which it is collected. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The process according to claim 7, wherein the vector fluid is selected from water containing alkaline agents and/or organic fluids with a naphthene and/or aromatic base. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the energy for heating is provided indirectly through a vector fluid which is accumulated in a heat tank from which it is collected.