Separation and recovery of bitumen oil from tar sands

Abstract

A process for the separation of bitumen oil from tar sands and the like. Slurry is supplied to a mixing chamber of a jet pump at an input end of the process. Non-ionic surfactant, and optionally diluent, are added to the slurry. The slurry is agitated within the jet pump to effect a partial to full phase separation of the oil fraction from the solids fraction of the slurry. The partially to fully separated slurry is discharged into a pipeline and later into a hydrocyclone to effect a second phase separation of the slurry. One or more hydrocyclone separators may be used to separate the bitumen oil and liquid from the solids fraction.

1 . A process for phase separation of a slurry containing a mixture of a solids fraction and an oil and water fraction, the process comprising the steps of: 
 supplying the slurry to a mixing chamber;    contacting the slurry with a non-ionic surfactant in the mixing chamber;    agitating the slurry within the mixing chamber to effect a partial to full phase separation of the oil and water fraction from the solids fraction of the slurry;    the non-ionic surfactant being present in the mixing chamber in an amount sufficient to oppose re-agglomeration of the oil and water fraction with the solids fraction without generating an emulsion;    discharging the partially to fully separated oil and water fraction and solids fraction of the slurry into a pipeline for continued separation through mixing and contact with the non-ionic surfactant and wash fluid within the pipeline; and    discharging the partially to fully separated mixture of the oil and water fraction and the solids fraction of the slurry from the pipeline into a hydrocyclone to effect a second phase separation of the slurry and produce a first output stream comprising the solids fraction and a second output stream comprising the oil and water fraction.    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  in which the mixing chamber is the mixing chamber of a jet pump.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  in which the non-ionic surfactant is an alkylphenolethoxylate.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 2  in which the jet pump operates at a Reynolds number above 250,000.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 2  in which the slurry is supplied from a hopper, wherein the hopper is free of phase separation devices.  
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  in which the slurry is unprocessed tar sand from a mining or drilling operation.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising repeating the process steps of  claim 1  to yield a solids fraction and chemically conditioning the solids fraction with calcium oxide.  
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising treating all or portions of the first output stream with a thermal screw to produce a solids fraction free of any residual water and hydrocarbons.  
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising treating the slurry with a diluent prior to the mixing chamber.  
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 9  in which the diluent is supplied in an amount about equal by weight to the weight of oil fraction in the slurry.  
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1  carried out at an input point of the separation process.