Handling and extracting hydrocarbons from tar sands

Abstract

A method and system for handling tar sands and extracting bitumen or oil from the tar sands. The method includes the steps of depositing tar sands in a hopper assembly having a conical bottom. An organic solvent mixture is sprayed on the tar sands through a series of jets near the walls of the hopper. The oil or bitumen in the tar sands is dissolved by the organic solvent mixture. Sand from the tar sands is allowed to separate and fall toward the bottom of the hopper assembly. The sands and liquid in a slurry of fluid are transported from the hopper assembly to a rinse chamber. The slurry of fluid is delivered into the top of the rinse chamber tangentially to cause cyclonic action of the slurry in the rinsing chamber. Solvent introduced at the bottom of the rinse chamber and the solvent mixture is drawn from the top of the rinse chamber. Thereafter, the solvent and hydrocarbon liquid mixture is pumped to a separator in order to separate the oil and bitumen from the solvent. Finally, the clean solvent is returned to be reused by introduction into the rinse chamber in order to form a closed loop process.

1 . A method for handling tar sands and extracting bitumen or oil from said tar sands, which method comprises:
 depositing tar sands into a hopper assembly:   contacting an organic solvent mixture with said tar sands in said hopper assembly;   dissolving said oil or bitumen in said tar sands with said organic solvent;   allowing sand from said tar sands to separate and fail toward a bottom of said hopper assembly;   transporting said separated sands and said liquid in a slurry of fluid from said hopper assembly to a top of a rinse chamber;   delivering said slurry of fluid into a top of said rinse chamber tangentially to cause cyclonic action of the slurry in said rinsing chamber to separate said sands from said fluid;   drawing and removing said solvent and said oil or bitumen mixture from said rinse chamber;   drawing said solvent and said oil/bitumen mixture to a separator to separate said oil/bitumen from said solvent; and   returning said solvent to said hopper assembly to be reused to form a closed loop process.   
     
     
         2 . A method for handling tar sands and extracting bitumen or oil as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said hopper has a conical bottom. 
     
     
         3 . A method for handling tar sands and extracting bitumen or oil as set forth in  claim 1  including the additional step of separating solids below a certain size with a perforated screen in said hopper assembly above said conical bottom. 
     
     
         4 . A method for handling tar sands and extracting bitumen or oil as set forth in  claim 1  including maintaining an inert gas blanket at a top of the hopper assembly. 
     
     
         5 . A method for handling tar sands and extracting bitumen or oil as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said separated sands from said rinsing chamber are heated to remove solvent. 
     
     
         6 . A method for handling tar sands and extracting bitumen or oil as set forth in  claim 5  wherein said separated sands are heated by steam heat. 
     
     
         7 . A method for handling tar sands and extracting bitumen or oil as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said organic solvent is heated in a heat exchanger prior to said step of providing on said tar sands. 
     
     
         8 . A method for handling tar sands and extracting bitumen or oil as set forth in  claim 1  including maintaining a layer of said tar sand above an area where organic solvent contacts said tar sand to maintain a vapor absorption barrier. 
     
     
         9 . A method for handling tar sands and extracting bitumen or oil as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said organic solvent is a mixture of hexane and bitumen. 
     
     
         10 . A method for handling tar sands and extracting bitumen or oil as set forth in  claim 1  including maintaining liquid spring line in said hopper assembly. 
     
     
         11 . A method for handling tar sands and extracting bitumen or oil as set forth in  claim 1  including maintaining a liquid spring line in said rinse chamber. 
     
     
         12 . A method for handling tar sands and extracting bitumen or oil as set forth in  claim 1  including maintaining a common liquid spring line in both said hopper assembly and said rinse chamber. 
     
     
         13 . A method for handling tar sands and extracting bitumen or oil as set forth in  claim 1  including maintaining less than atmospheric pressure in said rinse chamber.