Cyclic gaseous compression/extraction for heightened oil sands extraction

Abstract

A method for extracting hydrocarbons from sands can include: providing sands containing a hydrocarbon; mixing the hydrocarbon sands with water; heating the water before, during, or after being mixed with the hydrocarbon sands; increasing the pressure within a closed vessel containing the heated hydrocarbon and water mixture in the presence of gas or by injecting with gas; releasing the pressure of the heated hydrocarbon and water mixture in the vessel so as to create microbubbles from the dissolved gas in the water mixture; and collecting the hydrocarbon from the water. Optionally, the process is substantially devoid of adding caustic agents to the hydrocarbon and water mixture.

1 . A method for extracting hydrocarbons from sands, the method comprising:
 providing sands containing a hydrocarbon;   mixing the hydrocarbon sands with water;   heating the water before, during, or after being mixed with the hydrocarbon sands;   increasing the pressure within a closed vessel containing the heated hydrocarbon and water mixture in the presence of gas or by injecting with gas;   releasing the pressure of the heated hydrocarbon and water mixture in the vessel so as to create microbubbles from the dissolved gas in the water mixture; and   collecting the hydrocarbon from the water.   
     
     
         2 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon is a bitumen. 
     
     
         3 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon is a tar. 
     
     
         4 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon includes molecules that can be processed into fuel. 
     
     
         5 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the gas is selected from the group consisting of air, N 2 , O 2 , CO 2 , Ar, BF 3 , CH 4 , C 2 H 2 , C 2 H 4 , H 2 S, C 2 C 6 , C 3 H 6 , C 3 H 8 , 1-butene, 1,3-butadiene, vinyl chloride, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, isobutane, n-butane, isobutene, or any mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         6 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the gas includes carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         7 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the sands and water are conditioned in batch tumblers or conditioning drums or are mixed during transport through a pipeline. 
     
     
         8 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the process is performed with at least one of the following:
 increasing the pressure to a range of about 10 to about 210 psi followed by reducing the pressure by at least 10 psi;   maintaining the temperature between about 20 degrees C. to about 120 degrees C.;   cycling the pressure for about 2 to about 30 pressure cycles;   solid water volume ratio is from 0.1:1 to 2:1;   increasing the pressure at a rate of compression that is about 5 to about 300 seconds to reach maximum pressure; or   decreasing the pressure at a rate of decompression that is about 0.01 to about 300 seconds to vent to reach ambient pressure or any other lowered pressure.   
     
     
         9 . A method as in  claim 1 , further comprising introducing the hydrocarbon and water into primary separation vessel (PSV). 
     
     
         10 . A method as in  claim 9 , further comprising settling the mixture into stratified layers in the PSV: impure bitumen froth on the top; a combination of bitumen, sand, clay and water in the middle (middlings); and sand precipitated to the bottom. 
     
     
         11 . A method as in  claim 10 , further comprising pumping the precipitated sand into a settling basin with water to form tailings. 
     
     
         12 . A method as in  claim 11 , further comprising separating the hydrocarbon from the tailings. 
     
     
         13 . A method as in  claim 10 , further comprising further separating and cleaning the middlings by gas injection and steam de-aeration. 
     
     
         14 . A method as in  claim 13 , further comprising recovering the hydrocarbon from the middlings. 
     
     
         15 . A method as in  claim 10 , further comprising recovering the hydrocarbon from the froth. 
     
     
         16 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the process is substantially devoid of adding caustic agents to the hydrocarbon and water mixture. 
     
     
         17 . A method for extracting hydrocarbons from particle, the method comprising:
 providing a particle containing a hydrocarbon;   mixing the hydrocarbon-containing particle sands with water;   heating the water before, during, or after being mixed with the hydrocarbon-containing particle;   increasing the pressure of the heated mixture within a closed vessel;   releasing the pressure in the vessel so as to create microbubbles in the mixture that liberate the hydrocarbon from the particle; and   collecting the hydrocarbon from the water and particle.   
     
     
         18 . A method as in  claim 17 , wherein the pressure is increased by decreasing the volume of the vessel. 
     
     
         19 . A method as in  claim 17 , wherein the pressure is increased by increasing the number of molecules in the vessel. 
     
     
         20 . A method as in  claim 17 , wherein the pressure is increased by increasing the temperature in the vessel. 
     
     
         21 . A method as in  claim 17 , wherein the pressure is increased by injecting a gas into the vessel. 
     
     
         22 . A method as in  claim 21 , wherein the gas is selected from the group consisting of air, N 2 , O 2 , CO 2 , Ar, BF 3 , CH 4 , C 2   11   2 , C 2 H 4 , H 2 S, C 3 H 6 , C 3 H 8 , 1-butene, 1,3-butadiene, vinyl chloride, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, isobutane, n-butane, isobutene, or any mixtures thereof 
     
     
         23 . A method as in  claim 21 , wherein the gas includes CO 2 . 
     
     
         24 . A method as in  claim 17 , wherein the process is performed with at least one of the following:
 increasing the pressure to a range of about 10 to about 210 psi followed by reducing the pressure by at least 10 psi;   maintaining the temperature between about 20 degrees C. to about 120 degrees C.;   cycling the pressure for about 2 to about 30 pressure cycles;   a solid/water volume ratio that is from 0.1:1 to 2:1;   increasing the pressure at a rate of compression that is about 5 to about 300 seconds to reach maximum pressure; or   decreasing the pressure at a rate of decompression that is about 0.01 to about 300 seconds to vent to reach ambient pressure or any other lowered pressure.   
     
     
         25 . A method as in  claim 10 , further comprising introducing additional hot water to separate the bitumen froth layer and solids. 
     
     
         26 . A method for extracting hydrocarbons from oil sands, the method comprising:
 introducing water into a low-pressure vessel at about 20 to about 40% of vessel capacity;   heating the water to over 50 degrees C. and less than 120 degrees C.;   introducing oil sands into the vessel at a solid/water volume ratio of about 0.1 to about 3 volume to form a water/oil sands mixture;   closing and pressuring the vessel with a gas to a pressure of about 25 to about 210 psi;   maintaining the temperature of the water/oil sands mixture between about 20 degrees C. to about 120 degrees C.;   decompressing the pressure in the vessel so as to generate gaseous microbubbles that release the hydrocarbon from the oil sands; and   recovering the hydrocarbon from the water and sands.   
     
     
         27 . A method as in  claim 26 , wherein the process is performed with at least one of the following:
 increasing the pressure to a range of about 10 to about 150 psi followed by reducing the pressure by at least 10 psi;   maintaining the temperature between about 50 degrees C. to about 110 degrees C.;   cycling the pressure for about 2 to about 30 pressure cycles;   a solid/water volume ratio that is from 0.1:1 to 2:1;   increasing the pressure at a rate of compression that is about 5 to about 300 seconds to reach maximum pressure; or   decreasing the pressure at a rate of decompression that is about 0.01 to about 300 seconds to vent to reach ambient pressure or any other lowered pressure.   
     
     
         28 . A method as in  claim 27 , wherein the temperature is obtained by injecting steam or a heating jacket. 
     
     
         29 . A method as in  claim 28 , wherein the heated water and oil sands are mixed in a fluidic passageway and pumped into the vessel. 
     
     
         30 . A method for extracting hydrocarbons from sands, the method comprising:
 providing sands containing a hydrocarbon;   mixing the sand containing the hydrocarbon with water;   cycling the pressure of the mixture in a vessel by increasing the pressure and then decreasing the pressure so as to change gas solubility in the water and form gaseous microbubbles in the mixture; and   collecting the hydrocarbon from the water and sands.   
     
     
         31 . A method as in  claim 30 , further comprising introducing a gas into the vessel, wherein the gas is selected from the group consisting of include ammonia, ozone, chlorine, air, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, argon, helium, water vapor, BF 3 , CH 4 , C 2 H 2 , C 2   14   4 , H 2 S, C 2 H 6 , C 3 H 6 , propane, 1-butene, 1,3-butadiene, vinyl chloride, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, isobutane, n-butane, and sobutene and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         32 . A method as in  claim 30 , wherein the process is performed with at least one of the following:
 increasing the pressure to a range of about 10 to about 150 psi followed by reducing the pressure by at least 10 psi;   maintaining the temperature between about 50 degrees C. to about 110 degrees C.;   cycling the pressure for about 2 to about 30 pressure cycles;   a solid/water volume ratio that is from 0.1:1 to 2:1;   increasing the pressure at a rate of compression that is about 5 to about 300 seconds to reach maximum pressure; or   decreasing the pressure at a rate of decompression that is about 0.01 to about 300 seconds to vent to reach ambient pressure or any other lowered pressure.