Hydrocarbon reclamation method and assembly

Abstract

A method for removal of hydrocarbons from solid particulate matter provides a chemical treatment which moves particulate matter combined with a water and chemical mixture which is moved progressively through separation tanks to remove the particulate matter from the hydrocarbons after coating and allow the hydrocarbons to float free from the particulate substrate. The removal apparatus consists of a series of tanks through which the coated and fouled solid material is moved to progressively remove hydrocarbons from the surface of the solid material leaving the solids in one stream and the hydrocarbons in a second stream for disposal or further use.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for separating hydrocarbon-fouled particulate matter comprising:
 mixing the fouled particulate matter from a hopper by moving a water and chemical mixture through a vacuum-shearing eductor to form a slurry;   placing the slurry in a contact tank to thoroughly coat the fouled particulate matter from the eductor to form a slurry of mixed water and chemical on a coated substrate;   moving the slurry into a series of separation tanks permitting separation of the hydrocarbons from the particulate matter while allowing overflow of the separated hydrocarbon to the top of the each successive tank to a final collection tank and the particulate matter to be removed through a vacuum shearing eductor on the bottom of the each separation tank to an underflow line;   selectively recycling the water and chemical mixture to the initial separation tank and the vacuum-shearing eductor on an inlet hopper from the final collection tank; and,   collecting hydrocarbons in a recovery tank by skimming removal of the hydrocarbons from each separation tank in the series and moving the skimmed hydrocarbon to a hydrocarbon collection system.   
     
     
         2 . The method for separation of hydrocarbon-fouled particulate of  claim 1  further comprising providing sufficient pressure to drive a water and chemical treatment mixture through a vacuum-shearing eductor on the series of separation tanks using one or more pumps. 
     
     
         3 . The method for separating hydrocarbon-fouled particulate of  claim 1  further comprising:
 moving the hydrocarbon-fouled particulate matter to at least one shaker and cyclone separator, separating solids from the water and chemical mixture; 
 discarding the solids obtained from the at least one shaker and cyclone separator and returning the water and chemical mixture to the initial vacuum shearing eductor for mixing with the hydrocarbon fouled particulates in the hopper. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method for separating hydrocarbon-fouled particulate of  claim 3  further comprising:
 moving the remaining slurry output from the shaker through a desander/desilter system into at least one additional shaker for further removal of particulate matter to provide a further separation of water from the particulate matter; and, 
 discarding the solids obtained from the desander/desilter system and shaker and returning the water and chemical mixture to the initial vacuum shearing eductor for mixing with the hydrocarbon fouled particulates in the hopper. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the hydrocarbon-fouled particulate matter is drill cuttings. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the hydrocarbon-fouled particulate matter is tar sands. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the hydrocarbon-fouled particulate matter is selected from one or more of the following materials: pit bottoms, pit sludge, foul sand, dirt around plants, or bitumen seams 
     
     
         8 . A closed-loop hydrocarbon reclamation system comprising:
 a collection hopper for the deposit of a hydrocarbon-contaminated substrate in a slurry;   a vacuum-shearing eductor to coat each particle of the substrate with the water and chemical to facilitate separation of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon-contaminated substrate;   a hydro-cyclone retention tank connected to the vacuum-shearing eductor for complete mixing of the water and chemical mixture and hydrocarbon-contaminated substrate;   a plurality of settling tanks connected to the hydro-cyclone for removal of hydrocarbon-contaminated substrate from the water and chemical mixture taken from the bottom of each settling tank through a vacuum-shearing eductor, permitting the hydrocarbons floating on the top of each successive settling tank to flow into a final collection tank and allowing the water and chemical mixture to be re-circulated to continue the process and the cleaned substrate to be discarded.   
     
     
         9 . The hydrocarbon reclamation system of  claim 6  wherein the returned water is processed through an ionizer to facilitate breaking of an emulsion of hydrocarbon and water by electrochemical means. 
     
     
         10 . The hydrocarbon reclamation system of  claim 7  wherein the ionizer is connected to a first settlement tank to ionize water flowing through said settlement tank. 
     
     
         11 . The hydrocarbon reclamation system of  claim 6  where each vacuum-shearing eductor on any separation tank is independently controlled by a centralized control system to facilitate control of the movement of separated water from the hydrocarbon overflow from each separation tank. 
     
     
         12 . The hydrocarbon reclamation process of  claim 6  wherein the output of any vacuum-shearing eductor on any separation tank moves from each eductor to an accumulator which allows the output to flow into a scalping shale shaker allowing removal of particulate matter from the water and chemical transporting the particulate matter, then flowing into a desander/desilter on a second shale shaker permitting the water to be returned to the first settlement tank and the remaining particulate matter to be removed from the water and chemical stream.