CA1094483A - Aids for the conditioning step in the hot water extraction process for tar sands - Google Patents
Aids for the conditioning step in the hot water extraction process for tar sandsInfo
- Publication number
- CA1094483A CA1094483A CA318,821A CA318821A CA1094483A CA 1094483 A CA1094483 A CA 1094483A CA 318821 A CA318821 A CA 318821A CA 1094483 A CA1094483 A CA 1094483A
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- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- bitumen
- hot water
- tar sand
- improvement
- sodium hydroxide
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
- C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- C10G1/00—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal
- C10G1/04—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal by extraction
- C10G1/047—Hot water or cold water extraction processes
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- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Production Of Liquid Hydrocarbon Mixture For Refining Petroleum (AREA)
Abstract
"IMPROVED AIDS FOR THE CONDITIONING STEP IN THE HOT WATER EXTRACTION PROCESS FOR TAR SAND" Aqueous solutions of inorganic alkaline substances, such as NaOH, are contacted with bitumen or analogous organic matter to produce solutions, emulsions, or mixtures containing surfactants beneficial in the conditioning step in the hot water process for the extraction of bitumen from bituminous sands. Such solutions, emulsions, or mixtures may be added to the conditioning step of the hot water extraction process in place of some or all of the conditioning aids employed according to the prior art, for the more economical operation of the process.
Description
10~,14t~3 -BACKGROUND OF THE'INVENTION
The invention relates to the hot water extraction process for extractlng bitumen from tar sand. More particularly alternative processing a;ds are set forth herein that may be used in the tar sand conditioning step of said hot water process to replace some or all of the inorganic alkaline substance heretofore employed as a processing aid.
As readily-available supplies of conventional crude oil get used up, the oil industry has turned to tar sand deposits as a source of hydrocarbons. The main tar sand deposit on the North American continent is in the Fort McMurray region of the Pro~ince of Alberta in Canada, in an area traversed by the Athabasca River, and this deposit is being'actively developed at the commercial level to contribute to Canada's hydrocarbon supplies.
Tar sand is essentially a mixture of sand grains, water, salts, fine mineral solids of the particle size of clay minerals, and a heavy o11 usually referred to as bitumen. It is the bitumen that is of commercial Interest. Tar sand also goes by the names of oil sand and bituminous sand. Although the composition varies throughout the 0 deposit, speaking generally, the main constituents analyse at, oil 11.59% by weight water 4.41% by weight solids 84.00% by weight In theory,-there are advantages in extracting the bitumen in situ since such processes obviate the need for mining and associated materials handling of huge tonnages of tar sand and tailings, the equipment for which requires large amounts of capital. In practice, however, mining of tar sand followed by isolating the bitumen therefrom by the hot water extractlon process is the preferred commercial method because in spite of the problems o~ mining and materials handling, bitumen recovery is very high, normally around 93%.
, ~0~ 33 According to the hot water extraction process as commonly practiced, mined tar sand is added to a conditioning drum horizontally mounted and capable of rotation about its longitudinal axis. Such conditioning drum is hereinafter referred to as the tumbler. As well as the tar sand, hot water (referred to as slurry water), steam and, for most tar sand feeds, relatively minor amounts of NaOH are also added to the tumbler. Steam is normally added as two streams, first in relatively large amounts at the front end of the tumbler, and subsequently in the form of trim steam via sparging valves set in small-bore pipes passing along the length of the inside of the tumbler, to provide more delicate temperature adjustment. The NaOH commonly added assists in the con-ditioning action, and is used for all tar sand types except the very rich material, that is, for all tar sands of bitumen content less than about 12% bitumen. Commonly, for every 3250 tons of tar sand one adds 610.30 tons of water and such steam as to give a final conditioning temperature in the range of 150 to 180F, although the process may be operated outside this temperature range.
It is usual for the rate of feed to be set such that it takes less than 10 mins. for tar sand to pass through the tumbler from the inlet to the outlet end. During this time the bitumen is dislodged from the sand particles so that what enters as tar sand, with bitumen and sand tightly bound together (with interstitial water connate to the deposit probably also involved in such bonding), leaves as a mixture, with bitumen, sand, and water merely in loose association, and in such a state that, should suitable conditions be provided, the sand and the bitumen will separate severally from the mixture. This operation in the tumbler is commonly called 'conditioning'. On emerging from the tumbler, the tumbler is screened to remove oversized debris such as rocks and lumps of undigested tar sand, and diluted with further hot water (called flood water). The diluted slurry then is subjected to the first tar sand components separation step, termed primary separation. This operation is 10~9~l4~33 conducted in a ~rimary separation vessel.
The primary separation vessel ;s a vessel wherein screened d;luted slurry is maintained in a quiescent condition. The screened, diluted slurry is discharged into the central region of the contained body of slurry with the following effects:
Most of the sand, especially the coarse sand, sinks to the bottom and may be pumped out as an aqueous tailings stream;
The bitumen in the form of globules, becomes aerated by attachment of air bubbles present in the primary separation vessel and being rendered buoyant thereby rises to the surface of the vessel where it is collected as a froth (primary froth)i Bitumen that fails to get aerated, along with much of the fine mineral matter, collectively having a density close to that of the aqueous contents of the vessel, has little tendency to either sink or rise and so remains in the central region of the vessel.
The mixture of unaerated bitumen, water and fine solids (collectively kno~n as "middlings") contains valuable amounts of bitumen that it is advantageous to recover~ Hence a portion of the middlings is continuously withdrawn to obtain a further yield of bitumen therefrom.
The middlings portion thus withdrawn is advanced to subaerated flotation cells where it is vigorously agitated with air to produce a second froth (secondary froth) and a further tailings stream (secondary tailings).
It is advantageous to operate the circuit in such a way as to cause as much of the bitumen as possible to report to the primary froth because the purity of said primary froth is high. Typically, primary froth contains 66.40% by weight of bitumen while secondary froth has only 23.78% bitumen and also contains such large quantities of entrained water and fine minerals that it should be cleaned in a froth settler. After the cleaning step, the secondary froth is combined with the primary froth and the bitumen is recovered out of the combined froth.
~o~ i4~3 The conditioning of the tar sand that occurs in the tumbler has a marked influence in determining the tendency of the bitumen to join the primary froth. Traditionally, process aids such as sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate, that is, alkaline compounds of monovalent metals, have been added to the tumbler to improve recovery. The present invention is directed toward providing other compounds effective as pro-cess aids that are compatible with the traditionally-used substances and may be employed in place of part or all of such traditional conditioning aids, and which result in considerable savings in costs. Since a com-mercial tar sand processing plant, for producing 125,000 barrels of synthetic crude oil per day, uses about 35,566 tons per year of sodiumhydroxide solution at a specific gravity of 1.22 at an annual cost of between $4 million and $5 million (1977 Canadian dollars), a significant reduction of NaOH consumption is desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
I have discovered that the addition of sodium hydroxide solution in its raw state to the tumbler is an inefficient use of this chemical for most tar sand types. By contrast, sodium hydroxide that has been contacted with bitumen or an analogous organic material, on being added to the tumbler, has enhanced power to contri`bute to the recovery of bitumen from tar sand, said enhanced power being reflected in similar levels of bitumen recovery from tar sand at reduced caustic usage.
In consequence, considerably less sodium hydroxide need be used after such contact.
For example, raw sodium hydroxide is commonly used at the rate of about 0.03% by weight expressed as a proportion of tar sand feed. When bitumen is vigorously mixed or emulsified with sodium hydroxide solution however, a rate of sodium hydroxide addition of 0.01% gives approximately the same level of bitumen recovery. Since most of the bitumen added as the organic phase of the emulsion is subsequently recovered along with the bitumen from the tar sand, this bitumen is merely recycled in the process and no significant loss in that respect occurs.
It is my theory that the mechanism by which sodium hydroxide 4f~3 aids conditioning in the tumbler is one whereby surfactants are produced by interaction of the sodium hydroxide with organic substances. These surfactants produced in situ in the tumbler assist in dislodging the bitumen out of the tar sand, allowing the bitumen ultimately to report to the primary froth of the primary separation vessel. If such speculation is correct, it may further be said that the tumbler residence time of less than 10 minutes, which is the commonly practiced period for conditioning tar sand, is too short a time for the theoretical minimum quantity of sodium hydroxide to produce a desired level of surfactants in the tumbler;
thus excess sodium hydroxide must be used. When however, according to the invention, sodium hydroxide is held in contact with bitumen or analogous organic material for a relatively prolonged period of time or intimately mixed there with, higher concentrations of surfactants appear to be formed.
If thereafter this sodium hydroxide/organic material mixture is used as a process aid in the tar sand tumbler, it is considerably more effective than sodium hydroxide alone.
The preferred embodiment of this invention involves using bitumen emulsified with aqueous sodium hydroxide solution as a process aid.
The emulsion may be used, when necessary, in conjunction with extra sodium hydroxide solution. The emulsion may be prepared by mixing bitumen, sodium hydroxide, and hot water in a simple mixing tank, in-line mixer or similar device.
Another possible embodiment involves contacting sodium hydroxide solution, preferably with vigorous mixing, with tar sand. The resulting solution or emulsion may then be used as a process aid.
Another possible embodiment involves using refinery spent caustic to form the processing aid. Said spent caustic contains dissolved phenols and analogous organic acidic compounds in the form of sodium salts.
Their presence in the tumbler allows a large portion or all of the raw sodium hydroxide of the prior art to be dispensed with.
: ' ' ` :.. .
~ 3 ~
What all these embodiments have in common is intimate contact between sodium hydroxide and bitumen or other organic matter for a sufficient period of time to permi:t the sodium hydroxide to react with components of the organic matter to produce a desirable leYel of surfactants, said surfactants being benefici:al to the conditioning of tar sand in the hot water process. Other alkali metal substances, for instance potassium hydroxide, may be used in place of sodium hydroxide, but there would be no economic advantage i:n doing so. Other organic matter than bitumen may be used to provide components for the organic moi.ety i.n the surfactants, the limitat;on being that the surfactants should not add obnoxious substances to the process tailings, that mi.ght adversely affect the environment, or to the synthetic crude oil that is the eventual product of the bitumen isolated from the tar sand.
Broadly stated the invention is an improvement in the hot water process for extracting bitumen from tar sand wherein tar sand is mixed with hot water to form a slurry and retained in a rotating tumbler for a period of time to condition said slurry. The improvement comprises adding as a process aid a surfactant prepared outside the tumbler by mixing an alkali metal hydroxide with organic materi.al~
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The invention is exemplified by the following extracti.on experiments, in which a series of additives were added to water and tar sand in a vessel and s.tirred, to approximate the process in a tumbler7 and then held quiescent to approximate the process in a primary separation 10~4~3 vessel. More particularly, the experiments were performed in a hatch extraction apparatus. To a 1.5 L stainless steel vessel were added hot water (0.14 L) to act as slurry water and then tar sand (500 9), followed by such additives as are listed in the Table below. The vessel was provided with a heated jacket, to maintain the contents at the desired temperature (180F), and with a variable speed agitator. The slurry was agitated at 600 r.p.m. for 10 minutes, 1 L of hot water was added (flood water), and the mixture was stirred for an additi`onal 10 minutes. Then the agitator was stopped and the resulting bituminous froth was skimmed from the surface. (The single vessel laboratory procedure and the froth produced by it have been shown to be reasonably analogous to the tumbler-primary separation vessel procedure, as practiced in a pilot plant, and to the froth produced by said pilot plant.) Preparation of Emulsions To 145 9 water held at 80 to 90C in a stainless steel vossel fitted with an impeller-type agitator was added 1 ml of 1 N NaOH
solution and then the quantity of bitumen or bitumen froth called for in the example. The mixture was stirred vigorously to react the components This mixture was used as slurry water in the runs to extract bitumen from tar sand.
Preparation of Tailings Concentrate Secondary tailings collected from the process to extract bitumen from tar sand were evaporated in a laboratory-scale rotary evaporation apparatus under mild vacuum until reduced to one tenth their original volume. The resultan~ concentrate was used as slurry water in extraction tests.
4l~3 TABLE I
Comments Process Aid Amount of Process Bitumen Recovery Ai:d (using 500 g via Primary Froth tar s.and) (wt% of total bitumen in tar - sand feed) _ Typical ex- sodium ample using hydroxide 0 34 NaOH under 10 normal con- 3 ml of 1 N
ditions (0.024 wt% NaOH 76 on tar sand) 5 ml of 1 N
(0.04 wt% NaOH 89 on tar sand~
Shows how the amount of NaOH sodium 1 ml of lN 79 required to hydroxide (0 008 wt% NaOH
achieve a on tar s.and) 20 given re-covery is re- 3 ml of 1 N 88 duced by (0.024 wt% NaOH
prior mixing on tar sand) of NaOH with 25 bitumen and bitumen/NaOH 1 ml of 1 N NaOH 84 bitumen froth mixed with 5 g bitumen bitumen froth/ 1 ml of 1 N NaOH 83 NaOH mixed with 5 g bitumen froth from average tar sand (1 wt% 6i:tumen expressed on tar sand feed) bitumen froth/ 1 ml of 1 N NaOH 86 NaOH mi.xed with 5 g bi.tumen froth from rich tar sand bitumen froth/ 1 ml of 1 N NaOH 91 NaOH mixed wi:th 5 g hi:tumen froth from hign fines tar sand Shows in- No additive 0 60 45 creased re-coveries unconcentrated 145 ml 59 when NaOH secondary (added as slurry water is re- tailings and flood water) placed by concentra- concentrated 145 ml 87 ting tailings secondary tailings (added as slurry water) water (reduced to 1/10 initial volume) 1 0~ 3 T_ E I (continued)_ Comments Process Aid Amount of Process Bitumen Recovery Aid (using 500 g via Primary Froth tar sand) (wt% of total bi:tumen in tar sand feed) Shows how NaOH Refinery 0 34 can be re- spent caustic placed by re- 1 ml neat 55 finery spent caust;c (largely 3 ml neat 83 organic sulfonates~ 5 ml neat 90
The invention relates to the hot water extraction process for extractlng bitumen from tar sand. More particularly alternative processing a;ds are set forth herein that may be used in the tar sand conditioning step of said hot water process to replace some or all of the inorganic alkaline substance heretofore employed as a processing aid.
As readily-available supplies of conventional crude oil get used up, the oil industry has turned to tar sand deposits as a source of hydrocarbons. The main tar sand deposit on the North American continent is in the Fort McMurray region of the Pro~ince of Alberta in Canada, in an area traversed by the Athabasca River, and this deposit is being'actively developed at the commercial level to contribute to Canada's hydrocarbon supplies.
Tar sand is essentially a mixture of sand grains, water, salts, fine mineral solids of the particle size of clay minerals, and a heavy o11 usually referred to as bitumen. It is the bitumen that is of commercial Interest. Tar sand also goes by the names of oil sand and bituminous sand. Although the composition varies throughout the 0 deposit, speaking generally, the main constituents analyse at, oil 11.59% by weight water 4.41% by weight solids 84.00% by weight In theory,-there are advantages in extracting the bitumen in situ since such processes obviate the need for mining and associated materials handling of huge tonnages of tar sand and tailings, the equipment for which requires large amounts of capital. In practice, however, mining of tar sand followed by isolating the bitumen therefrom by the hot water extractlon process is the preferred commercial method because in spite of the problems o~ mining and materials handling, bitumen recovery is very high, normally around 93%.
, ~0~ 33 According to the hot water extraction process as commonly practiced, mined tar sand is added to a conditioning drum horizontally mounted and capable of rotation about its longitudinal axis. Such conditioning drum is hereinafter referred to as the tumbler. As well as the tar sand, hot water (referred to as slurry water), steam and, for most tar sand feeds, relatively minor amounts of NaOH are also added to the tumbler. Steam is normally added as two streams, first in relatively large amounts at the front end of the tumbler, and subsequently in the form of trim steam via sparging valves set in small-bore pipes passing along the length of the inside of the tumbler, to provide more delicate temperature adjustment. The NaOH commonly added assists in the con-ditioning action, and is used for all tar sand types except the very rich material, that is, for all tar sands of bitumen content less than about 12% bitumen. Commonly, for every 3250 tons of tar sand one adds 610.30 tons of water and such steam as to give a final conditioning temperature in the range of 150 to 180F, although the process may be operated outside this temperature range.
It is usual for the rate of feed to be set such that it takes less than 10 mins. for tar sand to pass through the tumbler from the inlet to the outlet end. During this time the bitumen is dislodged from the sand particles so that what enters as tar sand, with bitumen and sand tightly bound together (with interstitial water connate to the deposit probably also involved in such bonding), leaves as a mixture, with bitumen, sand, and water merely in loose association, and in such a state that, should suitable conditions be provided, the sand and the bitumen will separate severally from the mixture. This operation in the tumbler is commonly called 'conditioning'. On emerging from the tumbler, the tumbler is screened to remove oversized debris such as rocks and lumps of undigested tar sand, and diluted with further hot water (called flood water). The diluted slurry then is subjected to the first tar sand components separation step, termed primary separation. This operation is 10~9~l4~33 conducted in a ~rimary separation vessel.
The primary separation vessel ;s a vessel wherein screened d;luted slurry is maintained in a quiescent condition. The screened, diluted slurry is discharged into the central region of the contained body of slurry with the following effects:
Most of the sand, especially the coarse sand, sinks to the bottom and may be pumped out as an aqueous tailings stream;
The bitumen in the form of globules, becomes aerated by attachment of air bubbles present in the primary separation vessel and being rendered buoyant thereby rises to the surface of the vessel where it is collected as a froth (primary froth)i Bitumen that fails to get aerated, along with much of the fine mineral matter, collectively having a density close to that of the aqueous contents of the vessel, has little tendency to either sink or rise and so remains in the central region of the vessel.
The mixture of unaerated bitumen, water and fine solids (collectively kno~n as "middlings") contains valuable amounts of bitumen that it is advantageous to recover~ Hence a portion of the middlings is continuously withdrawn to obtain a further yield of bitumen therefrom.
The middlings portion thus withdrawn is advanced to subaerated flotation cells where it is vigorously agitated with air to produce a second froth (secondary froth) and a further tailings stream (secondary tailings).
It is advantageous to operate the circuit in such a way as to cause as much of the bitumen as possible to report to the primary froth because the purity of said primary froth is high. Typically, primary froth contains 66.40% by weight of bitumen while secondary froth has only 23.78% bitumen and also contains such large quantities of entrained water and fine minerals that it should be cleaned in a froth settler. After the cleaning step, the secondary froth is combined with the primary froth and the bitumen is recovered out of the combined froth.
~o~ i4~3 The conditioning of the tar sand that occurs in the tumbler has a marked influence in determining the tendency of the bitumen to join the primary froth. Traditionally, process aids such as sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate, that is, alkaline compounds of monovalent metals, have been added to the tumbler to improve recovery. The present invention is directed toward providing other compounds effective as pro-cess aids that are compatible with the traditionally-used substances and may be employed in place of part or all of such traditional conditioning aids, and which result in considerable savings in costs. Since a com-mercial tar sand processing plant, for producing 125,000 barrels of synthetic crude oil per day, uses about 35,566 tons per year of sodiumhydroxide solution at a specific gravity of 1.22 at an annual cost of between $4 million and $5 million (1977 Canadian dollars), a significant reduction of NaOH consumption is desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
I have discovered that the addition of sodium hydroxide solution in its raw state to the tumbler is an inefficient use of this chemical for most tar sand types. By contrast, sodium hydroxide that has been contacted with bitumen or an analogous organic material, on being added to the tumbler, has enhanced power to contri`bute to the recovery of bitumen from tar sand, said enhanced power being reflected in similar levels of bitumen recovery from tar sand at reduced caustic usage.
In consequence, considerably less sodium hydroxide need be used after such contact.
For example, raw sodium hydroxide is commonly used at the rate of about 0.03% by weight expressed as a proportion of tar sand feed. When bitumen is vigorously mixed or emulsified with sodium hydroxide solution however, a rate of sodium hydroxide addition of 0.01% gives approximately the same level of bitumen recovery. Since most of the bitumen added as the organic phase of the emulsion is subsequently recovered along with the bitumen from the tar sand, this bitumen is merely recycled in the process and no significant loss in that respect occurs.
It is my theory that the mechanism by which sodium hydroxide 4f~3 aids conditioning in the tumbler is one whereby surfactants are produced by interaction of the sodium hydroxide with organic substances. These surfactants produced in situ in the tumbler assist in dislodging the bitumen out of the tar sand, allowing the bitumen ultimately to report to the primary froth of the primary separation vessel. If such speculation is correct, it may further be said that the tumbler residence time of less than 10 minutes, which is the commonly practiced period for conditioning tar sand, is too short a time for the theoretical minimum quantity of sodium hydroxide to produce a desired level of surfactants in the tumbler;
thus excess sodium hydroxide must be used. When however, according to the invention, sodium hydroxide is held in contact with bitumen or analogous organic material for a relatively prolonged period of time or intimately mixed there with, higher concentrations of surfactants appear to be formed.
If thereafter this sodium hydroxide/organic material mixture is used as a process aid in the tar sand tumbler, it is considerably more effective than sodium hydroxide alone.
The preferred embodiment of this invention involves using bitumen emulsified with aqueous sodium hydroxide solution as a process aid.
The emulsion may be used, when necessary, in conjunction with extra sodium hydroxide solution. The emulsion may be prepared by mixing bitumen, sodium hydroxide, and hot water in a simple mixing tank, in-line mixer or similar device.
Another possible embodiment involves contacting sodium hydroxide solution, preferably with vigorous mixing, with tar sand. The resulting solution or emulsion may then be used as a process aid.
Another possible embodiment involves using refinery spent caustic to form the processing aid. Said spent caustic contains dissolved phenols and analogous organic acidic compounds in the form of sodium salts.
Their presence in the tumbler allows a large portion or all of the raw sodium hydroxide of the prior art to be dispensed with.
: ' ' ` :.. .
~ 3 ~
What all these embodiments have in common is intimate contact between sodium hydroxide and bitumen or other organic matter for a sufficient period of time to permi:t the sodium hydroxide to react with components of the organic matter to produce a desirable leYel of surfactants, said surfactants being benefici:al to the conditioning of tar sand in the hot water process. Other alkali metal substances, for instance potassium hydroxide, may be used in place of sodium hydroxide, but there would be no economic advantage i:n doing so. Other organic matter than bitumen may be used to provide components for the organic moi.ety i.n the surfactants, the limitat;on being that the surfactants should not add obnoxious substances to the process tailings, that mi.ght adversely affect the environment, or to the synthetic crude oil that is the eventual product of the bitumen isolated from the tar sand.
Broadly stated the invention is an improvement in the hot water process for extracting bitumen from tar sand wherein tar sand is mixed with hot water to form a slurry and retained in a rotating tumbler for a period of time to condition said slurry. The improvement comprises adding as a process aid a surfactant prepared outside the tumbler by mixing an alkali metal hydroxide with organic materi.al~
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The invention is exemplified by the following extracti.on experiments, in which a series of additives were added to water and tar sand in a vessel and s.tirred, to approximate the process in a tumbler7 and then held quiescent to approximate the process in a primary separation 10~4~3 vessel. More particularly, the experiments were performed in a hatch extraction apparatus. To a 1.5 L stainless steel vessel were added hot water (0.14 L) to act as slurry water and then tar sand (500 9), followed by such additives as are listed in the Table below. The vessel was provided with a heated jacket, to maintain the contents at the desired temperature (180F), and with a variable speed agitator. The slurry was agitated at 600 r.p.m. for 10 minutes, 1 L of hot water was added (flood water), and the mixture was stirred for an additi`onal 10 minutes. Then the agitator was stopped and the resulting bituminous froth was skimmed from the surface. (The single vessel laboratory procedure and the froth produced by it have been shown to be reasonably analogous to the tumbler-primary separation vessel procedure, as practiced in a pilot plant, and to the froth produced by said pilot plant.) Preparation of Emulsions To 145 9 water held at 80 to 90C in a stainless steel vossel fitted with an impeller-type agitator was added 1 ml of 1 N NaOH
solution and then the quantity of bitumen or bitumen froth called for in the example. The mixture was stirred vigorously to react the components This mixture was used as slurry water in the runs to extract bitumen from tar sand.
Preparation of Tailings Concentrate Secondary tailings collected from the process to extract bitumen from tar sand were evaporated in a laboratory-scale rotary evaporation apparatus under mild vacuum until reduced to one tenth their original volume. The resultan~ concentrate was used as slurry water in extraction tests.
4l~3 TABLE I
Comments Process Aid Amount of Process Bitumen Recovery Ai:d (using 500 g via Primary Froth tar s.and) (wt% of total bitumen in tar - sand feed) _ Typical ex- sodium ample using hydroxide 0 34 NaOH under 10 normal con- 3 ml of 1 N
ditions (0.024 wt% NaOH 76 on tar sand) 5 ml of 1 N
(0.04 wt% NaOH 89 on tar sand~
Shows how the amount of NaOH sodium 1 ml of lN 79 required to hydroxide (0 008 wt% NaOH
achieve a on tar s.and) 20 given re-covery is re- 3 ml of 1 N 88 duced by (0.024 wt% NaOH
prior mixing on tar sand) of NaOH with 25 bitumen and bitumen/NaOH 1 ml of 1 N NaOH 84 bitumen froth mixed with 5 g bitumen bitumen froth/ 1 ml of 1 N NaOH 83 NaOH mixed with 5 g bitumen froth from average tar sand (1 wt% 6i:tumen expressed on tar sand feed) bitumen froth/ 1 ml of 1 N NaOH 86 NaOH mi.xed with 5 g bi.tumen froth from rich tar sand bitumen froth/ 1 ml of 1 N NaOH 91 NaOH mixed wi:th 5 g hi:tumen froth from hign fines tar sand Shows in- No additive 0 60 45 creased re-coveries unconcentrated 145 ml 59 when NaOH secondary (added as slurry water is re- tailings and flood water) placed by concentra- concentrated 145 ml 87 ting tailings secondary tailings (added as slurry water) water (reduced to 1/10 initial volume) 1 0~ 3 T_ E I (continued)_ Comments Process Aid Amount of Process Bitumen Recovery Aid (using 500 g via Primary Froth tar sand) (wt% of total bi:tumen in tar sand feed) Shows how NaOH Refinery 0 34 can be re- spent caustic placed by re- 1 ml neat 55 finery spent caust;c (largely 3 ml neat 83 organic sulfonates~ 5 ml neat 90
Claims (7)
PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. In the hot water process for extracting bitumen from tar sand wherein tar sand is mixed with hot water to form a slurry and retained in a rotating tumbler for a period of time to condition said slurry, the improvement which comprises:
adding as a process aid a surfactant prepared outside the tumbler by mixing an alkali metal hydroxide with organic material.
adding as a process aid a surfactant prepared outside the tumbler by mixing an alkali metal hydroxide with organic material.
2. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the organic material is bitumen and it is mixed with an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide.
the organic material is bitumen and it is mixed with an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide.
3. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the organic material is bitumen contained in tar sand and the latter is mixed with an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide.
the organic material is bitumen contained in tar sand and the latter is mixed with an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide.
4. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the organic material is bitumen contained in slurry previously produced by the hot water process and said slurry is mixed with an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide.
the organic material is bitumen contained in slurry previously produced by the hot water process and said slurry is mixed with an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide.
5. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
said process aid is refinery spent caustic containing surfactant.
said process aid is refinery spent caustic containing surfactant.
6. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
said process aid is secondary tailings from the-hot water process, concentrated before use.
said process aid is secondary tailings from the-hot water process, concentrated before use.
7. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the process aid is bituminous froth obtained from the hot water process.
the process aid is bituminous froth obtained from the hot water process.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA318,821A CA1094483A (en) | 1978-12-29 | 1978-12-29 | Aids for the conditioning step in the hot water extraction process for tar sands |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA318,821A CA1094483A (en) | 1978-12-29 | 1978-12-29 | Aids for the conditioning step in the hot water extraction process for tar sands |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1094483A true CA1094483A (en) | 1981-01-27 |
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Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA318,821A Expired CA1094483A (en) | 1978-12-29 | 1978-12-29 | Aids for the conditioning step in the hot water extraction process for tar sands |
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| Country | Link |
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| CA (1) | CA1094483A (en) |
Cited By (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4462892A (en) * | 1983-03-17 | 1984-07-31 | Petro-Canada Exploration Inc. | Control of process aid used in hot water process for extraction of bitumen from tar sand |
| US4474616A (en) * | 1983-12-13 | 1984-10-02 | Petro-Canada Exploration Inc. | Blending tar sands to provide feedstocks for hot water process |
| US4765885A (en) * | 1984-12-21 | 1988-08-23 | Eneresource, Inc. | Treatment of carbonaceous materials |
| US5242580A (en) * | 1990-11-13 | 1993-09-07 | Esso Resources Canada Limited | Recovery of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon contaminated sludge |
| US5264118A (en) * | 1989-11-24 | 1993-11-23 | Alberta Energy Company, Ltd. | Pipeline conditioning process for mined oil-sand |
| US5376182A (en) * | 1993-03-17 | 1994-12-27 | Remsol (U.S.A.) Corporation | Surfactant soil remediation |
| US7090768B2 (en) | 2002-06-25 | 2006-08-15 | Page Pat | Surfactant for bitumen separation |
| US9469814B2 (en) | 2014-01-29 | 2016-10-18 | Syncrude Canada Ltd. In Trust For The Owners Of The Syncrude Project As Such Owners Exist Now And In The Future | Sodium citrate and caustic as process aids for the extraction of bitumen from mined oil sands |
-
1978
- 1978-12-29 CA CA318,821A patent/CA1094483A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4462892A (en) * | 1983-03-17 | 1984-07-31 | Petro-Canada Exploration Inc. | Control of process aid used in hot water process for extraction of bitumen from tar sand |
| US4474616A (en) * | 1983-12-13 | 1984-10-02 | Petro-Canada Exploration Inc. | Blending tar sands to provide feedstocks for hot water process |
| US4765885A (en) * | 1984-12-21 | 1988-08-23 | Eneresource, Inc. | Treatment of carbonaceous materials |
| US5264118A (en) * | 1989-11-24 | 1993-11-23 | Alberta Energy Company, Ltd. | Pipeline conditioning process for mined oil-sand |
| US5242580A (en) * | 1990-11-13 | 1993-09-07 | Esso Resources Canada Limited | Recovery of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon contaminated sludge |
| US5376182A (en) * | 1993-03-17 | 1994-12-27 | Remsol (U.S.A.) Corporation | Surfactant soil remediation |
| US7090768B2 (en) | 2002-06-25 | 2006-08-15 | Page Pat | Surfactant for bitumen separation |
| US9469814B2 (en) | 2014-01-29 | 2016-10-18 | Syncrude Canada Ltd. In Trust For The Owners Of The Syncrude Project As Such Owners Exist Now And In The Future | Sodium citrate and caustic as process aids for the extraction of bitumen from mined oil sands |
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