CA2712522C - Pumping bitumen or tailings pond sludge - Google Patents

Abstract

High capacity, high pressure pumps suitable for pumping highly viscous liquids including tailings pond sludge, bitumen froth and bitumen from mined oil sands operation or for pumping sludge and sediment from other mining or processing operations are disclosed and claimed. Mixing and emulsification of the pumped liquid normally does not occur since the pump parts do not rotate and do not move very fast. Dilution water is not required and the cost of the pumps is expected to be much lower than the cost of commercial dredges. Mostly schedule 40, 8 inch pipe, pipe fittings and 150 pound flanges are used in the illustrations. However, much larger pipe sizes, fittings and heavier flanges may be used for large capacity commercial pumps. Thirty inch pipe and fitting sizes would not be unreasonable for commercial pump designs based on the present invention when gentle but very high pumping rates of tailings pond sludge and associated bitumen mats are required

Description

Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 PUMPING BITUMEN OR TAILINGS POND
SLUDGE
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to Canadian Patent Application number 2,707,577 filed June 28, 2010 and entitled "Scaling up the Oleophilic Sieve Process".
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to methods and equipment for gently pumping large amounts of viscous bitumen and/or mined oil sand tailings pond sludge (fluid tailings) particularly when this sludge is viscous and contains mats of bitumen floating in the sludge. Accordingly, the present invention involves the fields of process engineering, chemistry, physical chemistry and chemical engineering.
While the present invention is drawn to the pumping of bitumen and liquid tailing suspensions resulting from mined oil sands operations, it also has application in the pumping of other very viscous liquids and suspensions, including suspensions that are the result of other mining operations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The Province of Alberta, Canada contains one of the largest hydrocarbon reserves of the world. It is in the form of oil sands near the city of Fort McMurray;
consisting of sand grains, each covered with a thin envelope of water in their natural state, with the voids between these sand grains filled with bitumen; a heavy and viscous hydrocarbon with a specific gravity at ambient temperature of about 1Ø

Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 Fine clay particles, including ultra fine nano size particles are present in the voids between these sand grains or inside the water envelope.
Oil sand deposits that are less than 75 meters below the earth surface are recovered by surface mining methods. Such surface mines use very large equipment to first remove the overburden and then to quarry the oil sand ore, after which it is mixed with water and air to form a slurry for the recovery of bitumen by froth flotation in the current commercial Clark process. Oil sand deposits deeper than 75 feet are currently exploited by driving bitumen out of the deposits by steam or by combustion.
The first commercial mined oil sands plant started production in 1967. The plant, owned by GCOS (Now called Suncor Inc.), is located about 30 kilometers North of the city of Fort McMurray. The tailings from that commercial plant resulted in the first oil sands tailings pond, which pond was built near the shore of the Athabasca River, using a dyke to prevent tailings water from reentering the river.
In the early days, tailings and effluent were considered to be harmless byproducts of oil sands mining and were thought to require only a short storage and settling time before tailings water could be returned to the environment. Later it was discovered that these tailings were too toxic for safe return to the river. The Alberta and Canadian governments then enacted laws to prevent the return of tailings water back into the environment. Subsequent court cases have resulted in legal fines that were levied when proof was found that contaminated water entered the natural environment. Major engineering efforts were made to improve the tailings pond dykes and the resulting tailings ponds became marvels of engineering. The dykes surrounding these ponds are very expensive to build and maintain, but are required to adequately minimize the leakage of toxic water back into the environment and to prevent legal court action. Many authors have subsequently suggested that containment of this toxic tailings water still is difficult to achieve.
Reports and news articles continue to circulate, in opposition to industry and government denials, that toxic tailings water tends to seep out of oil sand tailings ponds in significant amounts, in spite of major efforts by industry to stop such seepage.

2 Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 As a result of fluid tailings (sludge) accumulation, the current commercial oil sands tailings ponds in the Fort McMurray area have a combined surface area of about 130 square kilometers, larger than some of the natural lakes of Alberta;
and are expected to double in the next decades. To date about 3000 million barrels of bitumen have been produced from mined oil sand ore, resulting in 750 million cubic meters of fluid tailings. To illustrate this degree of accumulation: the current amount of sludge in ponds could fill a ditch 17 meters wide, 10 meters deep, and 4500 kilometers long, all the way across Canada from Ocean to Ocean.
Research has suggested that with the commercial Clark bitumen froth flotation process, ultra-fine mineral particles of the oil sand ore report to the tailings ponds and serve to form thixotropic gels that, similar to Jell-O, hold on to huge amounts of water. Major efforts are now underway to try and process this tailings pond sludge, using additional chemicals to dewater the sludge, thus recover the water that currently is tied up in that sludge and produce a solid residue. Since this sludge is very viscous, and contains mats of floating viscous bitumen, various methods of pumping or dredging this sludge for subsequent processing are currently under review. An alternate process that screens bitumen out of oil sand slurries, instead of bitumen froth flotation, has not yet achieved commercial acceptance by the industry.
Pilot plant test work has shown that dilution water is required to thin the existing sludge before it can be pumped out of a pond successfully with submerged centrifugal pumps. Since the objective of sludge treatment is the removal of water, such dilution water simply compounds the problem of sludge dewatering. Dredges are now being piloted to eliminate such dilution water but the cost of dredging equipment is very high.
The present invention is drawn to the gentle pumping of large amounts of tailings pond sludge that is simpler and cheaper than dredging, and does not require dilution water.
In recent oil sands literature the term oil sands tailings pond sludge has been replaced by more politically acceptable terms, such as fluid tailings, fine tailings or mature fine tailings. In the specifications of the present invention, the traditional oil sands term of sludge is used to describe suspensions found in oil sand tailings ponds.

3 Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Bitumen and sludge pumps are described that, unlike submersible centrifugal pumps, do not require dilution water to pump tailings pond sludge and can effectively pump sludge and bitumen from tailings ponds that contain bitumen mats floating in the sludge. These pumps are cheaper to build and are smaller than dredges for pumping sludge and can be built to gently pump large amounts of viscous sludge. Compared to air operated diaphragm pumps, the pumps of the present invention have larger flow capacities, can operate at higher pressures and are more efficient. Not only are the pumps of the present invention suitable for pumping sludge from a tailings pond but also are suitable for in-plant pumping of viscous oil sand bitumen products and for gently pumping of other highly viscous liquids.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is an illustration of a bitumen pump.
Fig. 2 is an illustration of a sludge pump Fig. 2a and 2b are insert details for Fig. 2 Fig 3 is a schematic illustration of controlling the hydraulic ram that drives the pump and depends on a surge in hydraulic pressure or a surge in hydraulic relief flow to reverse the ram direction of movement when the ram has come to the end of its out-stroke or in-stroke.
Fig. 4 is a schematic illustration of controlling the hydraulic ram that depends on a hydraulic fluid flow totalizer to reverse the ram direction of movement.
DEFINITIONS
Before the present invention is disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular structures, process steps, or materials disclosed herein, but is extended to equivalents thereof as would be

4 Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 recognized by those ordinarily skilled in the relevant arts. It should also be understood that terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.
As stated in Beloit Canada Ltd. v. Valmet Oy (1986), 8 C.P.R. (3d) 289 (F.C\ .A. at 294: "The classical touchstone of obviousness is the technician skilled in the art but having no scintilla of inventiveness or imagination; a paragon of deduction and dexterity, wholly derived of intuition; a triumph of the left hemisphere over the right. The question to be asked is whether the mythical creature (the man in the Clapham omnibus of patent law) would, in light of the state of the art and of common general knowledge as at the claimed date of the invention, have come directly and without difficulty to the solution taught by the patent. It is a very difficult test to satisfy". For that reason, an effort has been made in the disclosures, drawings and claims in these specifications, to be as precise as possible in describing the present invention and its intended applications.
It must be noted that, as used in these specifications and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a splice"
includes one or more of such splices, reference to "an endless cable" includes reference to one or more of such endless cables, and reference to "the material" includes reference to one or more of such materials.
In describing and claiming the present invention, conventional applicable dictionary definitions of terms have been used unless some more specific definitions are required. These more specific definitions are set forth below.
"bitumen" refers to a viscous hydrocarbon that contains maltenes and asphaltenes and is found originally in oil sand ore interstitially between sand grains.
Maltenes generally represent the liquid portion of bitumen in which asphaltenes of extremely small size are thought to be dissolved or dispersed. Asphaltenes contain the bulk of the metals of bitumen and probably give bitumen its high viscosity. In a typical oil sands plant, there are many different streams that may contain bitumen phase that has disengaged from the sand grains. These streams may, but do not have to, contain sand grains.

5 Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 "bitumen recovery" or "bitumen recovery yield" refers to the percentage of bitumen removed from an original mixture or composition. Therefore, in a simplified example, a 100 kg mixture containing 45 kg of water and 40 kg of bitumen where 38 kg of bitumen out of the 40 kg is removed, the bitumen recovery or recovery yield would be a 95%.
"cylindrical" as used herein indicates a generally elongated shape having a circular cross-section of approximately constant diameter. The elongated shape has a length referred herein also as a depth as calculated from a defined top or sidewall.
"endless cable" or "endless wire rope" as used herein refers to a cable having no beginning or end, but rather the beginning merges into an end and vice-versa, to create an endless or continuous cable. The endless cable can be, e.g., a wire rope, a non metallic rope, a carbon fiber rope, a single wire, compound filament or a monofilament which is spliced together to form a continuous loop, e.g. by a long splice, by several long splices, or by welding or by adhesion. Endless cable or rope may be formed into a sieve by placing adjacent cable or rope wraps adjacent to each other. Such a sieve does not have cross members.
"fluid" refers to flow able matter. Fluid, as used in the present invention generally refer to hydraulic fluid.
"metallic" refers to both metals and metalloids. Metals include those compounds typically considered metals found within the transition metals, alkali and alkali earth metals. Examples of metals are Ag, Au, Cu, Al, and Fe. Metalloids include specifically Si, B, Ge, Sb, As, and Te. Metallic materials also include alloys or mixtures that include metallic materials. Such alloys or mixtures may further include additional additives.
"oleophilic" as used in these specifications refers to bitumen attracting.
Most dry surfaces are bitumen attracting or can be made to be bitumen attracting. A
plastic rope, or a metal wire rope normally is bitumen attracting and will capture bitumen upon contact unless the rope is coated with a bitumen repelling coating. A
plastic rope or metal wire rope that is coated with a thin layer of bitumen normally is oleophilic or bitumen attracting since this layer of bitumen will capture additional bitumen upon contact. A plastic rope or metal wire rope will not attract bitumen

6 Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 when it is coated or partly coated with light oil since the low viscosity of the light oil will not provide adequate stickiness for the adhesion of bitumen to the rope.
Similarly, a rope covered with a thin layer of hot bitumen will not be very oleophilic until the thin layer of bitumen has cooled down sufficiently to allow bitumen adhesion to the rope under the conditions of the claimed methods.
"screen" refers to an apertured wall, sieve or cable belt. Apertures of a wall, of a screen or of a sieve are the holes or slits through which aqueous phase can pass.
"sieve" refers to an apertured wall and is used interchangeably with "screen"
unless stated otherwise. For example, a screen may be used to remove oversize particulates and in that case may not be oleophilic. An oleophilic sieve is used to separate bitumen from a sludge feedstock by passing the sludge through the sieve.
Most of the bitumen of the sludge adheres to the sieve surfaces for subsequent removal. Mineral solids and water of the sludge pass through the sieve apertures to disposal.
"sludge" as used herein refers to any mixture of fine solids in water and may contain residual bitumen. In the oil sands industry, sludge is a term that used to be reserved for a mixture of bitumen and dispersed solids in continuous water phase in a mined oil sands tailings pond. More recently "fluid tailings", "fine tails", "fresh fine tails" or "mature fine tails" have come in vogue for political reasons to refer to sludge, and also to provide a distinction as to how long this sludge has resided in a tailings pond. These various terms are used by various organizations and authors and often have the same meaning unless specifically defined. Sludge may also refer to sediments in tailings ponds from other mining operations that do not contain bitumen.
"substantially" refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an object that is "substantially" enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context.
However, generally speaking the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained: The use of

7 Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 "substantially" is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result.
Concentrations, amounts, volumes, and other numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical range of "about 1 inch to about 5 inches" should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 1 inch to about 5 inches, but also include individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual values such as 2, 3, and 4 and sub-ranges such as from 1-3, from 2-4, and from 3-5, etc. This same principle applies to ranges reciting only one approximate numerical value. Furthermore, such an interpretation should apply regardless of the breadth of the range or the characteristics being described.
Bold text and bold headings in the present specifications are provided only for the convenience of reading and reference.
EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
In 1978 Collins and Webster reported that for pumping mined oil sands tailings pond sludge (fluid tailings) from 28 to 40 feet (8.5 to 12 metres) below the pond surface, Suncor staff used Fisher and Flyght submersible centrifugal pumps.
These pumps supplied a pilot plant processing 10 cubic meters of sludge per hour to recover its residual bitumen. However, because of the viscosity of that sludge it was found necessary to inject dilution water into the suction of the submersible pumps.
This approach worked well and greatly improved the reliability of the pumping system. However, the Suncor froth flotation pilot plant did not result in a

8 Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 commercial sludge plant but was abandoned. (See the J.E. Collins and I.0 Webster research report of Suncor Inc. entitled: "Hydrocarbon Recovery from Sludge).
On July 31st, 2010, Dave Cooper of the Edmonton Journal reported that Syncrude Canada is testing the use of centrifuges to remove water from a stream of clay-rich specially treated fluid tailings (sludge). It is expected that if the process works on a commercial scale, 20 large commercial centrifuges will be required to maintain and not increase Syncrude's current inventory of sludge in its tailings pond.
However, an important key to commercial success may be in finding the right recipe of chemicals to add in order to remove a large amount of water and turn the sludge into a solid. During piloting, a floating dredge will pump the fluid tailings from as deep as 10 metres (33 feet) below the tailings pond surface. (See the article of Dave Cooper in The Edmonton Journal of July 31", 2010, pages El and E8.. "Putting a New Spin on Oil sands Tailings Troubles ') It is most likely that a commercial dredge is under consideration by Syncrude Canada for pumping sludge, since submersible pumps require dilution water to achieve efficient pumping for the commercial processing of tailings pond sludge.
Collins and Webster of Suncor found that, when dilution water was added to the feed of the submersible pumps, it took 60 days to settle out approximately 50% of the added water and about 6 months to remove all the added water. Syncrude Canada staff likely will need more than 20 commercial centrifuges and more chemical additions if it also has to remove the sludge dilution water when using submersible centrifugal pumps. This is most likely the reason why Syncrude is considering the use of commercial dredging to supply a commercial plant for dewatering tailings pond sludge. However, commercial dredging of sludge is an expensive operation that will require major investments in new equipment.
Submersible centrifugal pumps use high-speed impellors. Such pumps are not suitable for pumping undiluted heavy fluid tailings, and bog down when masses of viscous bitumen, floating as mats in tailings pond sludge, enter the pump inlets.
Since bitumen mats are floating in the sludge of nearly all oil sand tailings ponds, it is expected that avoiding these mats will require a constant and ongoing survey of tailings pond content when using centrifugal pumps for moving sludge.

9 Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 The slow moving but high capacity bitumen and sludge pumps disclosed and claimed in the present specifications are ideally suited for pumping tailings pond sludge and are much less expensive to buy and operate than commercial dredges.
In the past, four-inch (102 mm) air operated diaphragm pumps have been used extensively for pumping sludge and bitumen in the sludge processing pilot plant of the present inventor. However, the high viscosity of bitumen and bitumen mats at ambient temperature have tended to bog down these pumps to a crawl. Air operated diaphragm pumps use air as the motive power, normally at maximum pressure of 100 psi., and are not very efficient for pumping high viscosity bitumen or sludge containing bitumen mats, for two reasons: 1. The maximum size of such low-pressure pumps off the shelf is about 4 inches (102 mm), causing these pumps to experience very high resistances to flow through narrow pump passages when pumping large amounts of highly viscous liquid. 2. At the end of each stroke, the diaphragm pump releases to the environment a charge of 100-psi. gage pressure (689 kPa) air that cannot be recovered. This loss of compressed air after each stroke is a major cause of pump energy inefficiency. Furthermore, when such pumps are used in an oil sands tailings pond, the exhaust air must be piped away from the pumps to eliminate disturbing and frothing of the pond contents, which otherwise can have the undesirable side effect of bringing aerated bitumen up to the pond surface, which represents an environmental hazard to birds and other animals.
The pumps shown in the drawings of the present invention are much larger than air operated diaphragm pumps and can handle much higher pumping pressures.
Each pump uses a piston that is driven by a high-pressure hydraulic ram that may be mounted inside of the pump cavity to move bitumen or sludge. Since hydraulic fluid is not very compressible, the energy loss at the end of each stroke of these pumps is much lower than the energy loss that result when air operated diaphragm pumps are used to pump bitumen or sludge and release compressed air at the end of each stroke.
The transfer cylinder of the pump for moving bitumen or sludge in the drawings of the present invention has a 12-inch (304.8 mm) bore, and the check valves used for controlling the flow of bitumen or sludge are 8-inch (203 mm) valves. In other words, the capacity of the pump of the present invention is much Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 greater than the capacity of the available air operated 4-inch (102 mm) diaphragm pumps. Instead of pumping bitumen or sludge using 100-psi compressed air, the hydraulically driven pump can achieve high pumping pressures, up to the allowable safe working pressure of the pipe, of the pipe fittings or of the hoses or pipes that may be used to convey pumped sludge from the pump submerged in a tailings pond to a sludge processing plant that may be located on the shore of a tailings pond.
Since a high pressure hydraulic ram mounted inside the pump cavity of the present invention can be much smaller in diameter than the diameter of the cylinder and piston of the pump, the allowable hydraulic oil pressure in the small diameter ram driving the large diameter pump piston can be much higher than the allowable pressure of bitumen or sludge flowing through the pump piping and fittings.
This pressure difference is not possible in a diaphragm pumps where the required air pressure to drive the pump is approximately equal to the maximum output pump pressure of the pumped liquid.
Of coarse larger or smaller hydraulic rams, transfer cylinders; check valves, piping and fittings may be used, when larger or smaller bitumen or sludge pumps are required, without deviating from the objectives of the present invention.
Hydraulic rams may be mounted inside of the pump capacity but may also be mounted outside of the pump cavity when so desired. Such external mounting requires additional sealing of the liquid being pumped and more careful alignment of the hydraulic ram with the piston and cylinder of the pump.
Unlike submersible centrifugal pumps that use high-speed impellers, the pumps shown in the drawings of the present invention have slowly moving parts that do not disturb, break up or emulsify sludge or bitumen being pumped. Normally, these pumps do not required dilution water to effectively pump sludge and/or bitumen. The pumps of the present invention also are gentler and likely cheaper than dredges that tend to use parts that rotate or move faster.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION

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Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 Fig. 1 A bitumen pump is shown in Figure 1. However, it may also be used for pumping sludge. Bitumen (1) enters at the bottom of Figure 1 through a flange (16) from a pipe or hose (not shown) and flows through either one of two elbows (2 and 3) and check valves (4 and 5) into 14.5-inch (368 mm) long stroke, 12.000-inch (304.8 mm) diameter pump cylinder (6) shown at the centre of the drawing. The pump cylinder (6) is made from internally honed and chrome coated high tensile steel and its piston (7) is driven by a 5-inch I.D. (127 mm) hydraulic ram (43). For the purpose of illustration, this piston (7) is moving towards the right in the Figure. Low pressure behind the piston (7) causes the flapper (8) of the left bottom check valve (5) to open and the flapper (9) of the left top check valve (10) to close. Similarly, high pressure in front of the 12 inch piston moving to the right causes the flapper (11) of the right bottom check valve (4) to close and the flapper (12) of the right top check valve (13) to open. Figure 1 shows the flapper positions during the outstroke of the hydraulic ram (43) pushing the piston (7). Bitumen (55) leaves the pump through the top flange (28) and enters a pipe or hose (not shown).
The pump is fabricated from metal flanges (16, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 28, 52 and 53), metal elbows (2, 3, 23 and 24), short metal pipe sections (15, 18, 20 and 25) and a pipe cap (19), which are welded together.
The flanges are joined by nuts and bolts or by threaded rods secured by nuts on both ends. The pump cylinder fits into grooves machined into its false end flanges (32 and 33), and each groove is provided with an "0" ring that provides a seal between each cylinder end and its corresponding false end flange (32 or 33) or the honed cylinder is welded to its false end flanges. Weldolets (17, 26, 21, 22, 14 and 27) are used to weld pipe section into milled out pipe section and milled out pipe sections to weld neck flanges. Milling out of the pipe sections is done to provide openings in the pipe wall to allow unrestricted entrance or exit of liquid through fittings or pipe attached to the weldolets. Flame cutting may be done instead of milling.
Eyelets (29, 30, 50 and 51) may be welded to the pump for attaching cables or mountings to the pump.

Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 As a result of piston movement to the right, bitumen or sludge is drawn into the pump through the bottom left check valve (5) and is expelled from the pump through the top right check valve (13). Conversely, as illustrated in Figure 2, when the hydraulic ram pulls the piston to the left, bitumen or sludge is drawn into the pump through the bottom right check valve (4) and is expelled through the top left check valve (10).
The flow rate of hydraulic fluid into and out of the bi-directional hydraulic ram (43) that drives the piston (7) may be controlled to achieve the desired pumping rate of bitumen. The 12 inch (304.8 mm) diameter piston has a stroke length of about 14.5 inches (368.3 mm) and the hydraulic ram (43), when larger in stroke length than 14.5 inches, may be provided with hydraulic ram stops to control the maximum stroke length of the hydraulic ram (53) to accommodate the 14.5 inch stroke length of the piston, and thus prevent undesirable stresses in the bitumen pump. Alternately, the false end flanges (32 and 33) of the cylinder (6) may be made strong and rigid enough to stop the movement of the piston (7) without the need for ram stops. More details on the false flanges are provided with Figure 2.
Suitable operation and control of the hydraulic cylinder is illustrated by schematics in Figures 3 and 4. Sealed hydraulic fluid inlets (45, 46) or outlets are mounted in the left flange (47) behind the hydraulic ram (43). The closed end of the ram is provided with a mounting (48) that attaches to the end flange (47) by means of a pin that allows slight movement of the ram (43) as the ram expands and contracts.
For hanging or supporting the pump, steel eyelets (29,30,50 and 51) may be welded to the pump elbows. When spring loaded check valves (4,5,10 and 13) are used, the pump may be mounted in any desired orientation. When the check valves are not spring loaded, the preferred orientation is shown in the Figure, where weight of each flappers, and back flow of liquid will tend to close a check valve when flow through the check valve stops and then reverses. It is noteworthy that the hydraulic ram (43) is mounted inside the pump body to simplify alignment of the hydraulic ram (43) with the bitumen pump piston (7) and thus eliminate the need for additional alignment and sealing between the ram and liquid inside the pump. Even though the Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 hydraulic ram (43) is mounted inside a 10 inch (254 mm) inside diameter pipe of the pump, the flow cross section of liquid flowing past a 5.5 inch (140 mm) O.D.
hydraulic ram is still greater than the flow cross section of the 8 inch (203 mm) diameter elbows of the pump. Therefore, mounting the ram inside the pump in pipe section 20 does not cause unacceptable flow restrictions.
As shown in Figure 1, a double set of flanges may be mounted at the ends of the 12-inch diameter pump cylinder to properly mount the cylinder and to provide for sealing of the cylinder ends. This mounting is shown and explained in more detail in Figures 2a and 2b. Using a double set of flanges also allows for ease of disassembly and maintenance of the pump. Alternately, single but heavier flanges may be used to secure the cylinder at each end. In that case, each single flange may be provided with a groove, into which an "0" ring is inserted to accept the cylinder ends to seal the cylinder ends and prevent or reduce leakage of liquid being pumped.
The flanges are bolted together with nuts and bolts or with high tensile threaded rods and bolts and washers. The flange holes (in flanges 35,36,37,38, 39,40,41 and 42) may be enlarged slightly, or slightly undersize bolts (or threaded rods) may be used to allow a small amount of adjustment to properly mount the central pump parts to the elbow flange assemblies.
Threaded rods through the flange (31,32,33 and 34) mounting holes of the cylinder flanges pass along the outside for the 12-inch cylinder to securely hold this cylinder in place with nuts. Check valves (4,5,10 and 13) are held between adjacent flanges and seals in Figure 1. However, check valves with integral flanges may be used instead, if desired. In that case the valve flanges are bolted to the elbow flanges (35,37,39 and 41) and to the pump flanges (36,38,40 and 42). Seals are mounted between all flanges.
Fig. 2 Figure 2 is very similar to Figure 1, except that it is designed specifically for the pumping of tailings pond sludge. Sludge inlet is through a perforated or mesh screen (60) that may be provided with feet (61) to allow the pump to rest on the sediment at the bottom of a tailings pond. Eyelets (62) also may be provided to Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 allow the pump to be supported at a higher elevation in the pond from cables or bars going down from a barge or pontoon floating on top of a tailings pond. Instead of using milled or flame cut steel pipe sections and weldolets for the fabrication, the pump of Figure 2 is fabricated from steel or wrought iron 8 inch (203 mm) welding neck flanges (63). These are welded to an elbow (64), to short pipe sections (65, 71), to two 8 inch ends of a steel or wrought iron bullhead tee (66) and to two 8 inch diameter ends of an 10 by 8 inch steel or wrought iron reducing cross (67).
Steel or wrought iron 10-inch flanges (68) are welded to the 10-inch (254 mm) ends of the bullhead tee (66), to a pipe section (76) and to a 10-inch end of the reducing cross (67). Two 8-inch welding neck flanges also are welded to the 8-inch tee (69) at the top of the pump, including a short pipe section (71). A long 8 inch diameter pipe section (70) joins the elbow (64) to the tee (69) and is cut to an exact length to align the 8 inch flange of the tee (69) and the 8 inch flange of the elbow (64) with the 8 inch flange of the bull head tee and with the 8 inch flange of the 10 by 8 inch cross.
The very short pipe section (71) joins the bottom flange of the 8-inch tee (69) to properly align the flange at the bottom of the elbow (64) with the flange at the bottom of the 8-inch tee (69). Similar to Figure 1, check valves (72,73,74 and 75) are mounted between 8-inch flanges (63). In this Figure the ram (81) is pushing the piston (82) to the right. As a result, check valves 73 and 74 are open and check valves 72 and 75 are closed. A short 10-inch pipe section (76) is welded between the left 10-inch end of the cross (67) and a weld neck flange (68). A blind flange (77) is bolted to the 10-inch flange welded to the left end of this pipe section (76).
This blind flange (77) is used for mounting the ram (81) body by means of a pin (80) that passes through plates (82) welded to the blind flange (77). Other convenient methods may be used to mount the body of the ram (81) to the blind flange (77) while keeping proper alignment of the ram (81) that expands and contracts as a result of flow of hydraulic fluid into and out of the ram (81). Hydraulic fittings (78 and 79) are welded into the blind flange and these fittings are connected by hydraulic hoses to the ram as shown by the dotted lines. Hydraulic hoses between the fittings (78 and 79) and a hydraulic pump assembly (not shown) cause the ram (81) to stroke in and out under suitable control further disclosed in Figures 3 and 4. Similar fittings are Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 shown in the blind flange of Figure 1. It is to be understood that similar hoses, hydraulic lines and hydraulic control described with Figure 2 also are used with Figure 1.
The arrow (90) shows the direction of flow in the pump of Figure 2. Sludge enters the pump due to the movement of the piston, assisted by the static pressure of water and sludge column above the pump. Sludge passes through the apertures of the perforated or mesh screen (60). Separate mesh screens may be provided for each of the inlets below check valve 74 and 75 but the single perforated or mesh screen shown in the Figure may be simpler. The openings in this screen prevent the entry of fossilized tree stumps, roots, helmet, dead birds, dead fish, dead animals and other such debris from entering the pump inlets. Normally smaller items would not create problem and would readily pass through the fittings and check valves of the pump.
However such items would create a problem when processing sludge in a commercial plant on the shore of a tailings pond that is fed by the pump of Figure 1 or 2 through a pipe or through an 8-inch hose. Additional screening of pumped liquid may be necessary at the commercial plant.
The 12-inch cylinder (86) is mounted between flanges. These may be false flanges (84 and 85) that are provided with a groove and an "0" ring to accept the ends of the cylinder (86). This is shown in more detail in Figure 2A.
Alternately the false flanges may be welded to the cylinder ends as detailed in Fig. 2b.
Figures 2a and 2b also apply to the cylinder mounting of Figure 1.
All flanges are bolted together with nuts and bolts or with high tensile threaded rods as described with Figure 1 and these bolts and rods may have a slightly smaller diameter than the holes in the flanges. This facilitates proper alignment of the elbow, the tee and the cross.
The fittings used in Figure 2 are schedule 40 fittings and 125 or 150-pound flanges. However, heavier, for example, schedule 80 fittings and 300 pound flanges may be used when higher sludge pumping pressures are desired without altering the specifications of the present invention. Even heavier and larger diameter pipe, flanges and fitting may be used for higher pumping pressures and higher flow rates.

Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 Fig. 2a Figure 2a provides an enlarged detail of the groove (91) machined in the false flanges (84) and the "0" ring described with Figure 2 to accept the cylinder (86) end at the left. The same detail would apply to the false flange mating with the cylinder end at the right. Two false flanges may thus be used and a small step (94) may be machined on each false flange face that faces the 10 inch flanges of the bull head tee at right and of the 10 by 8 inch cross at left of the cylinder to properly align the false flanges (84 or 85) with the 10 inch flanges (68). Alternately, heavier flanges (68 of Figure 2) may be used without the need for false flanges. This would simplify the pump design somewhat. In that case a groove (91 of Figure 2a) would be machined into each oversize flange (68) and "0" rings (92) inserted in each groove.
Only tension in the threaded rods between the flanges (68) and pressure on the "0"
rings then would prevent leakage of sludge past the cylinder (86) ends. In many cases the cylinder end sealing method illustrated in Figure 2b for false flanges would be preferred.
Fig. 2b Another method of sealing the cylinder (86) ends to prevent the outflow of sludge is shown in Figure 2b. In this case, the cylinder (86) ends are welded to the false flanges (84). Welding would be done along the outside of the cylinder (86) ends to prevent damage to the honed and chrome coated inside of the cylinder (86).
Again a small step (94) may be machined on the face of each false flange to properly align the false flanges (84 and 85) with the 10-inch flanges (68).
A honed and chrome plated cylinder is used in these specifications to achieve the desired even roundness of the cylinder and corrosion resistance and wear ability of the cylinder wall. However, some DOM tubes have very good internal tolerances and such tubes may be used instead of the cylinder described above. These tubes do not have to be chromium plated when the sludge is not corrosive. In case the sludge is corrosive, stainless steel DOM tubes may be used for the cylinder.

Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 The piston (82) is provided with seals (98) {58 in Fig 1} to prevent or minimize the flow of liquid between the piston cylindrical surface and the inside surface of the cylinder.
The measurements in inches shown in Figures 1 and 2 are provided for industrial convenience only, to provide an indication of the size of the equipment when standard 8 and 10 inch piping and fittings are used. However the pump sizes will be very different when different sizes of pipe and fittings are used. The 8 inch and 10 inch flanges are used for convenience only in the Figures. The actual flanges used for these pumps may be very much larger or smaller. Thus 30 inch (762 mm) or larger flanges would not be considered unreasonable for commercial pumps.
Fig. 3 Control of the hydraulic ram (100) by means of pressure or flow surge sensing is shown schematically in Figure 3. A hydraulic pump (101) takes hydraulic fluid (102) from a reservoir (103) and directs it under pressure to a four way reversing valve (104) and from there to the ram (100). A pressure sensor and transmitter (105) and an optional pressure surge damper (106) are connected in the pump (101) output line. A pressure relief valve (108) returns excess pressure hydraulic fluid through an optional flow meter and transmitter (109) and through a filter (110) back to the reservoir (103). An electric or electronic control (111) gives direction to the four-way valve (104) and determines when to activate the four-way valve (104) to reverse the direction of ram (100) movement. The control can be made to either sense a sudden increase (surge) in pressure in the pump (101) output hydraulic flow line or can be made to sense a sudden increase (surge) in flow through the relief valve (108). In each case, the sudden surge indicates that the ram (100) has reached the end of its stroke and needs to be reversed. When a pressure surge is used for the sensing, a flow transmitter is not required. When a flow surge is used for the sensing, a pressure transmitter is not required. Either method may be used as is most suitable and desirable.

Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 Flow or pressure surge transmission to the valve control (111) is required for ram valve control of Figures 1 and 2 since, in both Figures, the ram is totally enclosed in the pump body. Placing ram or piston location sensors inside of the pump could be very problematic because the ram is immersed in the liquid being pumped. When the ram is not placed inside the fluid being pumped, more conventional external methods of ram control may be used if this is preferred.
Fig. 4 Another method of ram control that may be employed is shown in Figure 4.
This method eliminates pressure surges or flow surges in the hydraulic system.
The drawing of Figure 4 is identical to the drawing of Figure 3, except that the pressure transmitter (105 of Fig. 3) and the flow transmitter (109 of Fig. 3) have been replaced by a flow totalizer and transmitter (120). A sensor and transmitter (122) now totals the flow that leaves the four-way valve flowing back to the reservoir (123) and is not influenced by flow through the pressure relief valve (124).
The electronics in the controller (121) are programmed to determine from the position sensor (122) and from the flow totalizer (120) when the ram (100) has almost reached the end of its stroke in each direction. The controller then constantly reverses the four way valve that controls the direction of ram movement just before the ram reaches the end of its in-stroke and before the ram reaches its out-stroke. In this way pressure surges are eliminated in the hydraulic system. However, because of flow totalizer drift, calibration of the system of Figure 4 is required.from time to time unless a very accurate flow totalizer is used in the low-pressure hydraulic line returning to the reservoir. Calibration may not be needed in the system of Figure 3.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
There has thus been described a high capacity, high pressure pump suitable for pumping highly viscous liquids including tailings pond sludge and bitumen from a mined oil sands operation or sludges and sediments from other mining or Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 processing operations. Dilution water normally is not required and the costs of the pumps of the present invention are expected to be much lower than the cost of commercial dredges. Schedule 40, 8-inch pipe, pipefittings and 150-pound flanges are used in Figures 1 and 2. However much larger pipe sizes, fittings and heavier flanges may be used for larger capacity pumps. Thirty inch pipe and fitting sizes would not be unreasonable for commercial pumps when very high flow rates of sludge and bitumen are required.
The cylinder of the pump may be a honed cylinder. The internal surface of this honed cylinder may be chrome coated or chrome plated. The cylinder may be made from DOM (drawn over a mandrel) tubing and this tubing may be internally chrome plated or the DOM tubing may be made from stainless steel. The piston is provided with seals that match the internal surface of the cylinder and reduce or prevent leakage of liquid past the piston. The internal surfaces of the pump may be coated with a corrosion resistant coating or coatings and/or with an abrasion resistant coating or coatings. The external surfaces of the pump may also be coated with a corrosion resistant coating as required.
GENERAL SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method for pumping a viscous liquid including bitumen or bitumen froth or tailings pond sludge from mined oil sands plants or tailings pond sediments from commercial ore mining plants comprising, a) a reciprocating hydraulic ram attached to a piston inside a cylinder and two sets of two check valves in which each check valve is mounted between adjoining pipe fittings, wherein b) the reciprocating ram moves the piston back and forth in a controlled manner to pump the viscous liquid, wherein c) a first set of two check valves closes and a second set of two check valves opens during an out-stroke of the ram, wherein d) the first set of two check valves opens and the second set of two check valves closes during an in-stroke of the ram, wherein Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 e) the hydraulic ram is supplied with hydraulic fluid under pressure from a controlled four way hydraulic valve, wherein 0 the four way valve is supplied with hydraulic fluid under pressure and is controlled to automatically cause the ram to repeat a continuous cycle of out-strokes and in-strokes, wherein g) the continuous cycle of out-strokes and in-strokes of the ram causes the piston to pump the liquid due to the opening of the first set of two check valve and the closing of the second set of check valves during the out-stroke of the ram and the closing of the first set of check valves and the opening of the second set of check valves during the in-stroke of the ram.
A method as described above wherein the hydraulic ram resides inside the pump and is immersed in the liquid being pumped by the pump.
A method as described above wherein the hydraulic ram does not reside inside the pump and is not immersed in the liquid being pumped by the pump.
A method as described above wherein an oil reservoir, a hydraulic pump, a pressure relief valve, a filter, a four way hydraulic valve and an electronic control cause the ram to stroke-out and to stroke-in cyclically and wherein a pressure transmitter detects a pressure surge at the end of each out-stroke and at the end of each in-stroke of the ram and signals the electronic control to reverse the hydraulic four way valve and thereby reverse the direction of ram movement at the end of each stroke of the piston.
A method as described above wherein an oil reservoir, a hydraulic pump, a pressure relief valve, a filter, a four way hydraulic valve and an electronic control cause the ram to stroke-out and to stroke-in cyclically and wherein a flow meter detects a flow surge through the pressure relief valve at the end of each out-stroke and at the end of each in-stroke of the ram and signals the electronic control to reverse the hydraulic four way valve and thereby reverse the direction of ram movement at the end of each stroke of the piston.
A method as described above wherein an oil reservoir, a hydraulic pump, a fluid pressure relief valve, a filter, a hydraulic four way valve, a position sensor Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 and an electronic control cause the ram to stroke-out and to stroke-in cyclically and wherein a flow totalizer is used to measure the amount of hydraulic fluid leaving the ram during an out-stroke and to cause the electronic control to reverse the four way valve as soon as a specified amount of hydraulic fluid has left the ram to thereby reverse the direction of ram movement, and wherein the same or another flow totalizer is used to measure the amount of hydraulic fluid leaving the ram during an in-stroke and to cause the electronic control to reverse the four way valve as soon as a different specified amount of hydraulic fluid has left the ram to thereby reverse the direction of ram movement.
An apparatus for pumping a viscous liquid including bitumen or bitumen froth or tailings pond sludge from mined oil sands plants or tailings pond sediments from commercial mineral mining plants comprising, a) a hydraulic ram and a piston inside a cylinder and two sets of two check valves mounted in pipe fittings, wherein b) the ram can move the piston back and forth in a controlled manner to pump the viscous liquid, wherein c) a first set of two check valves can close and a second set of two check valves can open during an outstroke of the ram, wherein d) the first set of two check valves can open and the second set of two check valves can close during an instroke of the ram, wherein e) the hydraulic ram can be supplied with hydraulic fluid under pressure from a four way hydraulic valve, wherein 0 the four way valve can be supplied with hydraulic fluid under pressure and can be controlled to cause the ram to repeat a continuous cycle of out-strokes and in-strokes, wherein g) the continuous cycle of out-strokes and in-strokes of the ram can cause the piston to pump the liquid due to the opening of the first set of two check valve and the closing of the second set of check valves during the out-stroke Mr. Jan Kruyer, P.Eng. Box 138, Thorsby, Canada TOC 2P0 of the ram and the closing of the first set of check valves and the opening of the second set of check valves during the in-stroke of the ram.
An apparatus as described above wherein the hydraulic ram is mounted internally inside the pump causing it to be immersed in the liquid being pumped by the pump when the pump is operational.
An apparatus as described above wherein the hydraulic ram is mounted external to the outside of the pump and is not immersed in the liquid being pumped by the pump when the pump is operational.
An apparatus as described above wherein at least some weldolets are used in the construction of the pump and these weldolets are welded to pipe sections that have been provided with flame cut or milled holes in the pipe sections centered on the weldolets.
An apparatus as described above wherein Schedule 40 pipe and pipe fittings and pound flanges are used in the construction of the pump.
An apparatus as described above wherein 8 inch (203 mm) or smaller check valves are used.
An apparatus as described above wherein Schedule 80 pipe and pipe fittings and pound flanges are used in the construction of the pump.
An apparatus as described above wherein 8 inch (203 mm) or larger check valves are used.
An apparatus as described above wherein the cylinder of the pump is an internally honed cylinder.
An apparatus as described above wherein the cylinder of the pump is an DOM
(drawn over a mandrel) length of tube An apparatus as described above wherein an internal surface the cylinder of the pump is provided with a chrome surface.
An apparatus as described above wherein the cylinder of the pump is made from stainless steel.
An apparatus as described above wherein the internal surfaces of the pump have been coated with a corrosion resistant coating.

An apparatus as described above wherein the external surfaces of the pump have been coated with a cuiTosion resistant coating.
The fluid that may be pumped may be any type of fluid including non-Newtonian fluids, including thixotropic fluids, Bingham plastic fluids and may also be the fluid from a mined oil sands tailings pond or oil sand bitumen, or may be an oil sands slurry. The fluid may be a mixture of bitumen, water and solids and may be predominantly water or may be predominantly bitumen.

Claims (20)

CLAIMS:

The embodiments of the invention in which exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1 An apparatus in the form of a positive displacement pump comprising a single hydraulic cylinder and piston attached to a single bidirectional pump piston which can move back and forth in a pump cylinder for pumping fluid containing oil sand bitumen from a source to a destination during operation as the pump piston is driven by the hydraulic piston, wherein said hydraulic cylinder is immersed in the fluid being pumped, wherein a) the pump cylinder is connected by pipe fittings to two inlet check valves which are connected by pipes and/or hoses to the source to allow entry of the fluid from the source into the pump cylinder, wherein b) the pump cylinder is also connected by pipe fittings to two outlet check valves which are connected by pipes or hoses to the destination to allow exit of fluid from the pump cylinder to the destination, wherein c) during the instroke of the pump piston when in operation one of the two inlet check valves opens and one of the two outlet check valves opens as the other of the two inlet check valves closes and the other of the two outlet valves closes, wherein d) during the outstroke of the pump piston the other of the two inlet check valves opens and the other of the two outlet check valves opens as the one of the two inlet check valves closes and the one of the two outlet valves closes, wherein e) each check valves opens when pressure upstream from a check valve is greater than pressure downstream from that check valve and each check valve closes when pressure downstream from a check valve is greater than pressure upstream from a check valve, wherein f) during operation the hydraulic piston moves the pump piston back and forth to cause in and out stroking of the pump piston in the pump cylinder, wherein g) The hydraulic cylinder is connected to a four way hydraulic valve by hydraulic hoses or tubes to receive hydraulic oil under pressure from a hydraulic pump which receives hydraulic oil from an oil reservoir and to release hydraulic oil from the four way valve at lower pressure for return to the oil reservoir and thereby to drive the piston of the hydraulic cylinder back and forth as controled by the direction of flow of hydraulic oil through the four way valve.

2 The apparatus of claim 1 wherein flow direction of oil through the the four way valve is controled electrically.

3 The apparatus of claim 2 wherein during operation hydraulic oil flow in the four way valve changes direction as a result of an electronic timer.

4 The apparatus of claim 2 wherein during operation hydraulic oil flow in the four way valve changes direction as a result of a pulse sensor that senses a pulse in the hydraulic oil when the bidirectional pump piston reaches the end of its stroke in either the forward or the reverse direction and stops movement of the piston of the single hydraulic cylinder.

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the four way valve is mounted remote from the hydraulic pump and remote from the oil reservoir and close to the hydraulic cylinder.

6 A method for pumping a fluid containing oil sand bitumen from a source to a destination using a positive displacement pump comprising a single hydraulic cylinder, wherein said cylinder is immersed in the fluid being pumped with hydraulic piston moving a single bidirectional pump piston back and forth in a pump cylinder, wherein a) the pump cylinder is connected by pipe fittings to two inlet check valves which are connected by pipes or hoses to the source to allow entry of the fluid from the source into the pump cylinder, wherein b) the pump cylinder is connected by pipe fittings to two outlet check valves which are connected by pipes or hoses to the destination to allow exit of fluid from the pump cylinder to the destination, wherein c) during the instroke of the pump piston one of the two inlet check valves opens and remains open and one of the two outlet check valve opens and remains open as the other of the two inlet check valves closes and remains closed and the other of the two outlet valves closes and remains closed, wherein d) during the outstroke of the pump piston the other of the two inlet check valves opens and remains open and the other of the two outlet check valve opens and remains open as the one of the two inlet check valves closes and remains closed and the one of the two outlet valves closes and remains closed, wherein e) each check valves opens when pressure upstream from a check valve is greater than pressure downstream from that check valve and each check valve closes when pressure downstream from a check valve is greater than pressure upstream from a check valve, wherein f) the piston of the hydraulic cylinder moves the pump piston back and forth to cause in and out stroking of the pump piston in the pump cylnder, wherein g) The hydraulic cylinder is connected by a four way hydraulic valve through hydraulic hoses or tubes with hydraulic oil under pressure from a hydraulic pump receiving oil from an oil reservior to provide hydraulic oil under pressure to the four way valve and to release oil from the four way valve at lower pressure for return to the hydraulic oil reservoir and thereby to drive the piston of the hydraulic cylinder back and forth as controled by the direction of flow of hydraulic oil through the four way valve.

7 The method of claim 6 wherein the four way valve is mounted remote from the hydraulic pump and remote from the oil reservoir and close to the hydraulic cylinder.

8 The method of claim 6 and 7 wherein the four way valve is operated electrically.

9 The method of claim 8 wherein hydraulic oil flow in the four way valve changes direction as a result of an electronic timer.

The method of claim 8 wherein hydraulic oil flow in the four way valve changes direction as result of a pulse sensor that senses a pulse in the hydraulic oil when the bidirectional pump piston reaches the end of its stroke in either the forward or the reverse direction and stops movement of the piston of the single hydraulic cylinder.

11 The method of claim 6 wherein the fluid contains bitumen.

12 The method of claim 6 wherein the fluid contains water and particulate minerals.

13 The method of claim 6 wherein the fluid contains water and bitumen and particulate minerals.

14 The method of claim 6 wherein the fluid contains predominantly water

15 The method of claim 6 wherein the fluid is a Newtonian fluid.

16 The method of claim 6 wherein the fluid is a non-Newtonian fluid.

17 The method of claim 6 wherein the fluid is fluid tailings from a mined oil sand tailings pond.

18 The method of claim 7 wherein the fluid is fluid tailings from a mined oil sand tailings pond.

19 The method of Claim 6 wherein the fluid is tailings from a mined oil sand extraction plant.

20 The method of Claim 6 wherein the fluid is a bitumen product obtained from oil sands.