Process for separating oil from bituminous sands, shales, etc.

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF SEPARATING CRUDE OIL FROM BITUMINOUS SANDS WHICH COMPRISES DILUTING THE OIL PHASE THROUGH THE ADDITION OF A DILUENT OF LESSER SPECIFIC GRAVITY THAN THAT OF THE OIL IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF SAID OIL AND TO PROMOTE RECOVERY OF THE OIL, BUT IN QUANTITY INSUFFICIENT TO TEND TO EMULSIFYING THE AQUEOUS AND OIL PHASES UNDER PROCESSING CONDITIONS, INTRODUCING AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM IN THE PROPORTION OF ABOUT TWO VOLUMES PER VOLUME OF OIL, SAND AND DILUENT BEING PROCESSED TO FORM A SLURRY, AND APPLYING SUFFICIENT CENTRIFUGAL FORCE TO THE SLURRY TO EFFECT SEPARATION BY DENSITIES OF SAND, AN AQUEOUS PHASE, AND AN OIL PHASE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM SOLIDS.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF SEPARATING CRUDE OIL FROM BITUMINOUS SANDS WHICH COMPRISES DILUTING THE OIL PHASE THROUGH THE ADDITION OF A DILUENT OF LESSER SPECIFIC GRAVITY THAN THAT OF THE OIL IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF SAID OIL AND TO PROMOTE RECOVERY OF THE OIL, BUT IN QUANTITY INSUFFICIENT TO TEND TO EMULSIFYING THE AQUEOUS AND OIL PHASES UNDER PROCESSING CONDITIONS, INTRODUCING AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM IN THE PROPORTION OF ABOUT TWO VOLUMES PER VOLUME OF OIL, SAND AND DILUENT BEING PROCESSED TO FORM A SLURRY, AND APPLYING SUFFICIENT CENTRIFUGAL FORCE TO THE SLURRY TO EFFECT SEPARATION BY DENSITIES OF SAND, AN AQUEOUS PHASE, AND AN OIL PHASE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM SOLIDS.