Treatment of bituminous sands

Claim 1

IN POROCESS FOR THE RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON VALUES FROM PETROLIFEROUS SOLIDS WHEREIN (1) SAID SOLIDS ARE TREATED WITH AN AQUEOUS SODIUM SILICATE SOLUTION AND A RELATIVELY LIGHT HYDROCARBON DILUENT AT A MODERATELY ELEVATED TEMPERATURE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO RE DUCE THE SOLIDS TO A SUBSTANTIALLY HOMOGENEOUS PULP, (2) SAID PULP IS TREATED TO SEPARATE IT INTO A SOLID PHASE AND A HETEROGENEOUS LIQUID PHASE ESSENTIALLY COMPRISING LIQUID HYDROCARBONS AND AQUEOUS SODIUM SILLICATE SOLUTION, AND (3) SAID HETEROGENEOUS LIQUID PHASE IS THEN TREATED TO SEPERATE SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION AND SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBON, THE METHOD OF EFFECTING SAID STED (2) WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING SAID PULP INTO A VERTICAL ELONGATED SEPARATION ZONE AT A POINT ADJACENT THE TOP THEREOF, ALLOWING THE SOLID COMPONENTS OF THE PULP TO FLOW DOWNWARDLY BY GRAVITY THROUGH SAID SEPARATION ZONE WHILE DIRECTING SAID DOWNWARD FLOW ALTERNATELY TOWARDS THE PERIPHERY AND TOWARDS THE CENTRAL AXIS OF SAID SEPARATION ZONE, INTRODUCING AN AQUEOUS LIQUID INTO SAID SEPARATION ZONE AT A POINT ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, FLOWING SAID LIQUID UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID SEPARATION ZONE WHILE DIRECTING SAID UPWARD FLOW ALTERNATELY TOWARDS THE PRERIPHERY AND TOWARDS THE AXIS OF SAID SEPARATION ZONE ESSENTIALLY PARALLEL AND COUNTERCURRENT TO SAID DOWNWARD FLOW OF SOLIDS, REMOVING SUBSTANTIALLY HYDROCARBON-FREE SOLIDS FROM SAID SEPARATION ZONE AT A POINT ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, COLLECTING LIQUID HYDROCARBON AT A PLURALITY OF POINTS SPACED VERTICALLY ALONG THE LENGTHS OF SAID SEPARATION ZONE, FLOWING THE LIQUID HYDROCARBON SO COLLECTED UPWARDLY INTO THE TOP OF SAID SEPARATION ZONE INDEPENDENT OF THE UPFLOW OF SAID AQUEOUS LIQUID, AND REMOVING A MIXED LIQUID PHASE COMPRISING HYDROCARBONS AND AQUEOUS LIQUID FROM THE TOP OF SAID SEPARATION ZONE AT A POINT ABOVE THAT AT WHICH SAID PULP IS INTRODUCED INTO SAID SEPARATION ZONE, WHILE MAINTAINING SAID SEPARATION ZONE SUBSTANTIALLY FILLED WITH LIQUID DURING THE AFORESAID STEPS.

Claim 3

AN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SUBSTANTIALLY HOMOGENEOUS PULP COMPRISING MINERAL SOLIDS, LIQUID HYDROCARBONS AND AQUEOUS SODIUM SILICATE SOLUTIONS, WHICH APPARATUS COMPRISES AN ELONGATED VERTICAL VESSEL HAVING A LIQUID OUTLET ADJACENT THE TOP THEREOF AND A SOLDS OUTLET ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, A PULP INLET

Claim 4

AN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SUBSTANTIALLY HOMOGENEOUS PULP COMPRISING MINERAL SOLIDS, LIQUID HYDROCARBONS AND AQUEOUS SODIUM SILICATE SOLUTIONS, WHICH APPARATUS COMPRISES AN ELONGATED VERTICAL VESSEL HAVING A LIQUID OUTLET ADJACENT THE TOP THEREOF AND A SOLDS OUTLET ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, A PULP INLET