Treatment of athabasca tar sands froth

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR THE RECOVERY OF BITUMEN FROM TAR SANDS WHICH COMPRISES MIXING TAR SANDS WITH WATER AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 140*F. TO 200*F. IN AN INITIAL STAGE UNDER CONDITIONS TO SEGREGATE SAND AND A FROTH CONSISTING OF WATER, SOLIDS AND BITUMEN; SEPARATING SAID FROTH FROM SAID INITIAL STAGE AND COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTING THE SAME IN A SECONDARY STAGE WITH ADDITIONAL WATER AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 160*F. TO 200*F. TO REMOVE ADDITIONAL SOLIDS FROM SAID FROTH; THEREAFTER PASSING THE SAME TO A TERTIARY STAGE AND CONTACTING THE SAME IN SAID TERTIARY STAGE AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 120*F. TO 190*F. WITH A CHEMICAL MIXTURE COMPRISING A DEMULSIFYING AGENT, A TRANSFER AGENT, A CHELATING AGENT AND A HYDROCARBON SOLVENT WHEREBY AN OIL PHASE SEPARATES WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF SOLIDS.