US4201656A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Process aid addition in hot water process based on feed fines content
Assignee: Ontario Energy Corp
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Filing: 1979-02-21
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Granted: 1980-05-06
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Expires: 1999-02-21
Abstract
Abstract To optimize recovery by the hot water process of hydrocarbons from bituminous sands, an alkaline process aid (e.g. NaOH) is commonly added to the conditioning step. In accordance with this invention, the quantity of process aid added is varied in response to the fines content of the incoming bituminous sands feed.
Inventors
- 👤 Emerson Sanford
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 15:53
CPC Classifications
C; C10; C10G; C10G1/00; C10G1/04; C10G1/047; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S208/00; Y10S208/01
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
85 words
In the hot water process for recovering bitumen from tar sands feed of varying composition containing varying contents of fines wherein said feed is conditioned with hot water and a process aid, the improvement comprising: establishing measurements indicative of the varying fines content of the tar sands feed; and adding the process aid to the conditioning step in quantities responsive to the quantities of fines present in the feed so as to substantially maximize bitumen recovery from the process while substantially minimizing process aid consumption.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
85 words
In the hot water process for recovering bitumen from tar sands feed of varying composition containing varying contents of fines wherein said feed is conditioned with hot water and a process aid, the improvement comprising: establishing measurements indicative of the varying fines content of the tar sands feed; and adding the process aid to the conditioning step in quantities responsive to the quantities of fines present in the feed so as to substantially maximize bitumen recovery from the process while substantially minimizing process aid consumption.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
122 words
In the hot water process for recovering bitumen from tar sands feed containing fines wherein said feed is first conditioned with hot water and a process aid to produce a slurry, the slurry is then diluted with hot water and retained in a primary separation vessel to produce middlings, and the middlings are treated in a subaerated flotation cell to produce secondary tailings, the improvement comprising: settling samples of middlings; establishing measurements indicative of the densities of the settled middlings samples; adding the process aid to the conditioning step in quantities responsive to the measurements and thus to the quantities of fines present in the feed so as to substantially maximize bitumen recovery from the process while substantially minimizing process aid consumption.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
122 words
In the hot water process for recovering bitumen from tar sands feed containing fines wherein said feed is first conditioned with hot water and a process aid to produce a slurry, the slurry is then diluted with hot water and retained in a primary separation vessel to produce middlings, and the middlings are treated in a subaerated flotation cell to produce secondary tailings, the improvement comprising: settling samples of middlings; establishing measurements indicative of the densities of the settled middlings samples; adding the process aid to the conditioning step in quantities responsive to the measurements and thus to the quantities of fines present in the feed so as to substantially maximize bitumen recovery from the process while substantially minimizing process aid consumption.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-05-06 | 1983-11-05 | 1984-05-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-05-06 | 1987-11-05 | 1988-05-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-05-06 | 1991-11-05 | 1992-05-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |