Supercritical bitumen froth treatment from oil sand

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016208174-A1
Application number	US-201614995106-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 13, 2016
Priority date	Jan 14, 2015
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A process for treating a bitumen froth comprising bitumen, solids and water to produce a deasphalted oil product is provided comprising optionally diluting the raw bitumen froth with a diluent to form a diluted bitumen froth; separating the raw or diluted bitumen froth into a light bitumen fraction and a heavy bitumen fraction comprising bitumen, fine solids and water; mixing the heavy bitumen fraction with a first solvent to form a solvent/bitumen mixture; and introducing the solvent/bitumen mixture into a first extraction vessel operating at a temperature and a pressure such that the solvent is at or near supercritical conditions to form a heavy phase comprising asphaltenes, solids and water and a light phase comprising deasphalted oil.

First claim

1 . A process for treating a bitumen froth comprising bitumen, solids and water to produce a deasphalted oil product, comprising:
optionally diluting the raw bitumen froth with a diluent to form a diluted bitumen froth; separating the raw or diluted bitumen froth into a light bitumen fraction and a heavy bitumen fraction comprising heavy bitumen, solids and water; mixing the heavy bitumen fraction with a first solvent to form a solvent/bitumen mixture; and introducing the solvent/bitumen mixture into a first extraction vessel operating at a temperature and a pressure such that the first solvent is at or near supercritical conditions to form a heavy phase comprising asphaltenes, solids and water and a light phase comprising deasphalted oil.

2 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising mixing a second solvent with the raw or diluted bitumen froth prior to separation.

3 . The process as claimed in claim 2 , whereby the raw or diluted bitumen froth that has been mixed with the second solvent is separated into the light bitumen fraction and the heavy bitumen fraction in a second extraction vessel operating at a temperature and a pressure such that the second solvent is at or near supercritical conditions.

4 . The process as claimed in claim 3 , wherein both the raw or diluted bitumen froth and the second solvent are heated prior to mixing.

5 . The process as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the heated raw or bitumen froth and the heated second solvent are mixed in an in-line mixer prior to separation.

6 . The process as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the light bitumen fraction contains a portion of the second solvent.

7 . The process as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the light bitumen fraction containing the second solvent is introduced into a third extraction vessel to remove the second solvent from the light bitumen fraction.

8 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein both the heavy bitumen fraction and the first solvent are heated prior to mixing.

9 . The process as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the heated heavy bitumen fraction and the heated first solvent are mixed in an in-line mixer prior to introducing the solvent/bitumen mixture into the first extraction vessel.

10 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising treating the heavy phase comprising asphaltenes, solids and water in a vapor-solids separator.

11 . The process as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a stripping gas is introduced into the lower section of the vapor-solids separator to remove the water and any first solvent to produce a dry fine asphaltenes-solids mixture.

12 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising separating the light phase comprising deasphalted oil into at least one of heavy deasphalted oil, light deasphalted oil and heavy gas oil.

13 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first solvent is selected from the group consisting of CO 2 , water, toluene, methanol, naphtha, C 3 to C 5 alkanes and combinations thereof.

14 . The process as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the second solvent is selected from the group consisting of CO 2 , water, toluene, methanol, naphtha, C 3 to C 5 alkanes and combinations thereof.

15 . The process as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first solvent and second solvent are the same.

16 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first extraction vessel is operated at a temperature ranging from 32° C. to 250° C. and a pressure ranging from 3 MPa to 24 MPa.

17 . The process as claimed in claim 3 , wherein both the first extraction vessel and second extraction vessel are operated at a temperature ranging from 32° C. to 250° C. and a pressure ranging from 3 MPa to 24 MPa.

18 . A process for treating a bitumen froth comprising bitumen, solids and water to produce a deasphalted oil product, comprising:
mixing the bitumen froth with a first solvent to form a first mixture; introducing the first mixture to a first extraction vessel operating at a temperature and a pressure such that the first solvent is at or near supercritical conditions to form a light bitumen fraction, first heavy ends stream comprising primarily heavy bitumen and a second heavy ends stream comprising primarily asphaltenes-solids and water; mixing the first heavy ends stream with a second solvent to form a second mixture; introducing the second mixture to a second extraction vessel operating at a temperature and a pressure such that the second solvent is at or near supercritical conditions to separate asphaltenes and fine solids and water from the heavy bitumen to form a first deasphalted oil product and a first dry asphaltenes-solids and water by-products; mixing the second heavy ends stream with a third solvent to form a third mixture; and introducing the third mixture to a third extraction vessel operating at a temperature and a pressure so that the third solvent is at or near supercritical conditions to separate asphaltenes and fine solids from residual heavy bitumen to form a second deasphalted oil product and a second dry asphaltenes-solids and water by-products.

19 . The process as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the first solvent is selected from the group consisting of CO 2 , water, toluene, methanol, naphtha, C 3 to C 5 alkanes and combinations thereof.

20 . The process as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the second solvent is selected from the group consisting of CO 2 , water, toluene, methanol, naphtha, C 3 to C 5 alkanes and combinations thereof.

21 . The process as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the third solvent is selected from the group consisting of CO 2 , water, toluene, methanol, naphtha, C 3 to C 5 alkanes and combinations thereof.

22 . The process as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the first solvent, second solvent and third solvent are the same.

23 . The process as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the first extraction vessel, second extraction vessel and third extraction vessel are each operated at a temperature ranging from 32° C. to 250° C. and a pressure ranging from 3 MPa to 24 MPa.

Assignees

• Syncrude Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Bulbuc Daniel
• Chung Keng
• Childs David

Classifications

• C10G1/045 Primary

  Separation of insoluble materials · CPC title

• C10G1/047

  Hot water or cold water extraction processes · CPC title