Bitumen droplets coalescence

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9701908-B2
Application number	US-201615215354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2016
Priority date	Jul 23, 2015
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A process is provided for treating an aqueous oil sand slurry containing bitumen droplets and air bubbles prior to separation in a separator, comprising separating the aqueous oil sand slurry into at least two individual slurry streams and allowing the at least two slurry streams to collide with one another such that the bitumen droplets and air bubbles in each slurry stream make contact with one another to increase both collision frequency and efficiency, and providing sufficient residence time to allow the bitumen droplet to coalesce, grow, and aerate to produce a treated oil sand slurry with larger and lighter bitumen droplets to improve bitumen flotation and recovery.

First claim

We claim:

1. A process for treating an aqueous oil sand slurry containing bitumen droplets and air bubbles prior to separation in a separator, comprising:
(a) separating the aqueous oil sand slurry into at least two individual slurry streams;
(b) allowing the at least two slurry streams to collide with one another such that the bitumen droplets and air bubbles in each slurry stream make contact with one another to increase both collision frequency and efficiency; and
(c) providing a residence time to allow the bitumen droplets to coalesce, grow, and aerate to produce a treated oil sand slurry with larger and lighter bitumen droplets to enhance bitumen flotation and recovery.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising introducing the treated oil sand slurry into a separation zone for forming a bitumen froth.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two slurry streams collide in a mixing vessel.

4. The process as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the residence time in the mixing vessel is in a range of about 2 minutes to about 5 minutes.

5. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two slurry streams collide in a pipeline.

6. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the aqueous oil sand slurry has been previously conditioned in a pipeline.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the aqueous oil sand slurry has been previously conditioned in a tumbler.

Assignees

• Syncrude Canada Ltd
• Syncrude Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Long Jun
• Hoskins Shane

Classifications

• C10G1/002

  in combination with oil conversion- or refining processes · CPC title

• C10G33/06

  with mechanical means, e.g. by filtration · CPC title

• C10G1/00 Primary

  Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal (mechanical winning of oil from oil-shales, oil-sand, or the like B03B) · CPC title

• C10G1/047

  Hot water or cold water extraction processes · CPC title