Process for extracting bitumen

1. A process for extracting bitumen from a matrix including mineral solids comprising:

a. preparing a bitumen froth comprising particulate mineral solids and hydrocarbons dispersed in aqueous lamella in the form of an emulsion;

b. adding a sufficient amount of a paraffinic solvent to the froth to induce inversion of the emulsion and precipitate asphaltenes from the resultant hydrocarbon phase;

c. mixing the froth and the solvent for a sufficient time to dissolve the solvent into the hydrocarbon phase to precipitate asphaltenes; and

d. subjecting the mixture to gravity or centrifugal separation for a sufficient period to separate substantially all of the water and solids and a substantial portion of the asphaltenes from the bitumen;

wherein

a separation enhancing additive is present in the process;

the separation enhancing additive is a polymeric surfactant having multiple lipophilic and hydrophilic moieties and an aromatic moiety content of from about 15 to about 65 weight percent; and

the lipophilic moieties are lipophilic aromatic groups.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the polymeric surfactant has an aromatic moiety content of from about 40 to 60 weight percent.

3. A process for extracting bitumen from a matrix including mineral solids comprising:

a. preparing a bitumen froth comprising particulate mineral solids and hydrocarbons dispersed in aqueous lamella in the form of an emulsion;

b. adding a sufficient amount of a paraffinic solvent to the froth to induce inversion of the emulsion and precipitate asphaltenes from the resultant hydrocarbon phase;

c. mixing the froth and the solvent for a sufficient time to dissolve the solvent into the hydrocarbon phase to precipitate asphaltenes; and

d. subjecting the mixture to gravity or centrifugal separation for a sufficient period to separate substantially all of the water and solids and a substantial portion of the asphaltenes from the bitumen;

wherein

a separation enhancing additive is present in the process;

the separation enhancing additive is a polymeric surfactant having multiple lipophilic and hydrophilic moieties;

the hydrophilic moieties are hydroxylated hydrophilic polyether groups;

the lipophilic moieties are lipophilic aromatic groups; and

the polymeric surfactant has a hydroxylated hydrophilic polyether content of from about 35 to about 85 percent.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein the polymeric surfactant has a hydroxylated hydrophilic polyether content of from about 40 to about 60 percent.

5. A process for extracting bitumen from a matrix including mineral solids comprising:

a. preparing a bitumen froth comprising particulate mineral solids and hydrocarbons dispersed in aqueous lamella in the form of an emulsion;

b. adding a sufficient amount of a paraffinic solvent to the froth to induce inversion of the emulsion and precipitate asphaltenes from the resultant hydrocarbon phase;

c. mixing the froth and the solvent for a sufficient time to dissolve the solvent into the hydrocarbon phase to precipitate asphaltenes; and

d. subjecting the mixture to gravity or centrifugal separation for a sufficient period to separate substantially all of the water and solids and a substantial portion of the asphaltenes from the bitumen;

wherein

a separation enhancing additive is present in the process;

the separation enhancing additive is a polymeric surfactant having multiple lipophilic and hydrophilic moieties;

the lipophilic moieties are lipophilic aromatic groups; and

the polymeric surfactant has the general formula:

wherein A is an aromatic moiety, Z is a connecting moiety, and (OE) x OH is a hydrophilic moiety wherein OE represents a hydrophilic polyether group, x is an integer of from about 3 to about 30, and y is an integer of from about 2 to about 20.

6. A process for extracting bitumen from a matrix including mineral solids comprising:

a. preparing a bitumen froth comprising particulate mineral solids and hydrocarbons dispersed in aqueous lamella in the form of an emulsion;

b. adding a sufficient amount of a paraffinic solvent to the froth to induce inversion of the emulsion and precipitate asphaltenes from the resultant hydrocarbon phase;

c. mixing the froth and the solvent for a sufficient time to dissolve the solvent into the hydrocarbon phase to precipitate asphaltenes; and

d. subjecting the mixture to gravity or centrifugal separation for a sufficient period to separate substantially all of the water and solids and a substantial portion of the asphaltenes from the bitumen;

wherein

a separation enhancing additive is present in the process;

the separation enhancing additive is a polymeric surfactant having multiple lipophilic and hydrophilic moieties;

the lipophilic moieties are lipophilic aromatic groups; and

the separation enhancing additive is selected from the group consisting of alkoxylates of alkylphenol-formaldehyde condensates, alkoxylates of alkylene bisphenol diglycidyl ethers, and mixtures thereof.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the separation enhancing additive is a additive is a condensed nonylphenol-formaldehyde hexamer adducted with 50 percent by weight ethylene oxide averaging about six hydroxyl terminated chains averaging about six moles ethylene oxide each.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the separation enhancing additive is added to the bitumen froth prior to addition of solvent.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein the separation enhancing additive is dissolved in an additive solvent prior to its addition to the bitumen froth.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein the additive solvent is selected from the group consisting of xylenes, naphthas, kerosenes, dry alcohols, ethers, esters, and mixtures thereof.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the separation enhancing additive is present at a concentration of from about 20 to about 2000 parts of separation enhancing additive per million parts of diluted bitumen.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein the separation enhancing additive is present at a concentration of from about 50 to about 800 parts of separation enhancing additive per million parts of diluted bitumen.