Methods for obtaining bitumen from bituminous materials
A method of extracting bitumen from bituminous material. In some embodiments, the method may include loading a bitumen material in a column, followed by feeding a first quantity of first solvent into the column. The method may also include collecting the bitumen-enriched solvent exiting the column. A quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent may then be fed into the column. In some embodiments, the method may include simultaneously loading bitumen material and a first solvent in a column, followed by feeding additional first solvent into the column. The method may also include collecting bitumen-enriched solvent exiting the column, and feeding a quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent into the column.
1. A method comprising:
loading bitumen material in a column;
feeding a first quantity of first solvent into the column;
collecting bitumen-enriched solvent exiting the column; and
feeding a quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent into the column.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the bitumen material is oil sands.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the column is a vertically-oriented column comprising a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end.
4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein loading bitumen material in a column comprises loading bitumen material into the top end of the vertically oriented column.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein feeding a first quantity of first solvent into the column comprising feeding the first quantity of first solvent into the column at two or more locations spaced along a length of the column.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein feeding a first quantity of first solvent into the column comprises feeding a first portion of the first quantity of the first solvent into the column followed by feeding a remaining portion of the first quantity of the first solvent into the column.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first solvent comprises a light aromatic solvent.
8. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the light aromatic solvent comprises Aromatic 100, Aromatic 150 or mixtures thereof.
9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first quantity of first solvent is 1 or more times a bitumen quantity of the bitumen material loaded in the column on v/v basis.
10. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the steps of collecting bitumen-enriched solvent exiting the column and feeding a quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent into the column are repeated one or more times.
11. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: feeding a first quantity of polar solvent into the column after feeding the quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent into the column.
12. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the polar solvent comprises a C 5 or lower alcohol.
13. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein feeding a first quantity of polar solvent into the column after feeding the quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent into the column comprises feeding a first portion of the first quantity of the polar solvent into the column as a liquid followed by feeding a remaining portion of the first quantity of the polar solvent into the column as a superheated gas.
14. The method as recited in claim 11 , further comprising: heating the column after feeding the polar solvent into the column.
15. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: packing down the bitumen material loaded in the column prior to feeding a first quantity of first solvent into the column.
16. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: reducing in size individual pieces of the bitumen material prior to loading the bitumen material in the column.
17. A method comprising:
simultaneously loading bitumen material and a first solvent in a column;
feeding additional first solvent into the column;
collecting bitumen-enriched solvent exiting the column; and
feeding a quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent into the column.
18. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the bitumen material is oil sands.
19. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the column is a vertically oriented column comprising a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end.
20. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein simultaneously loading bitumen material and a first solvent in a column comprises loading bitumen material into the top end of the vertically oriented column and feeding the first solvent into the column at two or more locations spaced along a length of the column.
21. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the first solvent comprises a light aromatic solvent.
22. The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein the light aromatic solvent comprises Aromatic 100, Aromatic 150, or mixtures thereof.
23. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the first solvent fed into the column is 1 or more times a bitumen quantity of the bitumen material loaded in the column on v/v basis.
24. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the steps of collecting bitumen-enriched solvent exiting the column and feeding the bitumen-enriched solvent into the column are repeated one or more times.
25. The method as recited in claim 17 , further comprising: feeding a first quantity of polar solvent into the column after feeding the quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent into the column.
26. The method as recited in claim 25 , wherein the polar solvent comprises a C 5 of lower alcohol.
27. The method as recited in claim 25 , wherein feeding a first quantity of polar solvent into the column after feeding the quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent into the column comprises feeding a first portion of the first quantity of the polar solvent into the column as a liquid followed by feeding a remaining portion of the first quantity of the polar solvent into the column as a superheated gas.
28. The method as recited in claim 25 , further comprising: heating the column after feeding the polar solvent into the column.