Method for extracting bitumen from an oil sand stream
View Patent ↗The present invention provides a method for extracting bitumen from an oil sand stream, the method comprising at least the steps of, a) providing an oil sand stream; b) contacting the oil sand stream with a liquid comprising a solvent to obtain a solvent-diluted oil sand slurry; c) separating the oil sand slurry to obtain a first solids-depleted stream and a first solids-enriched stream; d) filtering the first solids-enriched stream obtained in step c) to obtain bitumen-depleted sand and at least a first filtrate; e) separating at least a part of the first filtrate to obtain a second solids-depleted stream and a second solids-enriched stream; and f) contacting at least a part of the second solids-enriched stream from step e) with solvent to obtain a solvent-diluted second solids-enriched stream; and g) separating the solvent-diluted second solids-enriched stream to obtain a third solids-enriched stream and a third solids-depleted stream.
1. A method for extracting bitumen from an oil sand stream, the method comprising at least the steps of:
(a) providing an oil sand stream;
(b) contacting the oil sand stream with a liquid comprising a solvent thereby obtaining a solvent-diluted oil sand slurry;
(c) separating the solvent-diluted oil sand slurry, thereby obtaining a first solids-depleted stream and a first solids-enriched stream;
(d) filtering the first solids-enriched stream obtained in step (c), thereby obtaining bitumen-depleted sand and at least a first filtrate;
(e) separating at least a part of the first filtrate thereby obtaining a second solids-depleted stream and a second solids-enriched stream; and
(f) contacting at least a part of the second solids-enriched stream as obtained in step
(e) with solvent thereby obtaining a solvent-diluted second solids-enriched stream; and
(g) separating the solvent-diluted second solids-enriched stream thereby obtaining a third solids-enriched stream and a third solids-depleted stream.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the first solids-depleted stream is reused in the contacting of step (b).
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the first solids-depleted stream is combined with the part of the first filtrate to be separated in step (e), thereby obtaining a combined stream.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the separating of step (g) takes places in a clarifier.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the third solids-enriched stream is dried, thereby obtaining a dried third solids-enriched stream.