Screen Separation of Tar Sand (Patent No: 688483)

Inventor: Cities Service Research and Development Company

Location: New York, NY

Comments: N/A

Description:

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. The process for the recovery of hydrocarbon oil from bituminous sand containing the same which comprises forming a slurry of said bituminous sand and liquid hydrocarbon diluent in the substantial absence of added water, placing said slurry on a separating screen to drain hydrocarbon oil therefrom and recovering thus drained hydrocarbon oil as a product of the process.

2. The process for the recovery of hydrocarbon oil from bituminous sand containing the same which comprises forming a slurry of said bituminous sand and liquid hydrocarbon diluent in the substantial absence of added water, passing said slurry through a separating screen to remove sand containing entrained hydrocarbon oil therefrom while allowing liquid hydrocarbon oil substantially free of sand to drain through said screen, recovering thus drained Hydrocarbon oil as a product of the process and treating thus removed sand for recovery of additional hydrocarbon oil therefrom.

3. The process for the recovery of hydrocarbon oil from bituminous sand containing the same which comprises forming a slurry of said bituminous sand and liquid hydrocarbon diluent in the substantial absence of added water, passing said slurry through a separating screen to remove sand containing entrained hydrocarbon oil therefrom, mixing thus removed sand with water to form a slurry of water, sand and hydrocarbon oil, passing said last mentioned slurry to a settling zone to form therein a lower layer of sand, an intermediate layer of water and an upper layer of hydrocarbon oil and removing said upper layer of hydrocarbon oil from said settling zone.

4. The process for treating bituminous sand containing hydrocarbon oil which comprises mixing said bituminous sand with liquid hydrocarbon diluent in the substantial absence of added water to form a slurry, passing said slurry through at least two separating screens having progressively smaller openings to thereby separate on said screens portions of sand having progressively smaller particle sizes and containing entrained hydrocarbon oil, separately mixing each of said portions of sand with water to form slurries, and settling said slurries to recover hydrocarbon oil therefrom.

5. The process for the recovery of hydrocarbon oil from bituminous sand containing the same which comprises forming a slurry of said bituminous sand and liquid hydrocarbon diluent in the substantial absence of added water, passing said slurry over a first separating screen to thereby separate a first portion of solids too large to pass through the openings of said screen and having entrained hydrocarbon oil from the remaining solids and hydrocarbon liquid, passing said remaining solids and hydrocarbon liquid over a second separating screen having smaller openings than said first screen to thereby separate a second portion of solids too large to pass through the openings of said second screen and having entrained hydrocarbon oil, separately slurrying said portions of solids and entrained hydrocarbon oil with water to remove entrained hydrocarbon liquid therefrom, and settling said slurries to recover hydrocarbon oil therefrom.

6. The process for the recovery of hydrocarbon oil from bituminous sand containing the same which comprises forming a slurry of said bituminous sand and liquid hydrocarbon diluent, passing said slurry through a first separating screen to thereby separate from said slurry a first portion of sand having particle sizes too large to pass through the openings of said screen, passing the remainder of said slurry through a second separating screen having smaller openings than said first screen to thereby separate from said slurry a second portion of sand having particle sizes too large to pass through the openings of said second screen, separately mixing each of said separated portions of sand with water under optimum conditions to form slurries of water, solids and hydrocarbon liquids which were entrained in said separated portions of solids, passing said last mentioned slurries to a settling zone in which the same are allowed to settle to form a lower layer of sand, an intermediate layer of water and an upper layer of liquid hydrocarbons and removing said upper layer of hydrocarbon liquid from said settling zone.

7. The process for the recovery of hydrocarbon oil from bituminous sand containing the same, water and silt which comprises forming a slurry of said bituminous sand and liquid hydrocarbon diluent in the substantial absence of added water, passing said slurry through a separating screen to remove sand containing minor portions of entrained hydro carbon oil, silt and water therefrom, mixing thus removed sand with added water to form a slurry of water, sand and hydrocarbons, passing said last mentioned slurry to a settling zone to form therein a lower layer of sand, an intermediate layer of water and an upper layer of hydrocarbon oil and silt, separately removing said intermediate and upper layers from said settling zone and recovering hydrocarbon oil from said upper layer.

8. The process for treating bituminous sand containing hydrocarbon oil, water and silt which comprises mixing said bituminous sand with liquid hydrocarbon diluent in the substantial absence of added water to form a slurry, passing said slurry through at least two oscillating screens having progressively smaller openings to thereby separate on said screens portions of sand having progressively smaller particle sizes and containing entrained hydrocarbon oil, water and silt, separately mixing each of said portions of sand with added water to form slurries, passing at least one of said last mentioned slurries to a settling zone to form therein a lower layer of sand, an intermediate layer of water and an upper layer of hydrocarbon oil containing silt, withdrawing said layer of hydrocarbon from said settling zone and recovering hydrocarbon oil from said upper layer.

9. The process for treating bituminous sand containing hydrocarbon oil, water and silt which comprises mixing said bituminous sand with liquid hydrocarbon diluent in the substantial absence of added water to form a slurry, passing said slurry through at least two oscillating screens having progressively smaller openings to thereby separate on said screens portions of sand having progressively smaller particle sizes and containing entrained hydrocarbon oil, water and silt while allowing hydrocarbon oil substantially free of sand to drain through all of said screens, recovering thus drained hydrocarbon oil as a product of the process, separately mixing each of said portions of sand with added water to form slurries, passing at least one of said last mentioned slurries to a settling zone to form therein a lower layer of sand, an intermediate layer of water and an upper layer of hydrocarbon oil containing silt, and recovering additional hydrocarbon oil from said upper layer.

10. The process for the recovery of hydrocarbon oil from bituminous sand containing the same which comprises forming a slurry of said bituminous sand and liquid hydrocarbon diluent, passing said slurry through a first oscillating screen to thereby separate from said slurry a first portion of sand having particles too large to pass through the openings of said screen, passing the remainder of said slurry through a second oscillating screen having smaller openings than said first screen to thereby separate from said slurry a second portion of sand having particles too large to pass through the openings of said second screen, separately mixing each of said separated portions of sand with water under different optimum mixing conditions to form slurries of water, solids and hydrocarbon liquids which were entrained in said separated portions of solids, passing said last mentioned slurries to a settling zone in which the same are allowed to settle to form a lower layer of sand, an intermediate layer of water and an upper layer of liquid hydrocarbons, and separately removing each of said layers from said settling zone.