Process for Separating Oil from Bituminous Sands, Shales, etc. (Patent No: 529888)

Inventor: Can-Amera Oil Sands Development Ltd. (assignee)

Location: Calgary

Comments: N/A

Description: Issued September 4, 1956

Gordon R. Coulson, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, assignor to Can-Amera Oil Sands Development Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, Canada Application March 17, 1953, Serial No. 664,608.
58 Claims—No drawing.

1. The method of separating crude oil from bituminous sands, shales and like oil-bearing material which comprises adding a diluent for the bitumen constituent to the material, adding to this a substance capable of increasing the surface tension of the bitumen constituent of the material, mixing the diluent and the substance throughout the oil-bearing material, rendering this mixture saline by adding to the mixture a substance soluble in water which has the effect of increasing the specific gravity of the water constituent of the material, subjecting the combined mass to sufficient pressure to initiate a separation by densities, and drawing off the oil thus freed, the method being conducted without the addition of heat at room temperatures above the freezing point of the constituents, the first mentioned substance being added in sufficient quantity to raise the surface tension, of the diluted bitumen constituent above the surface tension of the water constituent.

10. The method of separating crude oil from bituminous sands, shales, and like oil-bearing material which comprises adding a diluent for the bitumen constituent to the material, mixing the diluent throughout the oil-bearing material, rendering this mixture saline by adding to the mixture substance soluble in water which has the effect of increasing the specific gravity of the water constituent of the material, adding to this combined mass a surface active agent capable of reducing surface tension of the water constituent of the material, subjecting the resulting mass to sufficient pressure to initiate a separation by densities, and drawing off the oil thus freed, the method being conducted without the addition of heat at room temperatures above the freezing point of the constituents, sufficient of said surface active agent being added to reduce the surface tension of the water constituent below the surface tension of the diluted bitumen constituent.

18. The method of separating crude oil from bituminous sands, shales arid like oil-bearing material which comprises adding a diluent for the bitumen constituent to the material, mixing the diluent throughout the oil-bearing material, adding to this mixture a substance soluble in water which has the combined effect of increasing the specific gravity of the water constituent of the material and, at the same time, lowering the surface tension of said water constituent, subjecting the combined mass to sufficient pressure to initiate a separation by densities, and drawing off the oil thus freed, the method being conducted without the addition of heat at room temperatures above the freezing point of the constituents, said substance being added in sufficient quantity to lower the surface tension of said water constituent below the surface tension of said diluted bitumen constituent.

27. The method of separating crude oil from bituminous sands, shales, and like oil-bearing material, which comprises adding a diluent for the bitumen constituent to the material, adding to this a substance capable of increasing the surface tension of the bitumen constituent of the material, mixing the diluent and the substance throughout the oil-bearing material, rendering the mixture saline by adding to the mixture a substance soluble in water which has the effect of increasing the specific gravity of the water constituent of the material, adding to .this a surface active agent capable of reducing the surface tension of the water constituent of the material, subjecting the combined mass to sufficient pressure to initiate a separation by densities, and drawing off the oil thus freed, the method being conducted without the addition of heat at room temperatures above the freezing point of the constituents, the first mentioned substance and the surface active agent being added in sufficient quantity to render the surface tension of the diluted bitumen constituent higher than the surface tension of the water constituent.