Alkali recycle process for recovery of heavy oils and bitumens

Patent · Tue Oct 11 00:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5492665

Kessick, M A

Heavy oils, including oil sands, are recovered from mined or in-situ formation by a novel procedure which involves an initial emulsification of the oil with aqueous alkali, usually sodium hydroxide solution, at a pH above about 11. After separation of any residual solid phase, such as sand, the resulting oil-in-water emulsion is inverted by the use of slaked lime to form a water-in-oil emulsion and thereby regenerating part of the sodium hydroxide solution. The water-in-oil emulsion is dewatered to recover the oil phase while the aqueous phase is recycled to the initial emulsification, after removal of clay particles when oil sands are treated.

• Assignee: Research Council of Alberta (Canada)
• Patent Number(s): US 4409091
• OSTI ID: 5492665
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040402* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Surface Methods
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
BITUMENS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
EMULSIFICATION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
MATERIALS
OIL SANDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM HYDROXIDES
TAR