Process for extracting oil from tar sands
This patent describes a process for the extraction of oil and bitumen fractions from tar sands. It comprises: heating the tar sands within the range of about seventy degrees Fahrenheit (70{degrees} F.) to about one hundred fifty five degrees Fahrenheit (155{degrees} F.); mixing the mined tar sands with an aqueous solution of water soluble separation chemicals that induce separation of the oil and bitumen from the sand under such temperature conditions, the chemicals being such that they also induce separation of the oil and bitumen from the water and separation chemicals. The separation chemicals comprise an aqueous solution of an effective amount of water conditioner, wetting agents and a coupling agent selected from the group consisting of sulfonated fatty acid salts; holding the mined tar sands and the separation chemicals for a sufficient period of time under sufficient quiescent conditions that the oil and bitumen become substantially separated from the sands, the separated oil and bitumen floating on the water and the sand sinking in the water; segregation of the oil or bitumen fractions from the water and separation chemicals and retention of the fractions for use as a chemical resource.
- Assignee:
- NOV; NOV-91-001017; EDB-91-055657
- Patent Number(s):
- A; US 4966685
- Application Number:
- PPN: US s 7-248996
- OSTI ID:
- 6086904
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
040402* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Surface Methods
BITUMENS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HEATING
MATERIALS
OIL SANDS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM FRACTIONS
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TAR