Tar sand extraction process

Patent · Tue Jun 02 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:6328031

Choules, G

A method is described for separating and recovering bitumen from tar sand and other viscous petroleum deposits, either in situ or after mining the deposits. The method may also apply to heavy oil wells and to secondary and tertiary recovery of oils from wells. The tar sand is heated in an aqueous mixture of floating agent containing ammonia, a transfer agent containing a phosphate or silicate ion and a strong monovalent base. The bitumen rises to the surface of the mixture, without foaming or appreciable emulsification and will stay at the surface after cooling. Nearly clean sand remains in the bottom. Both an in situ separation technique and a process for recovering bitumen from mined tar sand are described using the aqueous mixture.

• Assignee: IFI; EDB-81-109333
• Patent Number(s): US 4270609
• OSTI ID: 6328031
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040401* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- In Situ Methods
True & Modified
040402 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Surface Methods
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
AMMONIUM PHOSPHATES
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
BITUMENS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
IN-SITU PROCESSING
MATERIALS
MIXTURES
OIL SANDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
PHOSPHATES
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM HYDROXIDES
SOLUTIONS
STEAM INJECTION
TAR
THERMAL RECOVERY