Hydraulic mining technique for recovering bitumen from tar sand deposit

Patent · Tue Jul 15 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:6382618

Hall, W L

Heavy or viscous oil including bitumen may be recovered from subterranean heavy oil deposits in which the mineral particles are unconsolidated, including tar sand deposits, by a hydraulic mining technique. The tar sand is contacted by a fluid comprising hot water or steam and an amine having the formula R1R2NR3, in which R1 and R2 are each hydrogen or a C1 to C6 and preferably a C2 to C4 alkyl, linear or branched, R3 is a C3 to C20 and preferably C4 to C12 alkyl, linear or branched, or -R4NH2 where in R4 is 2 to 18 and preferably 3 to 11 alkyl, linear or branched, and the sum of the number of carbon atoms in R1, R2 and R3 is from 3 to 20 and preferably 7 to 13. The injection string is constructed so as to permit its simultaneous rotation and vertical movement as the aqueous hydraulic mining fluid is injected down the injection string and out through the jet nozzles, so that a stream of fluid sweeps the tar sand deposits. 15 claims.

• Assignee: Texaco Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4212353
• OSTI ID: 6382618
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040300 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Drilling
Fracturing & Mining
040401* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- In Situ Methods
True & Modified
BITUMENS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION PROCESSES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HOT WATER
HOT-WATER PROCESSES
HYDRAULIC MINING
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
JETS
MATERIALS
MINING
NOZZLES
OIL SANDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
RECOVERY
SOLVENTS
STEAM
STEAM SOAK PROCESSES
TAR
VELOCITY
VISCOSITY
WATER