Abstract: In the extraction of bitumen oils from oil sands, the raw material is first slurried with a stream of hot water under conditions promoting the release of the bitumen oils without disintegration of clay in the raw material; the water to raw material is at least 1:1 by weight. The slurry is separated into an oil-rich component, a solids component, and a middlings component containing essentially water and fines with only minor proportions of oil and solids. The middlings component, after removal of the contained fines and the solids is recycled as a part of the slurrying water.

Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous process for treatment of feed in the form of a heavy hydrocarbon-water dispersion or dispersions. The feed is diluted with a hydrocarbon solvent and contacted in a contactor with a water stream. A product stream containing bitumen oils and a discard stream comprising water and solids are separately removed from the contactor.