Abstract: A process for separating bitumen from bitumen ore material includes extracting bitumen with a hydrocarbon solvent to produce a bitumen-enriched solvent phase and tailings. The tailings are dried or stripped in a dryer to remove any remaining hydrocarbon solvent. The amount of solvent discharged in the tailings may be less than 4 bbl per 1000 bbl of recovered bitumen.

Abstract: Methods for transporting bitumen extraction product include providing bitumen-laden aromatic solvent, providing bitumen-laden paraffinic solvent, and blending the two materials. The resulting mixture can be transported through existing pipeline infrastructure and can use existing separation processing equipment, and thereby avoids the need for separate infrastructure for each composition. Combining the two compositions can also avoid undesirable asphaltene precipitation.

Abstract: Methods for preparing solvent-dry, stackable tailings. The method can include the steps of adding a first quantity of first solvent to a bitumen material to form a first mixture, separating a first quantity of bitumen-enriched solvent from the first mixture and thereby creating first solvent-wet tailings, adding a quantity of second solvent to first solvent-wet tailings to separate a first quantity of first solvent component from the first solvent-wet tailings and thereby producing second solvent-wet tailings, and adding a quantity of water to the second solvent-wet tailings to separate a first quantity of second solvent component from the second solvent-wet tailings and thereby forming solvent-dry, stackable tailings.

Abstract: A method of extracting bitumen from bituminous material. In some embodiments, the method may include loading a bitumen material in a column, followed by feeding a first quantity of first solvent into the column. The method may also include collecting the bitumen-enriched solvent exiting the column. A quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent may then be fed into the column. In some embodiments, the method may include simultaneously loading bitumen material and a first solvent in a column, followed by feeding additional first solvent into the column. The method may also include collecting bitumen-enriched solvent exiting the column, and feeding a quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent into the column.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for extracting bitumen from an oil sand stream, the method including the steps of: (a) providing an oil sand stream; (b) contacting the oil sand stream with a solvent thereby obtaining a first solvent-diluted oil sand slurry; (c) screening the first solvent-diluted oil sand slurry, thereby obtaining a first oversized material and a first undersized material; (d) contacting the first oversized material with a solvent thereby obtaining a second solvent-diluted oil sand slurry; (e) screening the second solvent-diluted oil sand slurry, thereby obtaining a second oversized material and a second undersized material; (f) optionally filtering the first undersized material obtained in step (c), thereby obtaining a solids-depleted stream and a solids-enriched stream; (g) optionally removing solvent from the solids-depleted stream obtained in step (f) thereby obtaining a bitumen-enriched stream.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of handling a solvent-containing solids stream in a non-aqueous oil sand extraction process, the method including the steps of: (a) providing a solvent-containing solids stream at a first pressure; (b) depositing the solvent-containing solids stream provided in step (a) as a bed in a vessel; (c) discharging the solvent-containing solids stream from the vessel at a second pressure via an outlet, thereby obtaining a depressurized solvent-containing solids stream; wherein the solvent-containing solids stream in the vessel in step (b) is at a temperature above the boiling point of the solvent in the depressurized solvent-containing solids stream at the second pressure in step (c).

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for extracting bitumen from an oil sand stream, the method comprising at least the steps of, a) providing an oil sand stream; b) contacting the oil sand stream with a liquid comprising a solvent to obtain a solvent-diluted oil sand slurry; c) separating the oil sand slurry to obtain a first solids-depleted stream and a first solids-enriched stream; d) filtering the first solids-enriched stream obtained in step c) to obtain bitumen-depleted sand and at least a first filtrate; e) separating at least a part of the first filtrate to obtain a second solids-depleted stream and a second solids-enriched stream; and f) contacting at least a part of the second solids-enriched stream from step e) with solvent to obtain a solvent-diluted second solids-enriched stream; and g) separating the solvent-diluted second solids-enriched stream to obtain a third solids-enriched stream and a third solids-depleted stream.

Abstract: Methods for extracting bitumen from bituminous material through the use of a polar solvent. The method may include a primary leaching or extraction process that separates most of the bitumen from a material comprising bitumen and produces first solvent-wet tailings. A polar solvent is added to the first solvent-wet tailings in order to remove the first solvent (plus any entrained bitumen) from the tailings. A mixture of polar solvent and first solvent produced by the addition of the polar solvent to the first solvent-wet tailings may be phase separated by maintaining the polar solvent-first solvent mixture for a period of time. Alternatively, the polar solvent and first solvent may leave the tailings in a phase separated state. Phase separation may occur due to the presence of water in the polar solvent-first solvent mixture. Water may also be added to the mixture of solvents to serve as an antisolvent and initiate phase separation. The separated solvents may then be recovered and reused in the method.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for extracting bitumen from an oil sand stream, the method including the steps of: (a) providing an oil sand stream; (b) contacting the oil sand stream with a liquid comprising a solvent thereby obtaining a solvent-diluted oil sand slurry; (c) separating the solvent-diluted oil sand slurry, thereby obtaining a first solids-depleted stream and a first solids-enriched stream; (d) filtering the first solids-enriched stream obtained in step (c), thereby obtaining bitumen-depleted sand and at least a first filtrate; (e) increasing the S/B weight ratio of at least a part of the first filtrate by combining it with a stream having a higher S/B weight ratio thereby obtaining a combined stream; and (f) separating the combined stream, thereby obtaining a second solids-depleted stream and a second solids-enriched stream.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for extracting bitumen from an oil sand stream, the method including the steps of: (a) providing an oil sand stream; (b) contacting the oil sand stream with a liquid comprising a solvent thereby obtaining a solvent-diluted oil sand slurry; (c) separating the solvent-diluted oil sand slurry, thereby obtaining a first solids-depleted stream and a first solids-enriched stream; (d) filtering the first solids-enriched stream obtained in step (c), thereby obtaining bitumen-depleted sand and at least a first filtrate; (e) separating at least a part of the first filtrate thereby obtaining a second solids-depleted stream and a second solids-enriched stream; and (f) reusing at least a part of the second solids-enriched stream as obtained in step (e) in the contacting of step (b) or the separating of step (c).

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for extracting bitumen from an oil sand stream that includes the steps of: providing an oil sand stream; contacting the oil sand stream with a liquid comprising a solvent thereby obtaining a solvent-diluted oil sand slurry; separating the solvent-diluted oil sand slurry, thereby obtaining a solids-depleted stream and a solids-enriched stream; increasing the S/B weight ratio of the solids-enriched stream thereby obtaining a solids-enriched stream having an increased S/B weight ratio and a liquid stream; filtering the solids-enriched stream having an increased S/B weight ratio, thereby obtaining bitumen-depleted sand. In another embodiment, the invention is a system for practicing this method.