Abstract: A process for flocculating and dewatering oil sands fine tailings in a pipeline is provided, comprising: pumping a tailings feed having a solids content in the range of about 10 wt % to about 45 wt % through a pipeline; injecting an effective amount of a polymeric flocculant into the tailings feed to provide an initial quick dispersion of the polymeric flocculant into the tailings feed; and providing a subsequent conditioning environment to form flocs and release water without overshearing.

Abstract: A process is provided for dewatering fluid fine tailings, comprising combining fluid fine tailings with fresh oil sands tailings to create a tailings mixture having a sand to fines ratio of about 1.0 to about 2.0; optionally diluting the tailings mixture with water to an optimal density; adding an aqueous polymeric flocculant to the tailings mixture and mixing the polymeric flocculant and tailings mixture to form a flocculated material; and transferring the flocculated material to a deposition cell for dewatering.

Abstract: A process of dewatering tailings such as fluid fine tailings from oil sand extraction is provided comprising mixing the tailings with a sufficient amount of an additive comprising at least one multivalent cation, each multivalent cation being in an amount ranging from about 0.125% to about 0.25% and higher, up to or greater than the solubility limit of the at least one multivalent cation, and depositing the resulting mixture into a containment area to yield a non-segregating, rapidly cracking and dewatering deposit for reclamation and recycle water which can optionally be used in an oil sand bitumen extraction process.

Abstract: A process for enhancing the solidification of tailings is provided comprising providing overburden having a moisture content ranging from about 15 wt % to about 25 wt % and comminuting the overburden to a first size; providing tailings having a solids content ranging from about 1 wt % to about 70 wt %; adding the tailings to the first sized overburden to form treated overburden and comminuting the treated overburden to a second size; and depositing the second sized treated overburden to produce a substantially solidified deposit.

Abstract: A process of dewatering tailings is provided comprising mixing the tailings with a sufficient amount of an additive or a mixture thereof; depositing the resulting mixture into a disposal area; pumping water from the deposit to one or more sumps, and allowing the deposit to reach a sufficient strength; and removing remaining deposit water and rainfall through one or more of a network of ditches, a decant tower, or a plurality of dike drainage structures to yield a non-segregating deposit for reclamation.

Abstract: A process for removing residual bitumen from oil sands tailings is provided, comprising optionally diluting the tailings with sufficient water to yield a tailings feed having a solids content in the range of about 18 wt % to about 36 wt %; adding one or both of a coagulant and a flocculant to the tailings feed to form a centrifuge feed; centrifuging the centrifuge feed to produce a cake and a centrate having a solids content of less than about 3 wt %; introducing the centrate into a flotation device so that bitumen froth and cleaned centrate are formed; recycling the cleaned centrate as dilution water or discharging the cleaned centrate to a tailings pond, and further processing the bitumen froth from the flotation device either by returning it to the primary Extraction feed or by treating it in a new or existing froth treatment plant.

Abstract: A process for dewatering oil sands tailings is provided, comprising providing a tailings feed having a solids content in the range of about 10 wt % to about 45 wt %; adding a flocculant to the tailings feed and mixing the tailings feed and flocculant to form flocs; and centrifuging the flocculated tailings feed to produce a centrate having a solids content of less than about 3 wt % and a cake having a solids content of at least about 50 wt %.

Abstract: A process for enhancing the froth quality, improving vessel operability and increasing the froth temperature from an oil sand slurry in a primary separation vessel is provided, comprising introducing the oil sand slurry into a separation vessel; retaining the oil sand slurry within the separation vessel so that separate layers of bitumen froth, middlings and sand tailings are formed; introducing sufficient heated water having a temperature greater than about 80° C. as an evenly distributed underwash layer beneath the bitumen froth layer; and separately removing the bitumen froth, middlings and sand tailings from the separation vessel.

Abstract: A feedwell for a gravity separation vessel for introducing a feed stream such as oil sand slurry to the gravity separation vessel is provided comprising a walled member having an upper perimeter edge, a lower perimeter edge and a substantially continuous wall extending from the upper perimeter edge to the lower perimeter edge; an inlet for introducing the feed stream into the walled member positioned adjacent the substantially continuous wall; and a bottom floor having an opening and extending generally beneath the lower perimeter edge; whereby a perimeter of the opening is less than a perimeter of the walled member.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for extracting bitumen from poor oil sand ore involving mixing the poor oil sand ore with heated water to produce a slurry, and conditioning the slurry to yield a poor ore stream. In a separate train, good oil sand ore is mixed with heated water to produce a slurry, and conditioned to yield a good ore stream. Both the conditioned poor ore and good ore streams are combined in specified proportions to yield a blended slurry which is then fed to a primary separation vessel to produce primary bitumen froth.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for separating bitumen froth into an upper bitumen-rich, reduced-solids layer, and a lower concentrated solids layer using a cone-bottomed, raked froth tank. The process involves introducing bitumen froth into the froth tank; rotating at least one movable picket through the bitumen froth; recovering the upper bitumen-rich, reduced-solids layer; and withdrawing the lower concentrated solids layer from the tank.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for cleaning bitumen froth by mixing a sufficient amount of naphtha with the bitumen froth to provide a naphtha-to-bitumen ratio within the range of about 4.0 (w/w) to about 10.0 (w/w) and separating substantially dry diluted bitumen from the water and solids. Also provided is a process for cleaning diluted bitumen by mixing a sufficient amount of naphtha with the diluted bitumen to provide a naphtha-to-bitumen ratio equal to or greater than about 1.8 (w/w) and separating marketable fungible raw bitumen from the water and solids.

Abstract: A self-adjusting liner assembly for installation within a centrifugal pump of the type having an impeller and a pump casing having a suction inlet is provided, comprising a liner having a sealing end, the sealing end having at least one substantially planar outer most surface for contacting an outer surface of the impeller; and a resilient member disposed in the liner, said resilient member providing a force so that the at least one outer most surface remains in substantially continuous contact with the outer surface of the impeller.

Abstract: An impact screen cloth for use in a screening device for screening out oversize objects in a material flowing in a direction is provided, comprising a metal plate having a perimeter and comprising a plurality of openings therethrough and forming a grid having longitudinal ligaments substantially parallel to the direction of the material flow and transverse ligaments substantially perpendicular to the direction of the material flow; and a number of longitudinal wear bars positioned on an equal number of longitudinal ligaments to cover a substantial portion of the number of longitudinal ligaments without substantially interfering with the openings.

Abstract: A surge bin having a top and a bottom comprising: a plurality of walls defining an inner chamber; and an opening at or near the top of the surge bin and a discharge outlet at or near the bottom of the surge bin, the discharge outlet positioned to discharge particulate material onto a conveyor; whereby at least one of the plurality of walls having a sloped portion sloping outwards towards the discharge outlet.

Abstract: A process for flocculating and dewatering oil sands fine tailings is provided, comprising: adding the oil sands fine tailings as an aqueous slurry to a stirred tank reactor; adding an effective amount of a polymeric flocculant to the stirred tank reactor containing the oil sands fine tailings and operating the reactor at an impeller tip speed for a period of time that is sufficient to form a gel-like structure; subjecting the gel-like structure to shear conditions in the stirred tank reactor for a period of time sufficient to break down the gel-like structure to form flocs and release water; and removing the flocculated oil sands fine tailings from the stirred tank reactor when the maximum yield stress of the flocculated oil sands fine tailings begins to decline but before the capillary suction time of the flocculated oil sands fine tailings begins to substantially increase from its lowest point.

Abstract: A method and a mix box for mixing oil sand and water to form a substantially uniformly mixed oil sand slurry is provided. The mix box has an open top end for receiving pre-crushed oil sand and water and a sloped bottom end having a discharge outlet and includes a plurality of profiled shelves positioned within the mix box. The substantially uniformly mixed oil sand has a substantially uniform flow distribution and therefore, when screened, reduces uneven wear on the screens.

Abstract: A process for extracting bitumen from oil sand using a combination of heavy solvent and light solvent is provided comprising digesting mined oil sand with a high-flash point heavy solvent (HS) to produce a dense oil sand slurry; mixing the dense slurry with a light solvent (LS) to give a heavy solvent to light solvent (HS/LS) mass ratio of about 70/30 to about 50/50 and subjecting the thinned oil sand slurry to a first stage solid-liquid separation to produce a first liquids stream containing bitumen and a first solids stream. The first solids stream is washed with a mixed solvent having a HS/LS mass ratio of about 75/25 to about 55/45 and the solids and mixed solvent are subjected to a second stage solid-liquid separation to produce a second liquids stream and a second solids stream. This process may be integrated with the existing water-based extraction through ore segregation, energy integration and MFT reduction/sequestration to further enhance its economical and environmental benefits.

Abstract: A process for treating oil sands process water is provided, comprising removing free oil and grease from the oil sands process water to produce de-oiled process water; reducing the total suspended solids by subjecting the de-oiled process water to filtration using a membrane system to produce filtered process water; and removing dissolved ions such as chloride ions and sulfate ions present in the filtered process water by reverse osmosis to produce a treated water stream and a concentrated salt stream.

Abstract: A process for extracting bitumen from problem oil sand ores having low bitumen content and/or high fines content is provided, comprising: mixing the problem oil sand ore with heated water to produce an oil sand slurry; conditioning the oil sand slurry for a period of time sufficient to substantially disperse oil sand lumps and promote the release and coalescence of bitumen flecks from the sand grains; removing a sufficient amount of solids from the conditioned oil sand slurry in a de-sander circuit; and subjecting the solids-reduced oil sand slurry to gravity separation in a bitumen separation vessel to allow the bitumen to float to the top of the vessel to form clean bitumen froth.