Patents by Inventor Julian Robert KIFT

Julian Robert KIFT has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9512363
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for extracting bitumen from an oil sand stream, the method including at least the steps of: (a) providing an oil sand stream; (b) contacting the oil sand stream with a liquid comprising a non-aqueous solvent thereby obtaining a solvent-diluted oil sand slurry; (c) screening the solvent-diluted oil sand slurry thereby obtaining a screened oil sand slurry and a rejects stream; (d) introducing the rejects stream into a liquid bath; (e) transporting the rejects stream through the liquid bath to a space above the surface of the liquid bath; and (f) extracting bitumen from the screened oil sand slurry obtained in step (c).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Peter Kirkwood House, Julian Robert Kift, John Patrick Ringstrom
  • Patent number: 9434887
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus, at least comprising: a housing containing a first section, a second section and a third section; the first section having a first inlet for oil sand, a second inlet for solvent and an outlet for solvent-diluted oil sand slurry; the second section having an inlet for the solvent-diluted oil sand slurry, a screen allowing undersized material to pass and an outlet for oversized material; and the third section having an inlet for oversized material and an outlet for solvent-depleted oversized material; wherein the first section, the second section and the third section can rotate during use around a common rotation axis (A-A?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Julian Robert Kift, Whip Clinton Galen Thompson, Ingmar Hubertus Josephina Ploemen
  • Publication number: 20150129464
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of filtering a solvent-containing slurry stream including: (a) providing a solvent-containing slurry stream, the solvent comprising an aliphatic hydrocarbon; (b) depositing the solvent-containing slurry stream provided in step (a) as a filter cake on a filter medium, wherein a top layer of liquid is formed on the filter cake; (c) allowing the top layer of liquid as formed in step (b) to drain through the filter cake such that substantially no liquid remains on top of the filter cake; (d) allowing a gas to partially penetrate into the filter cake thereby obtaining a filter cake with a liquid solvent-depleted top layer; (e) passing liquid solvent through the filter cake with the liquid solvent-depleted top layer as obtained in step (d) thereby obtaining a washed filter cake; (f) removing solvent from the washed filter cake as obtained in step (e) thereby obtaining a solvent-depleted filter cake; and (g) removing the solvent-depleted filter cake as obtained in step (f) fro
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Ingmar Hubertus Josephina PLOEMEN, Jovan JOVANOVIC, Bernardus Cornelis Maria IN' T VEEN, Julian Robert KIFT, Cherish Marie HOFFMAN
  • Publication number: 20140231312
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: SHELL CANADA ENERGY
    Inventors: Gerhardus Willem COLENBRANDER, Julian Robert KIFT, Ingmar Hubertus Josephina PLOEMEN, Whip Clinton Galen THOMPSON
  • Publication number: 20140021102
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus, at least comprising: a housing containing a first section, a second section and a third section; the first section having a first inlet for oil sand, a second inlet for solvent and an outlet for solvent-diluted oil sand slurry; the second section having an inlet for the solvent-diluted oil sand slurry, a screen allowing undersized material to pass and an outlet for oversized material; and the third section having an inlet for oversized material and an outlet for solvent-depleted oversized material; wherein the first section, the second section and the third section can rotate during use around a common rotation axis (A-A?).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Inventors: Julian Robert KIFT, Whip Clinton Galen THOMPSON, Ingmar Hubertus Josephina PLOEMEN
  • Publication number: 20140021103
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for extracting bitumen from an oil sand stream, the method including at least the steps of: (a) providing an oil sand stream; (b) contacting the oil sand stream with a liquid comprising a non-aqueous solvent thereby obtaining a solvent-diluted oil sand slurry; (c) screening the solvent-diluted oil sand slurry thereby obtaining a screened oil sand slurry and a rejects stream; (d) introducing the rejects stream into a liquid bath; (e) transporting the rejects stream through the liquid bath to a space above the surface of the liquid bath; and (f) extracting bitumen from the screened oil sand slurry obtained in step (c).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Inventors: Peter Kirkwood HOUSE, Julian Robert KIFT, John Patrick RINGSTROM