Abstract: The present invention is based on the following:(1) that when tar sand is conditioned and diluted in the hot water extraction process, there are two classes of anionic surfactants (originating from carboxylate and sulfonate groups) present in the process water;(2) that each of these surfactants has the potential to dominantly influence the maximizing of primary froth production by the process;(3) that it is possible for a particular extraction circuit to determine the critical free surfactant concentration in the process water at which primary froth extraction is maximized for each of the two classes of surfactant;(4) and that it is possible to determine which of the two classes of surfactant will first (that is, at lowest NaOH addition) dominate the process when a particular tar sand feed is being processed.The present invention therefore involves:determining the critical free surfactant concentrations ("C.sub.cs.sup.O " and "C.sub.ss.sup.

Abstract: Froth, produced by induced air flotation in the hot water process circuit for extracting bitumen from tar sand, is recycled and added to the fresh slurry being introduced to the primary separation vessel. An increase in bitumen recovered as primary froth from the circuit is produced.

Abstract: A basket is removably inserted in the upper end of each drain tube in those interbed assemblies of a catalytic tower whose catalyst beds are to be removed upwardly by vacuuming. The basket has a grid for a bottom wall, so that catalyst particles thereabove are retained but fluid being treated in the tower can easily pass therethrough. The provision of the baskets makes it possible to downwardly drain spent catalyst from the lower bed sections while simultaneously vacuuming it upwardly from the upper bed sections.

Abstract: The hot water process is controlled in response to viscosity measurements taken in situ in the middlings in the primary separation vessel. The viscosity in the middlings is found to vary. Therefore, the layer of maximum viscosity is located and the viscosity at this depth is monitored. Adjustments are made to the process to keep this maximum viscosity below a pre-determined limit.

Abstract: The primary tailings and middlings are combined and fed to a vessel having the general form of a deep cone thickener. The feed is deflected outwardly and generally horizontally by a baffle, as it is delivered to the vessel. Simultaneously, the outwardly radiating layer of newly added feed is contacted from below by an upwelling stream of aerated middlings, which stream moves in parallel with the aforesaid layer. Bitumen froth is formed and recovered. The upwelling stream is provided by circulating middlings through eductor/aerator assemblies and a plenum chamber mounted centrally in the body of middlings in the vessel. A generally circular circulation of middlings is generated. In this manner, the newly added bitumen is quickly and efficiently recovered. Recirculation of middlings to the aeration zone yields an additional recovery of bitumen. Use of the deep cone ensures that the tailings from the vessel are relatively low in water and bitumen content.

Abstract: Vanadium values are recovered from sulphur-containing cokes and ashes derived from heavy oils by a novel process comprising heating in the presence of alkali metal carbonate, contacting the resulting solid residue with water to form a leach and recovering the vanadium values dissolved therein. The heating step solubilizes only alkali metal vanadate and thus the leach solution is substantially free of contaminating substances.

Abstract: A process for recovering heavy hydrocarbonaceous oil in situ is disclosed. After a communication path is established between injection and production wells, a hot viscous fluid at least 20% of which is produced hydrocarbonaceous oil from the production well is circulated between the wells providing high sweep efficiency and good recovery of oil in place. In a preferred embodiment, the fluid comprises recirculated bitumen from the production well, steam, and small amounts of inert gas and emulsified water. The final stage is a recovery by conventional means.

Abstract: A steel connector for joining the steel cable ends of a conveyor belt is provided. The connector comprises a pair of tubular sleeves--one of which is slipped onto each cable end. Each sleeve has a bore having an inner section of reduced diameter relative to the outer section. The cable end is expanded radially, by driving a cone into its end, and then the expanded end is wedged tightly into the inner section of the sleeve to fix them together. Bridging members are threaded into the outer sections of the two sleeves to hold them together in lineal alignment. The bridging members are operative to permit the sleeves to flex relative to each other.

Abstract: A process is disclosed in which a heavy hydrocarbon oil is converted to lighter products by hydrocracking in the presence of a hydrogen donor material boiling from 200.degree. C. to 300.degree. C. and a particulate hydrogenation catalyst comprising one of cobalt, molybdenum, nickel, tungsten and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: A floatable bottom-founded caisson is disclosed that is suitable for use in ice-covered waters. The annular caisson structure has a frusto-conical upwardly tapered inner wall which reduces skin friction between itself and the core fill material. By the application of heat and the use of insulation, freezing of the core fill material is prevented; this feature, together with the tapered wall, enables the caisson to be easily raised and moved to a new position. The outer, or perimetrical, wall is inclined to aid upward fracturing of the ice impinging on it. The caisson carries a deck structure for the support of offshore drilling or other equipment.

Abstract: Two or more tar sand feeds are blended in specified proportions in combination with a specified dosage of NaOH to provide a slurry, having a free surfactant content dissolved in the aqueous phase of the slurry, which yields the maximum possible primary froth production from the hot water extraction process.

Abstract: Vanadium values are recovered from sulphur-containing cokes and ashes derived from heavy oils by a novel process comprising heating in the presence of alkali metal carbonate, contacting the resulting solid residue with water to form a leach and recovering the vanadium values dissolved therein. The amount of alkali metal carbonate used is at least sufficient to convert the vanadium values present in the raw material into alkali metal vanadate, but insufficient to react in addition with all of the sulphur values therein. The heating step solubilizes only alkali metal vanadate and thus the leach solution is substantially free of contaminating substances.

Abstract: The hot water process is sensitive to the nature of the tar sand feed, which varies. An alkaline process aid, usually NaOH, is normally added to the conditioning step of the process and is needed to obtain good bitumen recovery from most tar sand feeds. The invention is based on the discovery that, for a particular extraction circuit used, there is a single value of free surfactant content in the aqueous phase of the process slurry which will yield maximum primary froth recovery regardless of the type of tar sand feed used.

Abstract: A method of improving the calorific value and preventing autogenous heating of low-rank coals is disclosed which comprises crushing the coal into a particle size range from 0.1 cm to 3 cm, immersing the particles in a distillation residuum of petroleum crude oil at a temperature between 240.degree. C. and decomposition temperature of the coal, and draining excess residuum from the particles to give a product preferably containing 2% to 15% by weight of the residuum. Some suitable residua are the vacuum residuum of a hydrogen donor-refined Athabasca bitumen and low-penetration asphalt. The residuum coating material must have a softening point of at least 80.degree. C. The decomposition temperature is defined as the temperature for a particular coal at which its rate of weight loss upon heating first reaches a maximum value, and is in the range of 340.degree. C. to 350.degree. C. for most low-rank coals.

Abstract: Bitumen is separated and recovered from tar sands deposits by use of special hydraulic mining techniques. One or more jets of hydraulic mining fluid are projected by a nozzle or nozzles against a face of a tar sands deposit and advanced towards the face as the face erodes under the jetting action. Sand and bitumen separate, due to the jetting action, and are removed from the eroding area by the flow of hydraulic fluid which is cycled to a recovery zone for separation of fluid, sand, and bitumen. Fluid is recycled, bitumen recovered, and sand disposed of as backfill. Advance of a single nozzle is varied by lateral diversion to erode over a wider area of the face and increase the volume eroded by a single advancing jet.

Abstract: An improved marine drilling barge for use in ice-covered water is disclosed. The barge has, besides a conventional moon pool through which conventional marine drilling operations can proceed, a roughly circular polygonal hull plan, with an elevation of two truncated pyramid sections joined through their theoretical apices by a vertical walled matching polygonal section. The flat bottom of the hull, to or through which mooring lines are attached to anchor the barge, has an exterior guard member fastened thereto and surrounding the points at which the mooring lines attach or come closest to the hull. The barge is ballasted to achieve downward breaking action by the hull on the ice cover as the latter encroaches on the barge. The proportions of the hull combine with those of the guard member to ensure that the ice broken from the ice cover is deflected to avoid fouling the mooring lines while the maximum draft of the barge is no greater than 20 meters.

Abstract: Vanadium values are recovered from cokes and ashes derived from heavy oils by a novel process comprising heating in the presence of alkali metal sulphate, contacting the resulting solid residue with water and recovering the vanadium values dissolved therein.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for sampling a frozen core of tar sand. The frozen core is first cut transversely along its length to form a pair of slabs of semi-circular cross-section. A longitudinal sample portion of substantially triangular cross-section is then cut from the central portion of the still frozen slab. The triangular sample portion is ground in a cryogenic grinder to produce a finely divided, substantially homogeneous material from which small representative sub-samples may be obtained. The triangular sample portion is cut from the slab by a pair of angularly disposed circular saws carried along the length of the slab. The slab is supported and held by cradle means which fix the flat face of the slab in a predetermined plane. The longitudinal sample portion thus formed has a triangular cross-section of substantially constant cross-sectional area.

Abstract: An electrode operating device for tapping an electric furnace provides remotely controllable motion of an electrode enabling the electrode to melt a fusible plug in the tap-hole of the furnace of an appropriate diameter to permit draining of material contained in the furnace.

Abstract: An integrated upgrading process is disclosed which can be used to lower the specific gravity, viscosity and boiling range of heavy, viscous hydrocarbonaceous oil by means of fractionally distilling the oil, treating its residuum with a hydrogen donor material under hydrocracking conditions, fractionally distilling the effluent from the hydrocracking zone and rehydrogenating that portion boiling from about 180.degree. C. to 350.degree. C. for recycling to the hydrocracking zone. The liquid portion of the oil not recycled can be recombined into a reconstituted crude suitable for transporting by normal crude pipelines.