Abstract: A 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, the metal plate having an impact surface and a bottom surface; a coating or liner comprising an elastomer, coating or lining at least the impact surface of the metal plate or a portion thereof; and a wear material at least partially embedded into the elastomer coating or liner, or a portion thereof.

Abstract: A method for recovering hydrocarbon diluent from froth treatment tailings comprising bitumen, solids, hydrocarbon diluent and water is provided, comprising: introducing the froth treatment tailings into a vessel chamber and allowing the coarse solids to settle to the bottom of the vessel and form a solids layer having a portion of hydrocarbon diluent and a portion of water trapped therein; and heating the water in the solids layer to generate steam bubbles in-situ and strip the hydrocarbon diluent associated with the coarse solids to produce stripped tailings.

Abstract: A method of quantifying at least one property of interest of an oil sands ore sample is provided using a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) method. The LIBS method may be applied to oil sands ore being conveyed prior to a slurry process to measure oil sand composition and provide information which may predict extraction characteristics. The LIBS method may be applied to oil sands core samples in a laboratory setting to reduce the cost and analysis time associated with conventional laboratory measurement techniques.

Abstract: A process is provided for treating an aqueous oil sand slurry containing bitumen droplets and air bubbles prior to separation in a separator, comprising separating the aqueous oil sand slurry into at least two individual slurry streams and allowing the at least two slurry streams to collide with one another such that the bitumen droplets and air bubbles in each slurry stream make contact with one another to increase both collision frequency and efficiency, and providing sufficient residence time to allow the bitumen droplet to coalesce, grow, and aerate to produce a treated oil sand slurry with larger and lighter bitumen droplets to improve bitumen flotation and recovery.

Abstract: A process for operating a settling slurry transportation pipeline is provided, comprising: determining the deposition velocity for a particular slurry being transported through the pipeline; and operating the pipeline at an operating velocity at or near the deposition velocity to form a stationary or near stationary bed of solids that will still allow the slurry to freely flow through the pipeline and not plug the pipeline.

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 method of upgrading bitumen in a plant comprising a diluent recovery unit that processes diluted bitumen and outputs atmospheric topped bitumen (ATB), a vacuum distillation unit which processes ATB and outputs vacuum topped bitumen (VTB), and at least one fluid coker unit which processes VTB and outputs a tar pot bottom stream comprising heavy heavy gas oil is provided comprising the step of processing the tar pot bottom stream in a catalytic hydrocracking unit comprising an ebullated bed reactor to produce naphtha, light gas oil, and heavy gas oil.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method for manufacturing a part for a centrifugal slurry pump is provided, comprising: forming a skeleton of the part having an outer dimension smaller than the part; placing the skeleton of the part in a metal enclosure having an interior dimension larger than the outer dimension of the skeleton of the part and thereby forming a space; adding a metal matrix composite powder into the metal enclosure to fill the space; and subjecting the metal enclosure to hot isostatic pressing, thereby allowing bonding of the metal matrix composite to the skeleton of the part to form the part.

Abstract: A system for characterizing a slurry in a slurry process includes a flow tube, a camera, and a computer. The system is suitable for use with an oil sands extraction slurry processed or treated by an oil sands extraction slurry process. The slurry is diverted from the slurry process into the flow tube. The camera images the slurry as it flows through a transparent portion of the flow tube to produce a digital image of the slurry. The computer analyzes the digital image to determine a slurry characteristic. Based on the determined slurry characteristic, the computer may predict a performance metric of the slurry process and adjust an operating parameter of the slurry process to optimize the slurry process towards a target performance metric. Multiple systems may be used to continuously monitor slurry characteristics at upstream and downstream steps of the slurry process, and determine correlations between those characteristics.

Abstract: A process for extracting bitumen from an oil sand ore having a fines content up to about 60% and a bitumen content higher than about 6% is provided, comprising mixing the oil sand ore with heated water to form an oil sand slurry; conditioning the oil sand slurry to form a conditioned oil sand slurry; introducing a dosage of sodium citrate to the process either prior to or during the mixing step, or prior to or during the conditioning step, or both; and introducing the conditioned oil sand slurry into a separation zone to form a bitumen froth and tailings.

Abstract: A process of extracting bitumen from oil sand ores having a fines content up to about 60% and a bitumen content greater than 6% is provided, comprising: determining the fines content and the bitumen content of the oil sand ore; calculating a sufficient amount of caustic to be added in the process using an equation based on the ratio of the fines content to the bitumen content; mixing the oil sand ore with heated water to produce an oil sand slurry; and adding the sufficient amount of caustic before, during or after mixing the oil sand ore with heated water to condition the oil sand slurry and to improve bitumen recovery from the oil sand ore.

Abstract: The invention relates to a centrifugal separator comprising a rotor arranged to be rotatable around an axis of rotation (x). An inlet chamber is formed in the rotor and an inlet pipe extends into the rotor and has an opening in the inlet chamber for supply of a liquid mixture of components. An inlet arrangement is provided in the inlet chamber, comprising a set of annular discs coaxial with the rotor and forming passages for liquid between the discs, or a helically shaped element coaxial with the rotor and forming passages for liquid between the windings of the helically shaped element. The separator further comprises vanes arranged upstream of the inlet arrangement such as to cause a pre-rotation and pre-acceleration of the liquid mixture. The vanes may be provided on a removable element of the rotor.

Abstract: A method of detecting E-line loss in a disc stack centrifuge is provided, comprising: collecting data from at least one instrument associated with the centrifuge over a specific time period; calculating one or more indicators by comparing the collected data with expected values from a normally operating centrifuge, the indicators being indicative of a start of an E-line loss event; calculating the probability of E-line loss by applying weighted voting to the indicators to yield a probability value; and activating an alert upon determination that the probability value exceeds a threshold value.

Abstract: There is provided a method including: combining storage pond tailings with a heated tailings stream to form a tailings mixture, the storage pond tailings having a temperature and a solids content and the tailings mixture having a resulting solids content less than the solids content of the storage pond tailings; and treating the tailings mixture to recover bitumen therefrom.

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 method for extracting hydrocarbons from a poor processing bitumen froth is provided comprising subjecting a bitumen, solids and water slurry to flotation in a flotation device to produce the poor processing bitumen froth; optionally subjecting the poor processing bitumen froth to centrifugation to remove a portion of the water from the poor processing bitumen froth; and subjecting the poor processing bitumen froth to supercritical extraction in a pressure vessel using a supercritical fluid to produce a hydrocarbon stream suitable for further upgrading.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing a marketable bitumen product having low solids and essentially no water. The method can be integrated into existing solvent extraction processes for extracting bitumen from mined oil sand. A high-solids diluted bitumen is produced from a solvent extraction process and then mixed with a light solvent (LS) stream in at least a first mixer to produce a diluted bitumen-LS mixture. The diluted bitumen-LS mixture is subjected to separation in at least a first separator to produce low-solids diluted bitumen and high-solids asphaltene-rich tails. The LS is removed from the low-solids diluted bitumen to produce the marketable bitumen product.

Abstract: A conduit having an interior surface and an exterior surface and having a length (x) and an interior circumference (y) is provided, comprising: an interior liner for lining the interior surface of the conduit; and at least two independent continuity wires embedded into the interior liner, each continuity wire extending substantially the length of the conduit and each continuity wire being capable of being monitored independently; whereby each continuity wire is configured to span a portion of the conduit's interior circumference without overlapping with another continuity wire.

Abstract: A method of improving the quality of diluted bitumen product in a bitumen froth treatment process is provided comprising: adding a demulsifier to bitumen froth to produce a mixture of bitumen froth and demulsifier, wherein the demulsifier is added at a dosage sufficient to reduce bitumen water content in the diluted bitumen product; subjecting the mixture of bitumen froth and demulsifier to a mixing energy input of greater than about 100 J/kg; adding a hydrocarbon diluent to the mixed mixture of bitumen froth and demulsifier to produce a diluent diluted bitumen froth; and subjecting the diluent diluted bitumen froth to a separation process to produce the diluted bitumen product. In one embodiment, demulsifier is first added to naphtha to form a demulsifier-diluent mixture which is then added to bitumen froth to form a diluted bitumen froth prior to subjecting the diluted bitumen froth to a mixing energy input of greater than about 100 J/kg.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for removing ammonia from mine depressurization water involving introducing the water into a tank or collection pond; injecting a sufficient amount of an oxidizing gas into the water to yield aerated water; and holding the aerated water within the tank or collection pond for a pre-determined residence time to perform air-stripping on the aerated water to facilitate the volatilization of ammonia; nitrification to convert ammonia into nitrate and nitrite; or both.