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: 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: A process for recovering solvent from spent oil sands solids is provided, comprising drying the solids using superheated steam to vaporize solvent and water; compressing and condensing the vapors in a first heat exchanger (hot side) to produce condensates, comprising primarily condensed hot water, and uncondensed vapors; separating condensed hot water and solvent from the uncondensed vapors in a first separator; flowing the hot water through the first heat exchanger (cold side) to produce near-saturated steam; and superheating the near-saturated steam in a second heat exchanger to produce the superheated steam for drying the solids. Uncondensed vapors from the first separator can be further condensed in a third heat exchanger to produce warm water, recovered solvent and uncondensed off gas, which can be separated in a second separator. Some of the warm water is combined with the hot water to produce the near-saturated steam for superheating.

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: A method for quantifying bitumen and/or water in a sample comprising bitumen, water and solids using a time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance pulse spectrometer is provided comprising the steps of: initially saturating the magnetization of the sample so that essentially no magnetization remains in the +Z axis; subjecting the sample to a sequence of radio-frequency pulses optimized for the measurement of bitumen and water in the sample; allowing the recording of the transverse relaxation (T2) echo trains after incremental longitudinal relaxation to produce a raw TD-NMR data set for the sample; and determining the amount of bitumen and water by means of a partial least squares optimization based chemometric model relating TD-NMR data sets obtained from a training set of samples comprising bitumen, water and solids to the training samples' corresponding reference values obtained from a standard analysis method for determining bitumen and water.

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 centrifugal pump is provided having a volute casing having a discharge conduit, an impeller provided in the volute casing, and a suction sideliner enclosing the impeller in the volute casing, the suction sideliner being at least partially covered with sintered tungsten carbide tiles. In one embodiment, the impellor has a central hub, a plurality of vanes spacedly attached to the hub, and at least one side plate attached to the vanes, whereby each vane is individually wear protected prior to attaching each vane to the hub.

Abstract: A system for forming an oil sand slurry from mined oil sand is provided, comprising a slurry preparation tower having an intake opening through which oil sand enters the slurry preparation tower, a first sizer device to comminute the oil sand passing through it, a second sizer device to further comminute the oil sand, and a pump box for receiving oil sand that has passed through the second sizer and feeding it to a pump; at least one conveyor, having a discharge end, for transporting mined oil sand to the slurry preparation tower; a metal detector for detecting a piece of metal in the mined oil sand and transmitting a signal; and a metal rejection device operative to, in response to the signal from the metal detector, reject a portion of oil sand containing the piece of metal before the portion of oil sand enters the slurry preparation tower.

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 and process line is provided for recovering heat in the form of cleaned warm water and residual bitumen from oil sand tailings produced during an oil sands extraction process. The process includes removing at least a portion of the coarse solids from the oil sand tailings to produce a reduced solids tailings fraction; separating at least a portion of the bitumen from the reduced solids tailings fraction to produce a bitumen fraction and a warm water and fines fraction; and removing at least a portion of the fines from the warm water and fines fraction to produce cleaned warm water and a concentrated fines fraction. The cleaned warm water can then be reused in the oil sands extraction process.

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 removing contaminants, namely water and particulate solids, from hydrocarbon diluent-diluted bitumen froth (“dilfroth”) is provided to produce hydrocarbon diluent-diluted bitumen (“dilbit”), comprising subjecting the dilfroth to gravity settling in a primary settler to produce an overflow stream of primary raw dilbit, comprising bitumen containing water and some fine solids, and an underflow stream of primary tails, comprising solids, water and residual bitumen; removing the overflow stream of primary raw dilbit and subjecting it to gravity settling in a clarifier vessel for sufficient time to produce an overflow first stream of cleaned dilbit and an underflow stream of clarifier sludge; diluting the primary tails with hydrocarbon diluent and subjecting the diluted primary tails to gravity settling in a secondary settler to produce an overflow second stream of cleaned dilbit and an underflow stream of secondary tails; and removing the clarifier sludge and diluting the clarifier sludge with a hyd