Abstract: Separation methods for producing an extract and a raffinate from a solvent extraction feed material, wherein the feed material is derived from a process for recovering bitumen from oil sands. The methods may include producing an intra-stage recycle component from an overflow zone of a solvent extraction stage and recycling the intra-stage recycle component to the solvent extraction stage, and/or the methods may include providing an underflow component withdrawal rate for a solvent extraction stage other than a final solvent extraction stage which is greater than an underflow component withdrawal rate for the final solvent extraction stage.

Abstract: A method for processing a froth treatment tailings separated from a bitumen froth produced in a process for recovering bitumen from oil sand ore, includes subjecting the froth treatment tailings to a first solvent extraction process to produce a first extract including bitumen, and a first raffinate, subjecting the first raffinate to a separation process to produce a fine mineral material fraction including fine solid mineral material having a particle size less than 44 microns and a coarse mineral material fraction including a coarse mineral material having a particle size equal to or greater than 44 microns, subjecting the coarse mineral material fraction to a froth flotation process to produce a heavy mineral concentrate and a coarse mineral material tailings, and subjecting the heavy mineral concentrate to a second solvent extraction process to produce a second extract including bitumen and a second raffinate including a debitumenized heavy mineral concentrate.

Abstract: A method for processing a froth treatment tailings separated from a bitumen froth produced in a process for recovering bitumen from oil sand ore, includes subjecting the froth treatment tailings to a first solvent extraction process to produce a first extract including bitumen, and a first raffinate, subjecting the first raffinate to a separation process to produce a fine mineral material fraction including fine solid mineral material having a particle size less than 44 microns and a coarse mineral material fraction including a coarse mineral material having a particle size equal to or greater than 44 microns, subjecting the coarse mineral material fraction to a froth flotation process to produce a heavy mineral concentrate and a coarse mineral material tailings, and subjecting the heavy mineral concentrate to a second solvent extraction process to produce a second extract including bitumen and a second raffinate including a debitumenized heavy mineral concentrate.

Abstract: Separation methods for producing an extract and a raffinate from a solvent extraction feed material, wherein the feed material is derived from a process for recovering bitumen from oil sands. The methods may include producing an intra-stage recycle component from an overflow zone of a solvent extraction stage and recycling the intra-stage recycle component to the solvent extraction stage, and/or the methods may include providing an underflow component withdrawal rate for a solvent extraction stage other than a final solvent extraction stage which is greater than an underflow component withdrawal rate for the final solvent extraction stage.

Abstract: A method for processing a heavy mineral concentrate obtained from froth treatment tailings to produce a zirconium concentrated product, including subjecting the heavy mineral concentrate to froth flotation, subjecting a flotation product to initial gravity separation, subjecting an initial gravity separation product to primary dry separation, subjecting a primary dry separation product to finishing gravity separation, and subjecting a finishing gravity separation product to finishing dry separation to produce a finishing dry separation product as the zirconium concentrated product.

Abstract: A method for processing a heavy mineral concentrate obtained from froth treatment tailings to produce a zirconium concentrated product, including subjecting the heavy mineral concentrate to froth flotation, subjecting a flotation product to initial gravity separation, subjecting an initial gravity separation product to primary dry separation, subjecting a primary dry separation product to finishing gravity separation, and subjecting a finishing gravity separation product to finishing dry separation to produce a finishing dry separation product as the zirconium concentrated product.

Abstract: Separation methods for producing an extract and a raffinate from a solvent extraction feed material, wherein the feed material is derived from a process for recovering bitumen from oil sands. The methods may include producing an intra-stage recycle component from an overflow zone of a solvent extraction stage and recycling the intra-stage recycle component to the solvent extraction stage, and/or the methods may include providing an underflow component withdrawal rate for a solvent extraction stage other than a final solvent extraction stage which is greater than an underflow component withdrawal rate for the final solvent extraction stage.

Abstract: A method for processing froth treatment tailings, including separating the froth treatment tailings in order to produce a coarse mineral material fraction and a fine mineral material fraction therefrom, subjecting the coarse mineral material fraction to froth flotation in order to produce a heavy mineral concentrate and a coarse mineral material tailings therefrom, and subjecting the heavy mineral concentrate to solvent extraction in order to produce a debitumenized heavy mineral concentrate and a bitumen extract therefrom.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for separating diluted tailings containing a hydrocarbon diluent into a recovered diluent component and a diluent recovered tailings component. The method includes introducing the diluted tailings into a diluent recovery vessel so that they form a tailings pool in the diluent recovery vessel, introducing an amount of stream directly into the tailings pool, mixing the diluted tailings which are contained in the tailings pool, and maintaining the diluted tailings in the diluent recovery vessel for a residence time. The apparatus includes a diluent recovery vessel having a tailings pool section, a steam distributor located in the tailings pool section, and a mixing device associated with the tailings pool section.

Abstract: A method for recovering a tailings bitumen from a froth treatment tailings, including providing a first feed material which is derived from the froth treatment tailings, conditioning the first feed material in order to produce a conditioned first feed material, providing a second feed material which is derived from the conditioned first feed material, and subjecting the second feed material to solvent extraction in order to produce an extract containing an amount of the tailings bitumen. The method may further include dewatering the conditioned first feed material in order to produce the second feed material and may further include clarifying the extract to produce a clarified extract containing an amount of the tailings bitumen.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for separating diluted tailings containing a hydrocarbon diluent into a recovered diluent component and a diluent recovered tailings component. The method includes introducing the diluted tailings into a diluent recovery vessel so that they form a tailings pool in the diluent recovery vessel, introducing an amount of stream directly into the tailings pool, mixing the diluted tailings which are contained in the tailings pool, and maintaining the diluted tailings in the diluent recovery vessel for a residence time. The apparatus includes a diluent recovery vessel having a tailings pool section, a steam distributor located in the tailings pool section, and a mixing device associated with the tailings pool section.

Abstract: Separation methods for producing an extract and a raffinate from a solvent extraction feed material, wherein the feed material is derived from a process for recovering bitumen from oil sands. The methods may include producing an intra-stage recycle component from an overflow zone of a solvent extraction stage and recycling the intra-stage recycle component to the solvent extraction stage, and/or the methods may include providing an underflow component withdrawal rate for a solvent extraction stage other than a final solvent extraction stage which is greater than an underflow component withdrawal rate for the final solvent extraction stage.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for separating diluted tailings containing a hydrocarbon diluent into a recovered diluent component and a diluent recovered tailings component. The method includes introducing the diluted tailings into a diluent recovery vessel so that they form a tailings pool in the diluent recovery vessel, introducing an amount of steam directly into the tailings pool, mixing the diluted tailings which are contained in the tailings pool, and maintaining the diluted tailings in the diluent recovery vessel for a residence time. The apparatus includes a diluent recovery vessel having a tailings pool section, a steam distributor located in the tailings pool section, and a mixing device associated with the tailings pool section.

Abstract: A method for processing froth treatment tailings, including separating the froth treatment tailings in order to produce a coarse mineral material fraction and a fine mineral material fraction therefrom, subjecting the coarse mineral material fraction to froth flotation in order to produce a heavy mineral concentrate and a coarse mineral material tailings therefrom, and subjecting the heavy mineral concentrate to solvent extraction in order to produce a debitumenized heavy mineral concentrate and a bitumen extract therefrom.

Abstract: A method for recovering a tailings bitumen from a froth treatment tailings, including providing a first feed material which is derived from the froth treatment tailings, conditioning the first feed material in order to produce a conditioned first feed material, providing a second feed material which is derived from the conditioned first feed material, and subjecting the second feed material to solvent extraction in order to produce an extract containing an amount of the tailings bitumen. The method may further include dewatering the conditioned first feed material in order to produce the second feed material and may further include clarifying the extract to produce a clarified extract containing an amount of the tailings bitumen.

Abstract: A process is provided for recovering heavy minerals from aqueous oil sand tailings, the oil sand tailings having heavy minerals, other coarse solids such as silica, fines, residual bitumen and water, including desliming the oil sand tailings in a desliming means by removing a portion of free fines and residual bitumen from the oil sand tailings; attritioning the oil sand tailings in an attritioner to remove adhered fines and residual bitumen from the heavy minerals and other coarse solids; and subjecting the deslimed and attritioned tailings to separation in a separation means to separate the heavy minerals from the other coarse solids present in the deslimed and attritioned tailings and produce a concentrated heavy minerals fraction.

Abstract: A process is provided for recovering heavy minerals from aqueous oil sand tailings, the oil sand tailings having heavy minerals, other coarse solids such as silica, fines, residual bitumen and water, including desliming the oil sand tailings in a desliming means by removing a portion of free fines and residual bitumen from the oil sand tailings; attritioning the oil sand tailings in an attritioner to remove adhered fines and residual bitumen from the heavy minerals and other coarse solids; and subjecting the deslimed and attritioned tailings to separation in a separation means to separate the heavy minerals from the other coarse solids present in the deslimed and attritioned tailings and produce a concentrated heavy minerals fraction.

Abstract: A process for recovering heavy minerals (e.g., titanium minerals such as TiO2) from a feedstock comprising tar sands or a tar sands-derived solids fraction. The feedstock comprises bitumen and heavy minerals. The process comprises the steps of: (i) contacting the solids fraction with water at a temperature of at least about 100° F. to cause production a bituminous phase and a heavy minerals phase; and (ii) separating the heavy minerals phase from the bituminous phase. Optionally, these steps may be preceded by one or more steps used to produce a tar-sands derived solids fraction from a tar sands feedstock.