Patents by Inventor Barry Bara
Barry Bara 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).
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Publication number: 20230149944Abstract: A method for determining the source of a surface bitumen sheen in an end pit lake formed by water capping of oil sand tailings is provided comprising quantifying bitumen flux using ice core samples of the end pit lake. The high areas of bitumen flux indicate the areas of the end pit lake that should be dredged for reclamation of the end pit lake to prevent the formation of hydrocarbon sheen on the surface of the end pit lake. A method for evaluating reclamation of an end pit lake is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2022Publication date: May 18, 2023Inventors: Barry BARA, Richard PAPROSKI
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Patent number: 10907103Abstract: A process for extracting bitumen from mined oil sand is provided, comprising: preparing an oil sand slurry comprising oil sand and water; conditioning the oil sand slurry by pumping the oil sand slurry through a hydrotransport pipeline under shear conditions that reduce the formation of water-in-bitumen emulsions in the conditioned oil sand slurry and increase the size of bitumen-air aggregates; and subjecting the conditioned oil sand slurry to gravity separation to produce a bitumen froth having enhanced bitumen recovery and reduced water-in-bitumen emulsions, a middlings layer and sand tailings.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2019Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude Project as such owners exist now and in the futureInventors: Kevin Reid, Yin Ming Samson Ng, Barry Bara, Sujit Bhattacharya
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Patent number: 10508241Abstract: A method for recovering hydrocarbon diluent from tailings comprising bitumen, particulate solids, hydrocarbon diluent and water, is provided comprising introducing the tailings into a high pressure stripping vessel operating at a pressure greater than 100 kPa; and introducing a stripping gas into the high pressure stripping vessel to strip the hydrocarbon diluent and water from the tailings and form a stripped tailings pool at the bottom of the vessel.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2017Date of Patent: December 17, 2019Assignee: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD.Inventors: Sujit Bhattacharya, Barry Bara, Craig A. McKnight, Daniel John Bulbuc, George Cymerman
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Patent number: 9796930Abstract: A process for operating multiple oil sand mine sites for extracting bitumen from oil sand is disclosed, comprising preparing a first conditioned oil sand slurry at a first location using a first oil sand slurry preparation and slurry conditioning process; preparing a second conditioned oil sand slurry at a second location using a second oil sand slurry preparation and slurry conditioning process; combining the first conditioned oil sand slurry and the second conditioned oil sand slurry in at least one slurry distributor to produce a combined oil sand slurry; and distributing the combined oil sand slurry to at least one separation vessel to produce bitumen froth.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2015Date of Patent: October 24, 2017Assignee: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude Project as such owners exist now and in the futureInventors: Jonathan Spence, Yin Ming Samson Ng, Robert Siy, Barry Bara, Jun Long, Kevin Reid, James Lorentz, Shane Hoskins
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Patent number: 9656189Abstract: 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 %.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2012Date of Patent: May 23, 2017Assignee: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD.Inventors: Jonathan Spence, Barry Bara, Jim Lorentz, Randy Mikula, Jiwon Lee, Richard Daniel Lahaie
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Patent number: 9471971Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2014Date of Patent: October 18, 2016Assignee: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD.Inventors: Darcy Daugela, Barry Bara, Robert Skwarok, Rodney Ridley, Pat Dougan, Mark Polak
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Patent number: 9004294Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2013Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: Syncrude Canada Ltd.Inventors: Barry Bara, Jonathan Spence, Jim Lorentz, Trevor Lloyd Hilderman, Chadwick Robert Larson, Darwin Edward Kiel
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Patent number: 8806774Abstract: A process of dewatering tailings is provided comprising mixing the tailings with a sufficient amount of an additive or a mixture thereof; depositing the resulting mixture into a disposal area; pumping water from the deposit to one or more sumps, and allowing the deposit to reach a sufficient strength; and removing remaining deposit water and rainfall through one or more of a network of ditches, a decant tower, or a plurality of dike drainage structures to yield a non-segregating deposit for reclamation.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2012Date of Patent: August 19, 2014Assignee: Syncrude Canada Ltd.Inventors: James Lorentz, Barry Bara, Randy Mikula, Eric Leneve, Nan Wang
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Patent number: 8550258Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2010Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Syncrude Canada Ltd.Inventors: Barry Bara, Jonathan Spence, Jim Lorentz, Trevor Lloyd Hilderman, Chadwich Robert Larson, Darwin Edward Kiel
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Patent number: 7481318Abstract: An aqueous aerated oil sand slurry is conditioned in a pipeline and then spun within an elongate vessel of circular cross-section, to cause bitumen droplets in the slurry to coalesce. This increases the probability that the droplets will become aerated by contact with air bubbles. The slurry is then subjected to separation of the sand and bitumen.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2003Date of Patent: January 27, 2009Assignees: AEC Oil Sands, L.P., Canadian Oil Sands Commercial Trust, Canadian Oil Sands Limited, Comocophillips Oilsands PartnershipII, Imperial Oil Resources, Mocal Energy Limited, Murphy Oil Company Ltd., Nexen Inc., Petro-Canada Oil And GasInventors: Barry Bara, Michael Lipsett, Waldemar Maciejewski, Samson Ng
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Publication number: 20050082205Abstract: An aqueous aerated oil sand slurry is conditioned in a pipeline and then spun within an elongate vessel of circular cross-section, to cause bitumen droplets in the slurry to coalesce. This increases the probability that the droplets will become aerated by contact with air bubbles. The slurry is then subjected to separation of the sand and bitumen.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2003Publication date: April 21, 2005Inventors: Barry Bara, Michael Lipsett, Waldemar Maciejewski, Samson Ng
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Patent number: 6358404Abstract: A method for recovery of hydrocarbon diluent from tailings produced in a bitumen froth treatment plant comprises introducing the tailings into a steam stripping vessel maintained at near atmospheric pressure, said vessel having a plurality of interior, vertically spaced shed decks, and distributing the tailings over said shed decks. Steam is introduced below the shed decks for vaporizing the major portion of the contained diluent and some water.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 1999Date of Patent: March 19, 2002Assignee: AEC Oil Sands, L.P.Inventors: Wayne Brown, Michelle Portwood, Fran King, Barry Bara, Michael Wagner
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Patent number: 6358403Abstract: A process for recovery of hydrocarbon diluent from tailings produced in a bitumen froth treatment plant comprises introducing the tailings into a vacuum flash vessel maintained at a sufficiently low sub-atmospheric pressure to vaporize the major portion of the contained diluent and some water. The residual then pool near the bottom of the flash vessel. Steam is then introduced into the tailings pool for vaporizing residual diluent and some water.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 1999Date of Patent: March 19, 2002Assignee: AEC Oil Sands, L.P.Inventors: Wayne Brown, Barry Bara, Sukhamoy Sarkar, Rodney Denton