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: 20140116925Abstract: A process for flocculating and dewatering oil sands fine tailings in a pipeline is provided, comprising: pumping a tailings feed having a solids content in the range of about 10 wt % to about 45 wt % through a pipeline; injecting an effective amount of a polymeric flocculant into the tailings feed to provide an initial quick dispersion of the polymeric flocculant into the tailings feed; and providing a subsequent conditioning environment to form flocs and release water without overshearing.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2013Publication date: May 1, 2014Applicant: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude ProjectInventors: BARRY BARA, RANDY MIKULA
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Publication number: 20140116946Abstract: A process of dewatering tailings such as fluid fine tailings from oil sand extraction is provided comprising mixing the tailings with a sufficient amount of an additive comprising at least one multivalent cation, each multivalent cation being in an amount ranging from about 0.125% to about 0.25% and higher, up to or greater than the solubility limit of the at least one multivalent cation, and depositing the resulting mixture into a containment area to yield a non-segregating, rapidly cracking and dewatering deposit for reclamation and recycle water which can optionally be used in an oil sand bitumen extraction process.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2013Publication date: May 1, 2014Applicant: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude Project as such owners of exist nowInventors: RANDY MIKULA, BARRY BARA, JAMES LORENTZ, NAN WANG
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Publication number: 20140101967Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2012Publication date: April 17, 2014Applicant: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust of the owners of the Syncrude ProjectInventors: JAMES LORENTZ, BARRY BARA, RANDY MIKULA, ERIC LENEVE, NAN WANG
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Publication number: 20140054231Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2012Publication date: February 27, 2014Applicant: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of Syncrude ProjectInventors: JONATHAN SPENCE, BARRY BARA, JIM LORENTZ, RANDY MIKULA, JIWON LEE, RICHARD DANIEL LAHAIE
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Publication number: 20140014462Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2013Publication date: January 16, 2014Applicant: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude ProjectInventors: BARRY BARA, JONATHAN SPENCE, JIM LORENTZ, TREVOR LLOYD HILDERMAN, CHADWICK ROBERT LARSON, DARWIN EDWARD KIEL
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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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Publication number: 20130092696Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2011Publication date: April 18, 2013Applicant: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude ProjectInventors: BARRY BARA, JIM LORENTZ, ROBERT CAMERON, BRENT HILSCHER
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Publication number: 20130075340Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2012Publication date: March 28, 2013Applicant: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude ProjectInventors: BARRY BARA, SIMON YUAN, RON SIMAN, CLARA GOMEZ
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Publication number: 20120104128Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2011Publication date: May 3, 2012Applicant: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude ProjectInventors: BARRY BARA, ALAN FERRE, CHRIS MOONEY, JOHN DIEP, DARWIN KIEL, CHAD LARSON, WALDEMAR MACIEJEWSKI
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Publication number: 20110062090Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2010Publication date: March 17, 2011Applicant: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude ProjectInventors: BARRY BARA, JONATHAN SPENCE, JIM LORENTZ, TREVOR LLOYD HILDERMAN, CHADWICK 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