Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for recovering bitumen that includes contacting bitumen with steam and/or water and an organic amine having a boiling point at one atmosphere of greater than 145° C. and recovering the bitumen. The bitumen can in oil sands, where the step of contacting includes contacting the oil sands having bitumen with the steam and/or water and the organic amine. Contacting the bitumen with the steam and/or water and the organic amine and recovering the bitumen can be done in-situ in a subterranean formation.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an improved bitumen recovery process from oil sands. The oil sands may be surface mined and transported to a treatment area or may be treated directly by means of an in-situ process of oil sand deposits that are located too deep for strip mining. Specifically, the present disclosure involves the step of treating oil sands with a propylene oxide capped glycol ether described by the structure: RO—(CH2CH2O)m(CH2CH(CH3)O)nH wherein R is a linear, branched, cyclic alkyl, phenyl, or alkyl phenyl group of at least 4 carbons, and m and n are independently 1 to 3.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of dewatering an aqueous mineral suspension comprising introducing into the suspension a flocculating system comprising a poly(ethylene oxide) copolymer, in particular a copolymer of ethylene oxide and one or more epoxy or glycidyl ether functionalized hydrophobic monomer. Said poly(ethylene oxide) copolymers are useful for the treatment of suspensions of particulate material, especially waste mineral slurries. The invention is particularly suitable for the treatment of tailings and other waste material resulting from mineral processing, in particular, the processing of oil sands tailings.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of dewatering an aqueous mineral suspension comprising introducing into the suspension a flocculating system comprising a mixture of polyethylene oxide polymers, in particular a mixture of one or more high molecular weight polyethylene oxide polymer and one or more ultra high molecular weight polyethylene oxide polymer. Said mixture of polyethylene oxide polymers is useful for the treatment of suspensions of particulate material, especially waste mineral slurries. The invention is particularly suitable for the treatment of tailings and other waste material resulting from mineral processing, in particular, the processing of oil sands tailings.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bitumen recovery process from oil sands. The oil sands may be surface mined and transported to a treatment area or may be treated directly by means of an in situ process of oil sand deposits that are located too deep for strip mining. Specifically, the present invention involves the step of treating oil sands with a composition comprising an alkanolamine and an ethylene oxide capped glycol ether and/or propylene oxide capped glycol ether.

Abstract: The present invention provides strategies for improved control of fluid loss, hydration, settling, and separation of aqueous cementing compositions over a wide temperature and time range. The present invention is based at least in part upon water-effusing particles used as additives for the compositions, wherein the particles are activated to control rheology when water soluble portions of the particles are released in the presence of water.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for transporting, flocculating, and dewatering an aqueous tailings stream. Said method comprises adding a flocculant composition comprising a poly(ethylene oxide) (co)polymer with the aqueous tailings stream wherein the aqueous tailings stream has 15 wt % or less solids. Said method is particularly useful for the treatment of suspensions of particulate material, especially waste mineral slurries, especially for the treatment of tailings and other waste material resulting from mineral processing, in particular, the processing of oil sands tailings.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of dewatering an aqueous mineral suspension comprising introducing into the suspension a flocculating system comprising a mixture of polyethylene glycol and polyethylene oxide polymers, in particular a mixture of one or more low molecular mass polyethylene glycol with one or more high molecular mass polyethylene oxide. Said mixture of polyethylene glycol and polyethylene oxide polymers is useful for the treatment of suspensions of particulate material, especially waste mineral slurries. The invention is particularly suitable for the treatment of tailings and other waste material resulting from mineral processing, in particular, the processing of oil sands tailings.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an in situ bitumen recovery process from oil sands. Specifically, the present invention involves the step of treating oil sands with an alkanolamine having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance factor (HLB-factor) of 0.5 to ?2.2 as determined by summing up the Davies HLB contributions for each functional group on the substituents and applying the following equation: HLB-factor=HLB(longest chain)+0.5×HLB(second longest chain)+0.25(third longest chain).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved bitumen recovery process from oil sands. The oil sands may be surface mined and transported to a treatment area or may be treated directly by means of an in situ process of oil sand deposits that are located too deep for strip mining. Specifically, the present invention involves the step of treating oil sands with an ethylene oxide capped glycol ether described by the structure: RO—(CH2CH(CH3)O)m(C2H4O)nH wherein R is a linear, branched, cyclic alkyl, phenyl, or alkyl phenyl group of greater than 5 carbons and m and n are independently 1 to 3.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bitumen recovery process from oil sands. The oil sands may be surface mined and transported to a treatment area or may be treated directly by means of an in situ process of oil sand deposits that are located too deep for strip mining. Specifically, the present invention involves the step of treating oil sands with a composition comprising an alkanolamine and an ethylene oxide capped glycol ether and/or propylene oxide capped glycol ether.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for mixing a flocculant composition with mineral suspensions, especially waste mineral slurries, using an acoustic mixer. Preferably the flocculant composition is a polymeric flocculant composition preferably comprising a poly(ethylene oxide) homopolymer or copolymer. The process of the present invention is particularly suitable for the treatment of tailings and other waste material resulting from mineral processing, in particular, processing of oil sands tailings.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved bitumen recovery process from oil sands. The oil sands may be surface mined and transported to a treatment area or may be treated directly by means of an in situ process of oil sand deposits that are located too deep for strip mining. Specifically, the present invention involves the step of treating oil sands with an aromatic amine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of dewatering an aqueous mineral suspension comprising introducing into the suspension a flocculating system comprising a poly(ethylene oxide) copolymer, in particular a copolymer of ethylene oxide and one or more silane- or siloxane-functionalized glycidyl ether monomer. Said poly(ethylene oxide) copolymers are useful for the treatment of suspensions of particulate material, especially waste mineral slurries. The invention is particularly suitable for the treatment of tailings and other waste material resulting from mineral processing, in particular, the processing of oil sands tailings.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of dewatering an aqueous mineral suspension comprising introducing into the suspension a flocculating system comprising a mixture of polyethylene oxide polymers, in particular a mixture of one or more high molecular weight polyethylene oxide polymer and one or more ultra high molecular weight polyethylene oxide polymer. Said mixture of polyethylene oxide polymers is useful for the treatment of suspensions of particulate material, especially waste mineral slurries. The invention is particularly suitable for the treatment of tailings and other waste material resulting from mineral processing, in particular, the processing of oil sands tailings.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved bitumen recovery process from oil sands. The oil sands may be surface mined and transported to a treatment area or may be treated directly by means of an in situ process of oil sand deposits that are located too deep for strip mining. Specifically, the present invention involves the step of treating oil sands with an ethylene oxide capped glycol ether described by the structure: RO—(CH2CH(CH3)O)m(C2H4O)n, H wherein R is a linear, branched, cyclic alkyl, phenyl, or alkyl phenyl group of greater than 5 carbons and m and n are independently 1 to 3.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of dewatering an aqueous mineral suspension comprising introducing into the suspension a flocculating system comprising a mixture of polyethylene glycol and polyethylene oxide polymers, in particular a mixture of one or more low molecular mass polyethylene glycol with one or more high molecular mass polyethylene oxide. Said mixture of polyethylene glycol and polyethylene oxide polymers is useful for the treatment of suspensions of particulate material, especially waste mineral slurries. The invention is particularly suitable for the treatment of tailings and other waste material resulting from mineral processing, in particular, the processing of oil sands tailings.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for flocculating and dewatering oil sands fine tailings. Said method comprises mixing the aqueous mineral suspension with a poly(ethylene oxide) (co)polymer to form a dough-like material. The material is then dynamically mixed in an in-line reactor to break down the dough-like material to form microflocs having an average size of 1 to 500 microns, and to release water. The internal diameter of the in-line reactor is at most five times the internal diameter of the inlet pipe of the reactor. The suspension of microflocs has a viscosity of at most 1000 cP and a yield stress of at most 300 Pa.

Abstract: The hydration of clays and shale in drilling operations may be inhibited by employing an aqueous based drilling fluid comprising a shale hydration inhibition agent comprising a polyaminopolyamide-epichlorohydrin resin, preferably the polyamino polyamide-epichlorohydrin resin is a reaction product of an aliphatic polyamine, an aliphatic polycarboxylic acid, and epichlorohydrin. The shale hydration inhibition agent should be present in the aqueous based drilling fluid in sufficient concentration to reduce the reactivity, such as swelling, of clays and shale when exposed to water-based drilling fluids.

Abstract: The hydration of clays and shale in drilling operations may be inhibited by employing an aqueous based drilling fluid comprising a shale hydration inhibition agent having the formula: (I), R is an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbons; R1 may be the same or different than R and is an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbons or a hydroxy alkyl group comprising n number of carbons wherein n is an integer from 1 to 10 and n?1 hydroxyl groups; R2 is an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbons; R3 may be the same or different than R2 and is an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbons or a hydroxy alkyl group comprising n number of carbons wherein n is an integer from 1 to 10 and n?1 hydroxyl groups, with the proviso that R3 is not the same as R1; and X is an anion. The shale hydration inhibition agent should be present in the aqueous based drilling fluid in sufficient concentration to reduce the reactivity, such as swelling, of clays and shale when exposed to water-based drilling fluids.