Abstract: A method is provided for producing a marketable bitumen product having low solids and essentially no water. The method can be integrated into existing solvent extraction processes for extracting bitumen from mined oil sand. A high-solids diluted bitumen is produced from a solvent extraction process and then mixed with a light solvent (LS) stream in at least a first mixer to produce a diluted bitumen-LS mixture. The diluted bitumen-LS mixture is subjected to separation in at least a first separator to produce low-solids diluted bitumen and high-solids asphaltene-rich tails. The LS is removed from the low-solids diluted bitumen to produce the marketable bitumen product.

Abstract: A method of improving the quality of diluted bitumen product in a bitumen froth treatment process is provided comprising: adding a demulsifier to bitumen froth to produce a mixture of bitumen froth and demulsifier, wherein the demulsifier is added at a dosage sufficient to reduce bitumen water content in the diluted bitumen product; subjecting the mixture of bitumen froth and demulsifier to a mixing energy input of greater than about 100 J/kg; adding a hydrocarbon diluent to the mixed mixture of bitumen froth and demulsifier to produce a diluent diluted bitumen froth; and subjecting the diluent diluted bitumen froth to a separation process to produce the diluted bitumen product. In one embodiment, demulsifier is first added to naphtha to form a demulsifier-diluent mixture which is then added to bitumen froth to form a diluted bitumen froth prior to subjecting the diluted bitumen froth to a mixing energy input of greater than about 100 J/kg.

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.