Methods for enhancing efficiency of bitumen extraction from oil sands using lipids and lipid by-products as process additives

Abstract

In a method for enhancing the efficiency of separation of bitumen from oil sands ore, lipids, lipid by-products, and lipid derivatives are used as process additives for ore-water slurry-based bitumen extraction processes or in situ bitumen recovery processes. The lipids, lipid by-products, and lipid derivatives act as surfactants reducing surface and interfacial tensions, thus promoting breakdown the oil sands ore structure and resultant liberation of bitumen from the ore. Lipid treatment does not deleteriously affect release water chemistry in bitumen recovery processes, and it does not appreciably affect the fuel value of recovered bitumen. Lipids which may be effectively used as additives include biodiesel, tall oil fatty acids, monoglycerides, vegetable oil, and soap water, and combinations thereof. Lipids may also be used as process additives to enhance the efficiency of clean-up of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils, in the production of bitumen-water or oil-water emulsions, and to enhance the transportability of emulsions such as in pipelines.

1 . A method for enhancing recovery of bitumen from oil sands in conjunction with an oil sands ore-water slurry-based bitumen recovery process, said method comprising the step of adding one or more lipids to oil sands ore, at a dosage in the range between approximately 5 milligrams of lipid per kilogram of bitumen in the ore and approximately 2,000 milligrams of lipid per kilogram of bitumen in the ore. 
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the lipid dosage is approximately 100 milligrams of lipid per kilogram of bitumen in the ore. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more lipids are added to the oil sands ore prior slurrification of the ore. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more lipids are added to the oil sands ore after slurrification of the ore. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the one or more lipids is a fatty acid ester selected from the group consisting of monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, waxes, biodiesel, and tall oil fatty acids. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the one or more lipids is a selected from the group consisting of vegetable oil, animal fats, microbial lipids, by-products of vegetable oil refining, by-products of animal fat refining, cold-pressed oils, raw oils, solvent-extracted vegetable oils, edible oils, hydrogenated oils, used frying oils, margarines, shortenings, lipid-based emulsions, inter-esterified lipid products, and enzyme-modified lipid products. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the one or more lipids is a fatty acids-based chemical compound selected from the group consisting of phospholipids, glycolipids, soaps, and similar compounds containing fatty acids as lipophilic part. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the one or more lipids is a by-product of lipids refining and processing and is selected from the group consisting of lipid gums, soap water, soap stock, washing water, acid oil water, waxes, paraffin, deodorizer distillate, free fatty acids, and salts of free fatty acids. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the one or more lipids is, an artificially created lipid. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of adding lime to the oil sands ore in conjunction with the addition of one or more lipids, said lime being in a form selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein lime is added to the oil sands ore at a dosage between approximately 30 milligrams of lime per kilogram of oil sands ore and 200 milligrams of lime per kilogram of oil sands ore. 
   
   
       12 . A method for enhancing recovery of bitumen from oil sands in conjunction with an in situ bitumen recovery process, said method comprising the step of adding one or more lipids to oil sands ore in situ, at a dosage in the range between approximately 5 milligrams of lipid per kilogram of bitumen in the ore and approximately 2,000 milligrams of lipid per kilogram of bitumen in the ore. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the dosage of lipids is approximately 100 milligrams of lipids per kilogram of bitumen in the ore. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein at least one of the one or more lipids is a fatty acid ester selected from the group consisting of monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, waxes, biodiesel, and tall oil fatty acids. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein at least one of the one or more lipids is a selected from the group consisting of vegetable oil, animal fats, microbial lipids, by-products of vegetable oil refining, by-products of animal fat refining, cold-pressed oils, raw oils, solvent-extracted vegetable oils, edible oils, hydrogenated oils, used frying oils, margarines, shortenings, lipid-based emulsions, inter-esterified lipid products, and enzyme-modified lipid products. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein at least one of the one or more lipids is a fatty acids-based chemical compound selected from the group consisting of phospholipids, glycolipids, soaps, and similar compounds containing fatty acids as lipophilic part. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 12  wherein at least one of the one or more lipids is a by-product of lipids refining and processing and is selected from the group consisting of lipid gums, soap water, soap stock, washing water, acid oil water, waxes, paraffin, deodorizer distillate, free fatty acids, and salts of free fatty acids. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 12  wherein at least one of the one or more lipids is an artificially created lipid. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the in situ bitumen recovery process is a process entailing injection of steam into an in situ oil sands ore formation, and wherein the addition of one or more lipids into the oil sands ore formation is effected by introducing the lipids into the steam to be injected into the ore formation. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of adding lime to the oil sands ore in conjunction with the addition of one or more lipids, said lime being in a form selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein lime is added to the oil sands ore at a dosage between approximately 30 milligrams of lime per kilogram of oil sands ore and 200 milligrams of lime per kilogram of oil sands ore. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of adding lime to the oil sands ore in conjunction with the addition of one or more lipids, said lime being in a form selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide, wherein the addition of lime is effected by introducing lime into the steam to be injected into the ore formation.