Integration of an in-situ recovery operation with a mining operation

Abstract

This description is directed to a method and system for integrating an in-situ bitumen recovery operation with a bitumen mining operation for improved efficiencies and synergies therebetween. The method comprises obtaining a production fluid from the in-situ bitumen recovery operation, directing the production fluid to the bitumen mining operation, and incorporating the production fluid into the bitumen mining operation. The basic integrated system comprises a production well for recovering production fluid from the in-situ bitumen recovery operation, a bitumen mining and extraction facility, and a transporter for directing the production fluid from the production well to the bitumen mining and extraction facility for incorporation into the mining and extraction operation. The in-situ recovery operation may be a thermal operation, such as steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), cyclic steam stimulation (CSS), or a derivative thereof.

1 . A method of integrating an in-situ bitumen recovery operation with a bitumen mining and extraction operation comprising:
 (a) obtaining a production fluid from the in-situ bitumen recovery operation;   (b) directing the production fluid to the bitumen mining and extraction operation; and   (c) incorporating the production fluid into the bitumen mining and extraction operation.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the in-situ bitumen recovery operation is a thermal in-situ recovery operation. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the thermal in-situ recovery operation comprises steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), cyclic steam stimulation (CSS), or a derivative thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the derivative thereof is selected from solvent-assisted SAGD (SA-SAGD), steam and gas push (SAGP), combined vapor and steam extraction (SAVEX), expanding solvent SAGD (ES-SAGD), constant steam drainage (CSD), liquid addition to steam enhancing recovery (LASER), water flooding or steam flooding. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the thermal in-situ recovery operation is SAGD. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the in-situ recovery operation comprises vapour extraction (VAPEX). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the production fluid is incorporated into a process in the bitumen mining and extraction operation. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the process is an extraction, separation or treatment process. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the process is an extraction process comprising hydrotransport. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the process is a separation process comprising primary separation or froth separation. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the separation process is froth separation comprising paraffinic froth treatment. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the separation process is froth separation comprising naphthenic froth treatment. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein solvents or diluents are used in the integrated method and are selected such that they are compatible with one another in that they do not negatively impact bitumen production operations and the production thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the production fluid is incorporated into the process at or near a production temperature or a processing temperature. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the production fluid is incorporated into the process at a production temperature. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the production temperature is about 120° C. to about 220° C. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the production temperature is about 150° C. to about 210° C. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the production temperature is about 200° C. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the production fluid is directed to the bitumen mining and extraction operation via transportation by pipeline. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the production fluid is directed to the bitumen mining and extraction operation at a production temperature and is cooled to a desired processing temperature prior to being incorporated into the process. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the production fluid is cooled via conventional heat exchange. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein heat captured when the production fluid is cooled is used to heat a fluid for use in the bitumen mining and extraction operation. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the fluid is for use in an extraction, separation or treatment process. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the fluid is river water, lake water, pond water, or process affected water for use in an extraction process. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein a diluent is added to the cooled production fluid to facilitate separation of bitumen and water from the thermal in-situ recovery operation in a primary separation process in the mining and extraction operation. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the diluent selected is compatible with a solvent used in a froth treatment process prior to entering the mining and extraction operation. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the solvent is selected from C 5 , C 6 , C 7 , C 8 , C 9 , C 10 , blends of iso C 5  and normal C 5 , mixtures of C 5  and C 6  or mixtures of C 5 -C 10  solvents. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the diluent and the solvent are each C 5  or naphtha. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein after the primary separation process, a wet bitumen stream is obtained which is incorporated into the froth treatment process. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the froth treatment process involves precipitation of asphaltenes from the bitumen. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the solvent:bitumen volume ratio is selected such that about 6% to about 10% asphaltenes are precipitated from the bitumen. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the solvent is C 5  and the C 5 :bitumen volume ratio is about 1.8:1. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein a partially deasphalted and upgraded bitumen product is recovered and sent to an upgrader or pipelined to a desired market. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising a degassing step wherein gas is separated from the production fluid prior to incorporating a degassed production fluid into the process. 
     
     
         35 . A system for integrating an in-situ bitumen recovery operation with a bitumen mining operation, the system comprising:
 (a) a production well for recovering production fluid from the in-situ bitumen recovery operation;   (b) a bitumen mining and extraction facility; and   (c) a transporter for directing the production fluid from the production well to the bitumen mining and extraction facility for incorporation into the mining and extraction operation.   
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the in-situ recovery operation is a thermal in-situ recovery operation. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the thermal in-situ recovery operation comprises steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), cyclic steam stimulation (CSS), or a derivative thereof. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the thermal in-situ recovery operation is steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the derivative thereof comprises solvent-assisted SAGD (SA-SAGD), steam and gas push (SAGP), combined vapor and steam extraction (SAVEX), expanding solvent SAGD (ES-SAGD), constant steam drainage (CSD), liquid addition to steam enhancing recovery (LASER), water flooding or steam flooding. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the in-situ recovery operation comprises vapour extraction (VAPEX). 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 35 , further comprising a heat exchange module for capturing heat from the production fluid and transferring said heat to a fluid requiring heating. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein the fluid requiring heating is water from a surface, subsurface or treatment process affected water source. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the fluid requiring heating is river water. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the transporter is a pipeline. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the production well and the bitumen mining and extraction facility are located up to about 200 kilometers apart. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the production well and the bitumen mining facility are located up to about 100 kilometers apart. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 46 , wherein the production well and the bitumen mining facility are located up to about 50 kilometers apart. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the production well and the bitumen mining facility are located up to about 25 kilometers apart 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 35 , further comprising an upgrader for upgrading or partially upgrading recovered bitumen. 
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 35 , further comprising an end product pipeline for directing recovered bitumen to a desired market. 
     
     
         51 . A method of integrating a SAGD bitumen recovery operation with a bitumen mining and extraction operation comprising:
 (a) obtaining a production fluid from the SAGD operation;   (b) pipelining the production fluid to the bitumen mining and extraction operation; and   (c) incorporating the production fluid into a process in the bitumen mining and extraction operation.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the production fluid or a fluid stream separated therefrom is incorporated into an extraction, separation or treatment process in bitumen mining and extraction operation.