Methods for extracting bitumen from bituminous material

Abstract

Methods for preparing solvent-dry, stackable tailings. The method can include the steps of adding a first quantity of first solvent to a bitumen material to form a first mixture, separating a first quantity of bitumen-enriched solvent from the first mixture and thereby creating first solvent-wet tailings, adding a quantity of second solvent to first solvent-wet tailings to separate a first quantity of first solvent component from the first solvent-wet tailings and thereby producing second solvent-wet tailings, and adding a quantity of water to the second solvent-wet tailings to separate a first quantity of second solvent component from the second solvent-wet tailings and thereby forming solvent-dry, stackable tailings.

1 . A method comprising:
 adding a first quantity of first solvent to a bitumen material to form a first mixture, wherein the first mixture comprises a bitumen-enriched solvent;   separating a first quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent from the first mixture and thereby producing first solvent-wet tailings, wherein the first solvent-wet tailings comprise a first solvent component;   adding a quantity of second solvent to the first solvent-wet tailings to separate a first quantity of the first solvent component from the first solvent-wet tailings and thereby producing second solvent-wet tailings, wherein the second solvent-wet tailings comprise a second solvent component; and   adding a quantity of water to the second solvent-wet tailings to separate a first quantity of the second solvent component from the second solvent-wet tailings and thereby forming solvent-dry, stackable tailings.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the quantity of water is from about 0.5 to about 4.0 times the amount of bitumen by volume in the bitumen material. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the quantity of water comprises water at room temperature. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the quantity of water comprises water at a temperature above room temperature. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the quantity of water comprises steam. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein separating the first quantity of bitumen-enriched solvent from the first mixture comprises:
 adding a second quantity of first solvent to the first mixture.   
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 6 , wherein separating the first quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent from the first mixture comprises adding the second quantity of first solvent to the first mixture in a countercurrent process. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein separating the first quantity of the first solvent component from the first solvent-wet tailings comprises adding the quantity of second solvent to the first solvent-wet tailings in a countercurrent process. 
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first solvent comprises a light aromatic solvent. 
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the light aromatic solvent has a boiling point temperature in the range of from about 75° C. to about 350° C. 
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the second solvent comprises a polar solvent. 
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the bitumen material comprises tar sands. 
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first mixture is loaded into a column prior to separating a first quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent from the first mixture, adding a quantity of second solvent to the first solvent-wet tailings, and adding a quantity of water to the second solvent-wet tailings. 
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the column comprises a vertically oriented column having a height to inner diameter ratio ranging from 0.5:1 to 15:1. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein a liquid component of the first mixture is separated from the first mixture prior to loading the first mixture into the column. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the first mixture is loaded into a column prior to separating a first quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent from the first mixture, adding a quantity of second solvent to the first solvent-wet tailings, and adding a quantity of water to the second solvent-wet tailings. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the column comprises a vertically oriented column having a top end and a bottom end, and wherein adding a second quantity of first solvent to the first mixture comprises adding the second quantity of first solvent to the first mixture through the bottom end of the vertically oriented column. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein adding a quantity of second solvent to the first solvent-wet tailings to separate a first quantity of the first solvent component from the first solvent-wet tailings comprises:
 discharging the first solvent-wet tailings from the column;   adding a first portion of the quantity of second solvent to the first solvent-wet tailings;   separating a liquid component from the first solvent-wet tailings;   loading the first solvent-wet tailings back into the column; and   adding a second portion of the quantity of second solvent to the first solvent-wet tailings.   
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein adding a quantity of water to the second solvent-wet tailings to separate a first quantity of the second solvent component from the second solvent-wet tailings comprises:
 discharging the second solvent-wet tailings from the column;   adding a first portion of the quantity of water to the second solvent-wet tailings;   separating a liquid component from the second solvent-wet tailings;   loading the second solvent-wet tailings back into the column; and   adding a second portion of the quantity of water to the second solvent-wet tailings.   
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first mixture is loaded into a plate and frame-type filter press prior to separating a first quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent from the first mixture, adding a quantity of second solvent to the first solvent-wet tailings, and adding a quantity of water to the second solvent-wet tailings. 
     
     
         21 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the solvent-dry, stackable tailings comprise less than 0.1 wt % first solvent and second solvent. 
     
     
         22 . Solvent-dry, stackable tailings produced by the method recited in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         23 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 upgrading a bitumen component of the bitumen-enriched solvent phase.   
     
     
         24 . A method comprising:
 forming a mixture of bitumen material with a first quantity of first solvent;   adding a second quantity of first solvent to the mixture;   adding a quantity of second solvent to the mixture; and   adding a quantity of water to the mixture.   
     
     
         25 . The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the first solvent comprises a light aromatic solvent. 
     
     
         26 . The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the second solvent comprises a polar solvent. 
     
     
         27 . The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the bitumen material comprises tar sands. 
     
     
         28 . The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the water is at a temperature greater than a boiling point temperature of the second solvent. 
     
     
         29 . The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the water comprises steam. 
     
     
         30 . A method comprising:
 providing polar solvent-wet tailings, wherein the polar solvent-wet tailings comprise a polar solvent component; and   adding a quantity of water to the polar solvent-wet tailings to separate a first quantity of the polar solvent component from the polar solvent-wet tailings and thereby forming solvent-dry, stackable tailings.   
     
     
         31 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first quantity of the second solvent component separated from the second solvent-wet tailings further comprises water and first solvent, wherein the first quantity of the second solvent component and water phase separate from the first solvent, and wherein the method further comprises separating the first solvent from the first quantity of the second solvent component and water.