Sodium triphosphate and caustic as process aids for the extraction of bitumen from mined oil sands

Abstract

A process of extracting bitumen from oil sand ores having a fines content up to about 60% and a bitumen content higher than about 6% is provided, comprising: determining a dosage (wt %) of caustic necessary to yield a desired primary bitumen recovery; determining an amount of caustic (wt %) and an amount of sodium triphosphate (wt %) which yields substantially the same desired primary bitumen recovery or greater as the dosage of caustic (wt %) alone; mixing the oil sand ore with heated water to produce an oil sand slurry; and adding the amounts of caustic (wt %) and sodium triphosphate (wt %) before, during or after mixing the oil sand ore with heated water to condition the oil sand slurry and to improve bitumen recovery from the oil sand ore; whereby the sum of the amounts of caustic (wt %) and sodium triphosphate (wt %) is substantially equal to the dosage of caustic (wt %) alone.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A process of extracting bitumen from an oil sand ore having a fines content up to about 60% and a bitumen content higher than about 6%, comprising:
 determining a dosage (wt %) of caustic necessary to yield a desired primary bitumen recovery;   determining an amount of caustic (wt %) and an amount of sodium triphosphate (wt %) which yields substantially the same desired primary bitumen recovery or greater as the dosage of caustic (wt %) alone;   mixing the oil sand ore with heated water to produce an oil sand slurry; and   adding the amounts of caustic (wt %) and sodium triphosphate (wt %) before, during or after mixing the oil sand ore with heated water to condition the oil sand slurry and to improve bitumen recovery from the oil sand ore;   
       whereby the sum of the amounts of caustic (wt %) and sodium triphosphate (wt %) is substantially equal to the dosage of caustic (wt %) alone. 
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the bitumen content ranges from about 6% to about 10%, the fines content is greater than about 25%, the caustic amount ranges from about 0 wt % to about 0.05 wt %, and the sodium triphosphate amount ranges from about 0.005 wt % to about 0.05 wt %. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the bitumen content is about 8%, the fines content is about 40%, the caustic amount is about 0.03 wt %, and the sodium triphosphate amount is about 0.005 wt %. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the bitumen content is about 9%, the fines content is about 26%, the caustic amount is about 0.03 wt %, and the sodium triphosphate amount is about 0.05 wt %. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the bitumen content is about 9.5%, the fines content is about 35%, the caustic amount ranges from about 0.01 wt % to about 0.02 wt %, and the sodium triphosphate amount ranges from about 0.005 wt % to about 0.05 wt %. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the bitumen content is greater than about 10%, the fines content is less than about 20%, the caustic amount ranges from about 0.01 wt % to about 0.05 wt %, and the sodium triphosphate amount ranges from about 0.003 wt % to about 0.009 wt %. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein the bitumen content is about 12%, the fines content is about 16%, the caustic amount is about 0.01 wt %, and the sodium triphosphate amount is about 0.003 wt %. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein a total dosage of caustic and sodium triphosphate is about 0.04 wt %, wherein the caustic amount ranges from about 0.01 wt % to about 0.03 wt %, and the sodium triphosphate amount ranges from about 0.01 wt % to about 0.03 wt %. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the caustic comprises sodium hydroxide.