US2015014220A1PendingUtilityA1

Process for producing a bitumen product

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Assignee: EPIC OIL EXTRACTORS LLCPriority: Jul 10, 2013Filed: Jul 10, 2013Published: Jan 15, 2015
Est. expiryJul 10, 2033(~7 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Richard H. SchlosbergRichard D. JordanEdward L. Diefenthal
C10G 1/04C10G 1/045
44
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Claims

Abstract

Disclosed is a process for producing a high quality bitumen product derived from oil sand. The process for producing the high quality bitumen product involves a dual phase bitumen extraction process. In this dual phase process, a very high quality deasphalted crude oil is extracted from the oil sand in a solvent treatment first phase. The second phase of the process produces a high quality bitumen product from the solvent-treated oil sand.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A process for producing a bitumen product, comprising:
 removing not greater than 80 wt % of a bitumen oil composition from an oil sand material by treating with a hydrocarbon solvent comprised of at least 60 wt % aliphatic hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of propane, butane and mixtures thereof, to produce a crude oil material and a solvent-treated oil sand;   separating the crude oil material from the solvent-treated oil sand;   treating the solvent-treated oil sand separated from the crude oil material with an aqueous solution to remove bitumen material from the solvent-treated oil sand; and   recovering the bitumen product from the bitumen material.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising a step of separating at least a portion of the hydrocarbon solvent from the separated crude oil material to obtain a crude oil product 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the crude oil product has a Conradson Carbon Residue of not greater than 5 wt %, measured according to ASTM D4530. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the crude oil product has a H/C atomic ratio of at least 1.4. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the crude oil product contains not greater than 5 wt % pentane insolubles, measured according to ASTM D4055. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the bitumen product has a H/C atomic ratio of less than 1.4. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the bitumen product has a Conradson Carbon Residue of at least 20 wt %, measured according to ASTM D4530. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the bitumen product has a flash point of greater than or equal to 100° C., measured according to ASTM D92. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the bitumen product has a solubility in trichloroethylene of greater than or equal to 98 percent, measured according to ASTM D2042. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the bitumen product has greater than or equal to 40 wt % pentane insolubles, measured according to ASTM D4055. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the bitumen product has an absolute viscosity at 60° C. of greater than or equal to 500 poise, measured according to ASTM D2171. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the bitumen product has a kinematic viscosity at 135° C. of greater than or equal to 100 cSt. 
     
     
         13 . A process for producing a bitumen product, comprising:
 a) providing a solvent-treated oil sand material, wherein the solvent treated oil sand material is obtained by:
 i) removing not greater than 80 wt % of a bitumen oil composition from an oil sand material by treating with a hydrocarbon solvent comprised of at least 60 wt % aliphatic hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of propane, butane and mixtures thereof, to produce a crude oil material and the solvent-treated oil sand material, and 
 ii) separating the crude oil material from the solvent-treated oil sand material; 
   b) treating the solvent-treated oil sand material with an aqueous solution to remove bitumen material from the solvent-treated oil sand; and   c) recovering the bitumen product from the bitumen material.   
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the bitumen product has a H/C atomic ratio of less than 1.4. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the bitumen product has a Conradson Carbon Residue of at least 20 wt %, measured according to ASTM D4530. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the bitumen product has a flash point of greater than or equal to 100° C., measured according to ASTM D92. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the bitumen product has a solubility in trichloroethylene of greater than or equal to 98 percent, measured according to ASTM D2042. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the bitumen product has greater than or equal to 40 wt % pentane insolubles, measured according to ASTM D4055. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the bitumen product has an absolute viscosity at 60° C. of greater than or equal to 500 poise, measured according to ASTM D2171. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the bitumen product has a kinematic viscosity at 135° C. of greater than or equal to 100 cSt. 
     
     
         21 . A process for producing a bitumen product, comprising:
 supplying oil sand containing bitumen to a vessel;   injecting a solvent comprised of a hydrocarbon mixture into the vessel, wherein the solvent has a Hansen hydrogen bonding blend parameter of not greater than 0.5;   treating the oil sand with the solvent in the vessel to remove not greater than 80 wt % of a bitumen oil composition from the supplied oil sand, wherein at least a portion of the hydrocarbon mixture within the vessel during contacting is in vapor phase;   removing the solvent-treated oil sand from the vessel;   treating the solvent-treated oil sand removed from the vessel with an aqueous solution to remove bitumen material from the solvent-treated oil sand; and   recovering the bitumen product from the bitumen material.   
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the solvent-treated oil sand is treated with the aqueous solution at a pH of at least 8. 
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the aqueous solution is an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. 
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the bitumen material removed from the solvent-treated oil sand is recovered as a froth comprised of the bitumen material. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 24 , wherein a hydrocarbon diluent is added to the froth prior to recovering the bitumen material. 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the solvent has a Hansen polarity blend parameter of not greater than 1. 
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the solvent has a Hansen dispersion blend parameter of less than 16. 
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the solvent has a ketone content of less than 10 wt %. 
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the solvent has an aromatic content of less than 10 wt %. 
     
     
         30 . A process for producing a bitumen product, comprising:
 a) providing a solvent-treated oil sand material, wherein the solvent treated oil sand material is obtained by:
 i) supplying oil sand containing bitumen to a vessel, 
 ii) injecting a solvent comprised of a hydrocarbon mixture into the vessel, wherein the solvent has a Hansen hydrogen bonding blend parameter of not greater than 0.5, 
 iii) treating the oil sand with the solvent in the vessel to remove not greater than 80 wt % of the bitumen from the supplied oil sand, wherein at least a portion of the hydrocarbon mixture within the vessel during contacting is in vapor phase, and 
 iv) removing the solvent-treated oil sand from the vessel; 
   b) treating the solvent-treated oil sand material with an aqueous solution to remove bitumen material from the solvent-treated oil sand; and   c) recovering the bitumen product from the bitumen material.   
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 30 , wherein the solvent-treated oil sand is treated with the aqueous solution at a pH of at least 8. 
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 30 , wherein the aqueous solution is an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. 
     
     
         33 . The process of  claim 30 , wherein the asphalt material removed from the solvent-treated oil sand is recovered as a froth comprised of the bitumen material. 
     
     
         34 . The process of  claim 30 , wherein a hydrocarbon diluent is added to the froth prior to recovering the bitumen material. 
     
     
         35 . The process of  claim 30 , wherein the solvent has a Hansen polarity blend parameter of not greater than 1. 
     
     
         36 . The process of  claim 30 , wherein the solvent has a Hansen dispersion blend parameter of less than 16. 
     
     
         37 . The process of  claim 30 , wherein the solvent has a ketone content of less than 10 wt %. 
     
     
         38 . The process of  claim 30 , wherein the solvent has an aromatic content of less than 10 wt %.

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