Multivalent ionic liquids as process aids for bitumen extraction

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for improving froth quality and bitumen recovery during bitumen extraction. In particular, the disclosure provides a method for using multivalent ionic liquids and binary process aid combinations comprising tricholine citrate for improving bitumen extraction efficiency and reducing water and mineral solids in bitumen froth.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for extracting bitumen from oil sands ore to produce a bitumen froth, the method comprising:
 (a) providing or producing an oil sands ore;   (b) contacting the oil sands ore with an aqueous diluent;   (c) contacting the oil sands ore with a process aid, which process aid optionally comprises one or more ionic liquids comprising a cationic component comprising choline or N,N-dimethylbenzylamine (DMBA) and an anionic component comprising succinate, citrate, glutamate, or benzoate; one or more dispersants; one or more surfactants; one or more demulsifiers; one or more celluloses; one or more polysaccharides; or any combination thereof; and   (d) mixing to produce an oil sands slurry;   
       wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed before, during, or after step (d), and 
       wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed simultaneously or sequentially in any order. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 (a) said method further comprises during step (d), heating the oil sands ore to a temperature ranging from 65-95° C., 70-90° C., or 75-85° C.;   (b) said method further comprises, after steps (a)-(d), allowing a bitumen froth to form; and   (c) said method further comprises collecting, isolating, or separating said bitumen froth and further processing said bitumen froth to produce a recovered bitumen;   (d) said oil sands ore comprises mined oil sands ore comprising bitumen, mineral ore solids, and water;   (e) said aqueous diluent comprises water, brine, seawater, or process water comprising an aqueous solution or slurry resulting from any phase of oil sands mining and/or processing; or   (f) any combination of (a)-(e).   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said process aid comprises
 (a) a single process aid; or   (b) a binary process aid comprising a first process aid and a second process aid, wherein said first process aid and said second process aid are added to said oil sands ore simultaneously, sequentially, or as a pre-mixed composition;   wherein said single process aid, said first process aid, and/or said second process aid comprise one or more ionic liquids, one or more dispersants, one or more surfactants, one or more demulsifiers, one or more celluloses, one or more polysaccharides, or any combination thereof.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 (a) said one or more ionic liquids comprise a ratio of said cationic to anionic components ranging from 3:1 to 1:1, 2:1 to 1:1, or 2.3:1 to 1.7:1; or said one or more ionic liquids comprise choline succinate, dicholine succinate, choline citrate, dicholine citrate, tricholine citrate, choline glutamate, dicholine glutamate, DMBA benzoate, DMBA succinate, [DMBA] 1.7 [Succ] comprising a ratio of DMBA to succinate of 1.7:1, di-DMBA succinate, DMBA citrate, di-DMBA citrate, [DMBA] 2.3 [Cit] comprising a ratio of DMBA to citrate of 2.3:1, or tri-DMBA citrate;   (b) said one or more dispersants comprise anionic dispersants, including but not limited to, anionic polyacrylate dispersants and polyacrylate-acrylamide copolymer dispersants; and amphoteric dispersants, including but not limited to, amphoteric polyacrylate dispersants;   (c) said one or more surfactants comprise anionic surfactants, including but not limited to, alcohol propoxy sulfates (APS) and internal olefin sulfonates (IOS); nonionic surfactants, including but not limited to, polyoxyethylene (5) C9-C11 alcohol, and short chain alcohol ethoxylates; and zwitterionic surfactants, including but not limited to, cocamidopropyl betaine, N-[3-(Dimethylamino) propyl] coco amides N-oxides, and sodium capryloamphopropionate;   (d) said one or more demulsifiers are selected from the list of demulsifiers consisting of resin alkoxylates; one or more polyimine derivative demulsifiers, including but not limited to, ethylenediamine ethoxylates and/or propoxylates, polyethyleneimine polymers; and polyethylene oxide derivatives, including but not limited to, poly(ethylene oxide-b-propylene oxides) poly(ethylene oxide-b-propylene oxide-b-ethylene oxides), and poly(propylene oxide-b-ethylene oxide-b-propylene oxides);   (e) said one or more celluloses comprise ethyl cellulose and/or hydroxyethyl cellulose; or   (f) said one or more polysaccharides comprise natural and modified starches, chitin, and/or amylopectin.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 (a) said single process aid comprises tricholine citrate, [DMBA] 1.7 [Succ], an anionic polyacrylate dispersant, a polyimine derivative demulsifier, or hydroxyethyl cellulose;   (b) said single process aid comprises tricholine citrate;   (c) said binary process aid comprises tricholine citrate and one of [DMBA] 1.7 [Succ], an anionic polyacrylate dispersant, a polyimine derivative demulsifier, or hydroxyethyl cellulose;   (d) said binary process aid comprises [DMBA] 1.7 [Succ] and one of tricholine citrate, an anionic polyacrylate dispersant, a polyimine derivative demulsifier, or hydroxyethyl cellulose; or   (e) said binary process aid comprises (i) tricholine citrate and [DMBA] 1.7 [Succ], (ii) tricholine citrate and a polyimine derivative demulsifier, or (iii) tricholine citrate and an anionic polyacrylate dispersant.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 (a) said single process aid comprises a dosage ranging from 50-500 ppm, 100-500 ppm, or 200-300 ppm, wherein ppm indicates micrograms of process aid per gram of process water;   (b) said binary process aid comprises a dosage of said first process aid ranging from 25-500 ppm, 50-500 ppm, or 200-300 ppm and a dosage of said second process aid ranging from 25-500 ppm, 50-500 ppm, or 200-300 ppm; or   (c) said binary process aid comprises a dosage ratio of said first process aid to said second process aid ranging from 20:1 to 1:1; 10:1 to 1:1, 5:1 to 1:1, or 2:1 to 1:1.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said single process aid comprises tricholine citrate at a dosage ranging from 50-500 ppm, 100-500 ppm, or 200-300 ppm. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method results in:
 (a) said bitumen froth having an improved froth quality compared to the method performed in the absence of contacting said oil sands ore with said process aid, wherein froth quality is determined by a ratio by mass of the recovered bitumen to mineral ore solids in the bitumen froth;   (b) said bitumen froth having an improved bitumen recovery compared to the method performed in the absence of contacting the oil sands ore with said process aid, wherein bitumen recovery is determined by a ratio by mass of the recovered bitumen to the oil sands ore;   (c) said bitumen froth having a reduced % water content by mass compared to the method performed in the absence of contacting the oil sands ore with said process aid.   
     
     
         9 . A method for extracting bitumen from oil sands ore to produce a bitumen froth, the method comprising:
 (a) providing or producing an oil sands ore;   (b) contacting the oil sands ore with an aqueous diluent;   (c) contacting the oil sands ore with a process aid, wherein said process aid comprises tricholine citrate; and   (d) mixing the oil sands ore to produce an oil sands slurry;   
       wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed before, during, or after step (d), 
       and wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed simultaneously or sequentially in any order. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 (a) said method further comprises during step (d), heating the oil sands ore to a temperature ranging from 65-95° C., 70-90° C., or 75-85° C.;   (b) said method further comprises after steps (a)-(d), allowing a bitumen froth to form;   (c) said method further comprises collecting, isolating, or separating said bitumen froth and further processing said bitumen froth to produce a recovered bitumen;   (d) said oil sands ore comprises mined oil sands ore comprising bitumen, mineral ore solids, and water;   (e) said aqueous diluent comprises water, brine, seawater, or process water comprising an aqueous solution or slurry resulting from any phase of oil sands mining and/or processing; or   (f) any combination of (a)-(e).   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said process aid comprises:
 (a) a single process aid comprising tricholine citrate; or   (b) a binary process aid comprising tricholine citrate and a second process aid, wherein tricholine citrate and said second process aid are added to said oil sands ore simultaneously, sequentially, or as a pre-mixed composition,
 and wherein said second process aid comprises one or more ionic liquids, one or more dispersants, one or more surfactants, one or more demulsifiers, one or more celluloses, or one or more polysaccharides, wherein: 
 (i) said one or more ionic liquids comprise a cationic component and an anionic component comprising a ratio of said cationic to anionic components ranging from 3:1 to 1:1, 2:1 to 1:1, or 2.3:1 to 1.7:1, wherein said cationic component comprises choline or N,N-dimethylbenzylamine (DMBA) and said anionic component comprises succinate, citrate, glutamate, or benzoate; or said one or more ionic liquids comprises choline succinate, dicholine succinate, choline citrate, dicholine citrate, tricholine citrate, choline glutamate, dicholine glutamate, DMBA benzoate, DMBA succinate, [DMBA] 1.7 [Succ] comprising a ratio of DMBA to succinate of 1.7:1, di-DMBA succinate, DMBA citrate, di-DMBA citrate, [DMBA] 2.3 [Cit] comprising a ratio of DMBA to citrate of 2.3:1, or tri-DMBA citrate; 
 (ii) said one or more dispersants comprise anionic dispersants, including but not limited to, anionic polyacrylate dispersants and polyacrylate-acrylamide copolymer dispersants; and amphoteric dispersants, including but not limited to, amphoteric polyacrylate dispersants; 
 (iii) said one or more surfactants comprise anionic surfactants, including but not limited to, alcohol propoxy sulfates (APS) and internal olefin sulfonates (IOS); nonionic surfactants, including but not limited to, polyoxyethylene (5) C9-C11 alcohol, and short chain alcohol ethoxylates; and zwitterionic surfactants, including but not limited to, cocamidopropyl betaine, N-[3-(Dimethylamino) propyl] coco amides N-oxides, and sodium capryloamphopropionate; 
 (iv) said one or more demulsifiers are selected from the list of demulsifiers consisting of resin alkoxylates; polyimine derivative demulsifiers, including but not limited to, ethylenediamine ethoxylates and/or propoxylates, polyethyleneimine polymers; and polyethylene oxide derivatives, including but not limited to, poly(ethylene oxide-b-propylene oxides), poly(ethylene oxide-b-propylene oxide-b-ethylene oxides), and poly(propylene oxide-b-ethylene oxide-b-propylene oxides); 
 (v) said one or more celluloses comprise ethyl cellulose and/or hydroxyethyl cellulose; or 
 (vi) said one or more polysaccharides comprise natural and modified starches, chitin, and/or amylopectin. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said process aid comprises:
 (a) tricholine citrate;   (b) tricholine citrate and said second process aid, wherein said second process aid comprises said one or more ionic liquids, an anionic polyacrylate dispersant, a polyimine derivative demulsifier, or a hydroxyethyl cellulose;   (c) tricholine citrate and [DMBA] 1.7 [Succ];   (d) tricholine citrate and a polyimine derivative demulsifier; or   (e) tricholine citrate and an anionic polyacrylate dispersant.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 (a) said single process aid comprises a dosage of tricholine citrate ranging from 50-500 ppm, 100-500 ppm, or 200-300 ppm;   (b) said binary process aid comprises a dosage of tricholine citrate ranging from 25-500 ppm, 50-500 ppm, or 200-300 ppm and a dosage of said second process aid ranging from 25-500 ppm, 50-500 ppm, or 200-300 ppm; or   (c) said binary process aid comprises a dosage ratio of tricholine citrate to said second process aid ranging from 20:1 to 1:1; 10:1 to 1:1, 5:1 to 1:1, or 2:1 to 1:1,   wherein ppm indicates micrograms of process aid per gram of process water.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the method results in:
 (a) said bitumen froth having an improved froth quality compared to the method performed in the absence of contacting the oil sands ore with said process aid, wherein froth quality is determined by a ratio by mass of the recovered bitumen to mineral ore solids in the bitumen froth;   (b) said bitumen froth having an improved bitumen recovery compared to the method performed in the absence of contacting the oil sands ore with said process aid, wherein bitumen recovery is determined by a ratio by mass of the recovered bitumen to the oil sands ore; or   (c) said bitumen froth having a reduced % water content by mass compared to the method performed in the absence of contacting the oil sands ore with said process aid.   
     
     
         15 . A composition comprising:
 (a) an oil sands slurry obtainable by a method according to  claim 1 ;   (b) a bitumen froth obtainable by a method according to  claim 1 ; or   (c) a recovered bitumen obtainable by a method according to  claim 1 .