PROCESSING OF OIL SAND STREAMS VIA CHEMICALLY-INDUCED MICRO-AGGLOMERATION

摘要

Disclosed is a method comprising providing an oil sand stream comprising bitumen, solids, and water; conditioning the oil sand stream with an aluminate to produce a conditioned stream; treating the conditioned stream with a silicate to produce a treated stream comprising chemically-induced micro-agglomerates to assist bitumen extraction or froth cleaning; and processing the treated stream to form a bitumen stream and a tailings stream.