Process for extracting bitumen and drying the tailings

摘要

A process for separating bitumen from bitumen ore material includes extracting bitumen with a hydrocarbon solvent to produce a bitumen-enriched solvent phase and tailings. The tailings are dried or stripped in a dryer to remove any remaining hydrocarbon solvent. The amount of solvent discharged in the tailings may be less than 4 bbl per 1000 bbl of recovered bitumen.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
mixing bitumen ore material with a heated first hydrocarbon solvent and forming a first mixture; separating a first hydrocarbon solvent enriched phase from the first mixture and producing first tailings; mixing the first tailings with a second hydrocarbon solvent liquid and forming a second mixture: separating a second hydrocarbon solvent enriched phase from the second mixture and producing second tailings; passing a second hydrocarbon solvent vapor through the second tailings; flashing the second tailings after passing the second hydrocarbon solvent vapor through the second tailings and before removing second hydrocarbon solvent from the second tailings in a dryer; and removing second hydrocarbon solvent from the second tailings in a dryer.