A METHOD FOR EXTRACTING BITUMEN FROM AN OIL SAND STREAM

摘要

The present invention provides a method for extracting bitumen from an oil sand stream (10), the method comprising at least the steps of: (a) providing an oil sand stream (10); (b) contacting the oil sand stream (10) with a liquid (30) comprising a solvent thereby obtaining a solvent-diluted oil sand slurry (20); (c) separating the solvent-diluted oil sand slurry (20), thereby obtaining a first solids-depleted stream (30) and a first solids-enriched stream (40); (d) filtering the first solids-enriched stream (40) obtained in step (c), thereby obtaining bitumen-depleted sand (70) and at least a first filtrate (80); (e) increasing the S/B weight ratio of at least a part (80A) of the first filtrate (80) by combining it with a stream having a higher S/B weight ratio thereby obtaining a combined stream (85); and (f) separating the combined stream (85), thereby obtaining a second solids-depleted stream (100) and a second solids-enriched stream (110).