APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RECOVERING A HYDROCARBON DILUENT FROM TAILINGS

摘要

An apparatus and a method for separating diluted tailings containing a hydrocarbon diluent into a recovered diiuent component and a diioeiit recovered tailings component. The method includes introducing the diluted tailings into a diluent recovery vessel so that they form a tailings pool in the diluent recovery vessel, introducing an amount of steam directly into the tailings pool, mixing the diluted tailings which are contained in the tailings pool, and maintaining the diluted tailings in the diluent recovery vessel tor a residence time. The apparatus includes a diluent recovery vessel having a tailings pool section, a steam distributor located in the tailings pool section, and a mixing device associated with the tailings pool section.