PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS FOR SOLVENT EXTRACTION OF BITUMEN FROM OIL SANDS

摘要

Systems are described for recovery of bitumen from oil sands. The system may comprise a slurry system in which a bituminous feed is mixed with solvent to form an initial slurry; an agglomerator for mixing the initial slurry and a water-containing fluid to agglomerate solids from the initial slurry, producing an agglomerated slurry; a separator unit for separating the agglomerated slurry into agglomerates and a low solids bitumen extract a tailings solvent recovery unit for removing solvent from washed agglomerates; and a solvent recovery unit for separating solvent from the low solids bitumen extract. The separator unit comprises a countercurrent washer for solvent washing of the agglomerates with progressively cleaner solvent.