CA2159514A1 - Recovery and up-grading of bitumen from tar-sands - Google Patents
Recovery and up-grading of bitumen from tar-sandsInfo
- Publication number
- CA2159514A1 CA2159514A1 CA002159514A CA2159514A CA2159514A1 CA 2159514 A1 CA2159514 A1 CA 2159514A1 CA 002159514 A CA002159514 A CA 002159514A CA 2159514 A CA2159514 A CA 2159514A CA 2159514 A1 CA2159514 A1 CA 2159514A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- bitumen
- sand
- coke
- water
- recovery
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
- C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- C10G1/00—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal
- C10G1/04—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal by extraction
- C10G1/047—Hot water or cold water extraction processes
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03B—SEPARATING SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS
- B03B9/00—General arrangement of separating plant, e.g. flow sheets
- B03B9/02—General arrangement of separating plant, e.g. flow sheets specially adapted for oil-sand, oil-chalk, oil-shales, ozokerite, bitumen, or the like
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
- C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- C10G1/00—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal
- C10G1/04—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal by extraction
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
- C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- C10G1/00—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal
- C10G1/04—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal by extraction
- C10G1/045—Separation of insoluble materials
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
- C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- C10G9/00—Thermal non-catalytic cracking, in the absence of hydrogen, of hydrocarbon oils
- C10G9/005—Coking (in order to produce liquid products mainly)
Abstract
This Patent relates to new or improved methods for recovery of bitumen and heavy oil from tar-sands and to upgrading the same into marketable petroleum products and energy producing fuels; and to tailings disposal in a more environmentaly acceptable way.
Bitumen and Heavy-Oil are found in many countries, but in Northern and central Alberta they constitute one of the largest Hydrogen-Carbon bodies in the world. These hydrogen carbons are resistant to flow at ambient temperatures and cannot be recovered by conventional oil well drilling.
Bitumen and Heavy-Oil are found in many countries, but in Northern and central Alberta they constitute one of the largest Hydrogen-Carbon bodies in the world. These hydrogen carbons are resistant to flow at ambient temperatures and cannot be recovered by conventional oil well drilling.
Description
~?lsqsl~J
CANAL7I~N PATENT APPLICATION
RECOVERY AtlL7 UPGRAL7ING OF BITUMEN PROM TAR-8ANDS
This Patent relates to new or improved methods for recovery of bitumen and heavy oil from tar-sands and to "rrr~ ng the same into marketable petroleum products and energy producinq fuels; and to tailings disposal in a more eDvi~ ~ Rl y sl~rrepl-Rh7~ way.
Bitumen ana Heavy-oil are found in many countries, but in Northern ana central Alberta they constitute one of the largest ~ydrcgen-Carbon bodies in the worla. Thesc hydrogen ca;bons a~e resistant to flow at ambient temperatures and cannot be recoverea by conventional oil well arilling.
Some of the aeposlts exist close enough to the grouna surface to be economlcally recoverea by strip mining.
Two such mines now p]-oduce about 20~ of Canaaa 's oil re~uirements. Another S-10~ of Canaaa's oil is presently produced from oil reservoirs stimulated by steam. These carbon hydrogen bodies are too deep for surface mining.
The ob~ect of this invention is for new or improved methods for more economical recovery and upgrading of these abundant carbon hydrogen resources into useful marketable Petroleum Products and Utility Fuels. The invention will show that the depleted sand now being deposited in undesirable tailing ponds, can be Frrnrm1rR~1y disposed of in dry form and the olay fines can be disposed of as a covering over the sand making a suitable base for reforestation. - ~forestation over tailings ponds to restore the enviror~mcnt is and will be an expensive operation. The clay f ines are rich in Aluminum bearing elements which togeth~r with the Coke residue from Bitumen distillation can be passed through a clorination process leaaing to a worla class Aluminum Proauction Industry in Alberta. Thus it wlll be seen that separating the fines from the sana is important, rather than discharglng both ln a tailings pond.
- Coke constitues ~-209s of bitumen varying from field to field. The coke contains l-69~i sulfur which makes it enviL~ ~R11y unacce1?table as a utility fuel. It will be an ob~ect of this il1vention, to introduce a method to llme treat the bltunen in the coking process 50 the 6ulfur in the coke ix chemicalLy changed; when the coke ls burnt as an energy fuel the chemically changed sulfur will be dlsposed of With the ash rather than as S02 with the flue gases; Syncrude stock piles their coke buying expensive natural gas as their main fuel rather than treat ~159~4 the coke for sulphur removal . Thls must be seen as an unacceptable use of our energy lC_uuL.:es.
Another feature of the invention ia a revised bucket wheel eYcavator; bucket wheel excavstors as we have known such for tar-sands mining are being replaced by mega trucks and shovels for the excavation and transfer of bitumen from the mine face t o the crusher. A previous patent and drawings demonstrated also in this patent will show a revised bucket wheel chain and platform for loading tar-sand and over-burden trucks and for transfer of over-burdAn on to trussel conveyers for disposal. The use of which should reduce again the cost of u~.lbu-~and tar-sands transfer.
Pluid and Flexi-coking are proven methods for upgrading bitumen into bitumen distillate, n~nr~nrlr~nR~h1e gases, and coke. This invention will show a method to ~ ~a~ 11 Rh what these systems do, but in a much slmplier an~t cheaper way.
A LES~ OF T~ lNV~ WITE~ KlS~ u~' TO T~E
DRAWINGS:
FIG-1 are drawings o~ the over-burden and tar-sands bucket chain excavator.
FIG-2 is a method for separating bitumen from tar-sands.
FIG-3 is a method to recover volatile condensates, non-condensable gases, and coke from bitumen and heavy oil.
FIG-3~ Ls a conventional fractionation tower in association with the coker gaslfier FIG-1: of the invention is a bucket excavator designed to excavate overburden and tar-sands. Conventional bucket wheel excavators operate on a circular turn table.
They are very heavy machines, the suspension of the powered excavating wheel causes great strain on the sus~1ension and balance parts, resulting in high maintenance costs and down time, especially in winter. They are in the process of being replaced by shovels and trucks.
FIG-1-~: is an elevation side view of a bucket chain excavator. It may be used to supplement shovels in excavating overburden and tar-sznds, loading trucks for transfer of tar-sands to a crusher and disposal of overburden .
, . .. .. . . .
CANAL7I~N PATENT APPLICATION
RECOVERY AtlL7 UPGRAL7ING OF BITUMEN PROM TAR-8ANDS
This Patent relates to new or improved methods for recovery of bitumen and heavy oil from tar-sands and to "rrr~ ng the same into marketable petroleum products and energy producinq fuels; and to tailings disposal in a more eDvi~ ~ Rl y sl~rrepl-Rh7~ way.
Bitumen ana Heavy-oil are found in many countries, but in Northern ana central Alberta they constitute one of the largest ~ydrcgen-Carbon bodies in the worla. Thesc hydrogen ca;bons a~e resistant to flow at ambient temperatures and cannot be recoverea by conventional oil well arilling.
Some of the aeposlts exist close enough to the grouna surface to be economlcally recoverea by strip mining.
Two such mines now p]-oduce about 20~ of Canaaa 's oil re~uirements. Another S-10~ of Canaaa's oil is presently produced from oil reservoirs stimulated by steam. These carbon hydrogen bodies are too deep for surface mining.
The ob~ect of this invention is for new or improved methods for more economical recovery and upgrading of these abundant carbon hydrogen resources into useful marketable Petroleum Products and Utility Fuels. The invention will show that the depleted sand now being deposited in undesirable tailing ponds, can be Frrnrm1rR~1y disposed of in dry form and the olay fines can be disposed of as a covering over the sand making a suitable base for reforestation. - ~forestation over tailings ponds to restore the enviror~mcnt is and will be an expensive operation. The clay f ines are rich in Aluminum bearing elements which togeth~r with the Coke residue from Bitumen distillation can be passed through a clorination process leaaing to a worla class Aluminum Proauction Industry in Alberta. Thus it wlll be seen that separating the fines from the sana is important, rather than discharglng both ln a tailings pond.
- Coke constitues ~-209s of bitumen varying from field to field. The coke contains l-69~i sulfur which makes it enviL~ ~R11y unacce1?table as a utility fuel. It will be an ob~ect of this il1vention, to introduce a method to llme treat the bltunen in the coking process 50 the 6ulfur in the coke ix chemicalLy changed; when the coke ls burnt as an energy fuel the chemically changed sulfur will be dlsposed of With the ash rather than as S02 with the flue gases; Syncrude stock piles their coke buying expensive natural gas as their main fuel rather than treat ~159~4 the coke for sulphur removal . Thls must be seen as an unacceptable use of our energy lC_uuL.:es.
Another feature of the invention ia a revised bucket wheel eYcavator; bucket wheel excavstors as we have known such for tar-sands mining are being replaced by mega trucks and shovels for the excavation and transfer of bitumen from the mine face t o the crusher. A previous patent and drawings demonstrated also in this patent will show a revised bucket wheel chain and platform for loading tar-sand and over-burden trucks and for transfer of over-burdAn on to trussel conveyers for disposal. The use of which should reduce again the cost of u~.lbu-~and tar-sands transfer.
Pluid and Flexi-coking are proven methods for upgrading bitumen into bitumen distillate, n~nr~nrlr~nR~h1e gases, and coke. This invention will show a method to ~ ~a~ 11 Rh what these systems do, but in a much slmplier an~t cheaper way.
A LES~ OF T~ lNV~ WITE~ KlS~ u~' TO T~E
DRAWINGS:
FIG-1 are drawings o~ the over-burden and tar-sands bucket chain excavator.
FIG-2 is a method for separating bitumen from tar-sands.
FIG-3 is a method to recover volatile condensates, non-condensable gases, and coke from bitumen and heavy oil.
FIG-3~ Ls a conventional fractionation tower in association with the coker gaslfier FIG-1: of the invention is a bucket excavator designed to excavate overburden and tar-sands. Conventional bucket wheel excavators operate on a circular turn table.
They are very heavy machines, the suspension of the powered excavating wheel causes great strain on the sus~1ension and balance parts, resulting in high maintenance costs and down time, especially in winter. They are in the process of being replaced by shovels and trucks.
FIG-1-~: is an elevation side view of a bucket chain excavator. It may be used to supplement shovels in excavating overburden and tar-sznds, loading trucks for transfer of tar-sands to a crusher and disposal of overburden .
, . .. .. . . .
2 1 5~5~
FIG-1-B: is a plan view of the 8teel fabricated floor 8 mounted on powered tracks 5 at the front and rubber tired wheels 9 at the rear; the buckets which form chain 3 are mounted on drive wheel 2 and ldler wheel 1 and are bourn on carriage 12; carrlaqe 12 13 mounted on wheels and track or channeLs 6 for transfer of the carriage 12 (buckets~ across platform 8. Carrlage 12 will have a transfer conveyer 7 which will transfer the over-burden from the buckets 3 ~mto trucks 10 or unto conveyer 11 which will discharge the O.B. unto a mobile overhead trussel conveyer (not shown) for dLscharge over an over-burden aisposal field (not shown): trucks 10 will transfer q'.S. from the bucket excavator to the T.S.
crusher .
FIG-2..of thl6 invention is a method to separate bltumen from the tar-sands: mined tar-sands from a tar-sands crusher (not shown) are discharged into bitumen sand separator FIG-2 A by conveyer 1; A is a circular drum open at the top, having a pipe drlve shaft 6 driven by motor 3, hard faced impellers 4 are anchored in spiral form to shaft 6; the rotating impellers 4 are designed to mix and separate the bitumen from the sand, and help with the weight of the incoming tar-sands to move the ~.S. through the separation pipe A: air pump 1~ will re-circulate air recovered from the bitumen froth 13 con~n~o~cly discharging it at the bottom of the vessel (5). I'his air will assist in motivating the bitumen upward as the impellers 4 release the bitumen from the sand.
New air 23 will be added to the circulation air as required. An appropriate caustic will correct P.H.
A major portion of the bitumen will be recovered in vessel A, the sanc~ and remaining bitumen will drop downward through a metering gate 7 into rinse B. Rinse B has a drive shaft 6 and impellers 4 similar to A;
recovered circulation water 9 from well 21 or return water from pipe 18 will be in~ected alonq the bottom of B g, this water will rinse and lift the remaining bitumen and fines upward through plpes 12 into separatlon A leaving a clean sand to be discharged at the end of separation B through squeeze gate 7 into pumps 11 for disposal upward over tailings field 22: all the water required in separation A will be supplied from rinse B through pipes 12.
.
_ . ... . ~
~ls~
The bitumen froth 13 collecting along the top of separation A will be de-frothed 14 by conventional means.
The bitumen 13 pdGsLng over weir 25, for recovery and transfer by pump 19 and pipeline 20 to the up-grader FIG-3.
The sand and watcr from pumps 11 will be separated 17 by conventional means, the sand discharged over tailinqs field 22, the water returned by pipe 18 or by filtration into well 21 for recovery and recirculatlon.
FIG-3...of the invention is up-grading of bltumen into bitumen distillate, nnnrnn~l~ncible gases, coke and steam production. BJ tumen from FIG-2 or from steam stimulated wells may or may not be passed through a decanter type centrifuge or one of the many other methods to remove water and fines (sand) from the bitumen if desirable?
the bitumen 58 is pumped (65) with solvent 49 into vessel B: vessel B is a insulated bitumen holding and settling tank, and will recover the lighter distillates (49) upward;
the fines (sand) 42 ~which may be floculated by a proper polymer)and water 41 settle downward in the vessel for disposal at low temp~rature. The bitumen 58 rising upward through heat coils 72 will have its temperature raised to 300-500*F? Naphtl1a ~49) and the lighter distillates rising from the top of vessel (B) will be condensed ~48) and recovered. These lig~lt distillates as required will be recirculated through pump 65 to lower the viscosity of the incoming bitun~en, the remainder will be directed to vessel A. A dual ~lectrostatic treater ~ 50 ) may be placed in vessel B to floculate and remove remaining fine water from the bitumen. The hot bitumen residue 58 will flow downward fro rL the top of vessel B for distribution into vessel C.
Vl:SSE~ C...of the invention is a COKE~-GASIFIBR; it -recovers coke as an environmentally friendly uql, the bitumen distillates as liquid petroleum, and the non-rnn~ncf hle gases as lime treated fuel, or as a feea stock for hydrogen production: Vessel C is designed on the well established f1-1iA~7P~1 bed principle; but in a greatly simplified an~ more economical way, doing in a single vessel C that for which fluid coking requires 2 vessels and flexi-coking 3 vessels: Vessel C has an outer steel wall 70, the wall encloses a fluidized bed oxidized by preheated air 74, 1~umped ~66) through heat chamber 71;
_ _ .
- : -3 15q~/4 said hot alr distributed evenly over the fluidized bed through burner dis~ harge heaas 62; the hot air is designed to oxidize and burl~ sufficient coke to complete the coker ga3ifier operation as designed.
The hot bitumen residue 58 from vessel B will be distributed evenly into the top of the fll7ifl1~P~ bed; high pressure super steam 67 released into pipe~ Sg will drive the coke through the pipes, circulating and fluidizing the coke bed; the super-steam may be used in any other ~esirable way to fluidize the bed: the hot coke will act as a nuclei around which new coke is formed and recovered from the incoming bltument: CO gas being formed from oxidization (burninq) of the coke will rise upward assisting in fluidizing and elevatlng the bed temperature. The bitumen volatiles rising out of the fll ~i7P~ bed will pass through cyclones 52 to remove coke and any other solidfi; vacuum pump 45 will create a vacuum over the fluidized be~. A subatantial part of the bitumen volatiles las required3 will be drawn through coils 72 heating the bitumen in vessel B to the desired temperature to recover the lighter bitumen volatiles 49. The temperature of the bitumen volatiles will be reduced as their heat is being transferred to the bitumen of vessel B: coils 72 will direct ths bitumen volatiles into condenser 44; condenser 44 will finalize recovery of the noncondensible gases upward through vacuum pump 45, and the recovery of bitumen distillates downward for discharqe by pump 43 into vessel A.
Vessel A will be an insulated storage and settling vessel where any solids 42 and water 41 can be removed, the vessel will be maintained at a desired temperature below 200 F. The bitumen distillate 40 will be recovered from the top of this vessel. The nrnr-nlq~n~1hlP gases CO, CB4, B2 N2, and C02 will be recovered through vacuum pump 45 and sent to storage 46. The gases will be used as fuel, as a feed stock for hydrogen production or in any other desirable ~ay. Bitumen volatiles also rising from the fluid bed are directed to heat exchanger 44A and 44B where the bitumen volatiles exchange their heat to the clrculating water tubes. The water being heated to ~ust below the dew point before being pumped 77 into C0 boilers 78 which produce steam or super steam of pressure, temperature and guali~y as requlred for T.S. well stimulation or super stea~ ~or the production of electricity, or for steam as required for any other use;
the C0 boilers 78 may be remote or close to the up-grader.
~ _ _ _, .. ., . _ .. . . ... _ , :
~5qSJ4 The bitumen volatll~as passing through heat exchangers 44A
and 44B yield their heat to the boiler water coils, the bitumen distillate 10 i5 pumped 43 to storage tank A; the non-conden6ible gases are discharged by vacuum pump ~5 into storage 46.
Bitumen obtalned from Alberta T.S. contains +-209~
coke, the coke contains ~-6~ sulfur; as a result most of the coke is stock piled as an environmentaly undesirable fuel for energy production: a prime feature of this invention is a method to lime treat the bitumen in the coking process, the lime ~-h~m~o:l11y changing the sulfur so when the coke is used for fuel the sulfur will be disposed of as ash rather than as S02 with the flue gas.
55 is a lime hopper from which lime is distributed evenly into the fluidized bed, the lime in communicatlon with the coke in the fluid bed chemically changes the sulfur, the sulfur will be disposed of as ash from the fluidi~ed bed; the un-burned coke will be recovered as - =an environmentally acceptable fuel; the lime may be introduced into the fluid be'las a powder or with water in slurry form or in a variety of other ways. If desirable ~-90~6 of the coke can be gasified. It will be shown that by gasifying the coke large amounts of heat is produced and recovered for up-grading and steam production; the C0 gas will be used as fuel in the C0 boilers to top off the quality steam required; a substantial amount of the heat required for steam production will have been recovered from heat exchangers 44A, 44B.
The coker gasifier will play an important role in bitumen production f~^om steam stimulated wells 83, boilers now use expensive natural gas for steam production and require a solvent to make the bitumen pir~7 in~hlr . The coke and n~al r~nA~n~ible gases of this invention should lower significantly the fuel cost of steam productlon' the bitumen distlllate from FIG-3-~ wlll be transferrable by plpeline without the addltlon of solvent.
Number 82 of fig-3 indicates steam being directed into a steam electric generator for the production of electricity. It will be shown from a study of Fig-3 that lime treated coke is the prime fuel source, from whlch heat is produced for up-grading bitumen, for the production of steam, for the production of C0 gas, and the production of electricity.
~ _ _ _ _ _ .. .. . .
~ ~5qs~
PIG 3A- iB a conventlonal petroleum fractLonation tower 82 (flq-3A-E:) ~sed to upgrade bitumen volatiles from the coker gasifier; it is an alternative to shipping the bitumen distillates from the coker gasifier directly to a refinery. The hea~y distillates B3 from the lower tower, the lighter distillates higher 84,BS and the non-coll~en~lble g~e~ f rs,~ the top of tbe tower.
L,c~
FIG-1-B: is a plan view of the 8teel fabricated floor 8 mounted on powered tracks 5 at the front and rubber tired wheels 9 at the rear; the buckets which form chain 3 are mounted on drive wheel 2 and ldler wheel 1 and are bourn on carriage 12; carrlaqe 12 13 mounted on wheels and track or channeLs 6 for transfer of the carriage 12 (buckets~ across platform 8. Carrlage 12 will have a transfer conveyer 7 which will transfer the over-burden from the buckets 3 ~mto trucks 10 or unto conveyer 11 which will discharge the O.B. unto a mobile overhead trussel conveyer (not shown) for dLscharge over an over-burden aisposal field (not shown): trucks 10 will transfer q'.S. from the bucket excavator to the T.S.
crusher .
FIG-2..of thl6 invention is a method to separate bltumen from the tar-sands: mined tar-sands from a tar-sands crusher (not shown) are discharged into bitumen sand separator FIG-2 A by conveyer 1; A is a circular drum open at the top, having a pipe drlve shaft 6 driven by motor 3, hard faced impellers 4 are anchored in spiral form to shaft 6; the rotating impellers 4 are designed to mix and separate the bitumen from the sand, and help with the weight of the incoming tar-sands to move the ~.S. through the separation pipe A: air pump 1~ will re-circulate air recovered from the bitumen froth 13 con~n~o~cly discharging it at the bottom of the vessel (5). I'his air will assist in motivating the bitumen upward as the impellers 4 release the bitumen from the sand.
New air 23 will be added to the circulation air as required. An appropriate caustic will correct P.H.
A major portion of the bitumen will be recovered in vessel A, the sanc~ and remaining bitumen will drop downward through a metering gate 7 into rinse B. Rinse B has a drive shaft 6 and impellers 4 similar to A;
recovered circulation water 9 from well 21 or return water from pipe 18 will be in~ected alonq the bottom of B g, this water will rinse and lift the remaining bitumen and fines upward through plpes 12 into separatlon A leaving a clean sand to be discharged at the end of separation B through squeeze gate 7 into pumps 11 for disposal upward over tailings field 22: all the water required in separation A will be supplied from rinse B through pipes 12.
.
_ . ... . ~
~ls~
The bitumen froth 13 collecting along the top of separation A will be de-frothed 14 by conventional means.
The bitumen 13 pdGsLng over weir 25, for recovery and transfer by pump 19 and pipeline 20 to the up-grader FIG-3.
The sand and watcr from pumps 11 will be separated 17 by conventional means, the sand discharged over tailinqs field 22, the water returned by pipe 18 or by filtration into well 21 for recovery and recirculatlon.
FIG-3...of the invention is up-grading of bltumen into bitumen distillate, nnnrnn~l~ncible gases, coke and steam production. BJ tumen from FIG-2 or from steam stimulated wells may or may not be passed through a decanter type centrifuge or one of the many other methods to remove water and fines (sand) from the bitumen if desirable?
the bitumen 58 is pumped (65) with solvent 49 into vessel B: vessel B is a insulated bitumen holding and settling tank, and will recover the lighter distillates (49) upward;
the fines (sand) 42 ~which may be floculated by a proper polymer)and water 41 settle downward in the vessel for disposal at low temp~rature. The bitumen 58 rising upward through heat coils 72 will have its temperature raised to 300-500*F? Naphtl1a ~49) and the lighter distillates rising from the top of vessel (B) will be condensed ~48) and recovered. These lig~lt distillates as required will be recirculated through pump 65 to lower the viscosity of the incoming bitun~en, the remainder will be directed to vessel A. A dual ~lectrostatic treater ~ 50 ) may be placed in vessel B to floculate and remove remaining fine water from the bitumen. The hot bitumen residue 58 will flow downward fro rL the top of vessel B for distribution into vessel C.
Vl:SSE~ C...of the invention is a COKE~-GASIFIBR; it -recovers coke as an environmentally friendly uql, the bitumen distillates as liquid petroleum, and the non-rnn~ncf hle gases as lime treated fuel, or as a feea stock for hydrogen production: Vessel C is designed on the well established f1-1iA~7P~1 bed principle; but in a greatly simplified an~ more economical way, doing in a single vessel C that for which fluid coking requires 2 vessels and flexi-coking 3 vessels: Vessel C has an outer steel wall 70, the wall encloses a fluidized bed oxidized by preheated air 74, 1~umped ~66) through heat chamber 71;
_ _ .
- : -3 15q~/4 said hot alr distributed evenly over the fluidized bed through burner dis~ harge heaas 62; the hot air is designed to oxidize and burl~ sufficient coke to complete the coker ga3ifier operation as designed.
The hot bitumen residue 58 from vessel B will be distributed evenly into the top of the fll7ifl1~P~ bed; high pressure super steam 67 released into pipe~ Sg will drive the coke through the pipes, circulating and fluidizing the coke bed; the super-steam may be used in any other ~esirable way to fluidize the bed: the hot coke will act as a nuclei around which new coke is formed and recovered from the incoming bltument: CO gas being formed from oxidization (burninq) of the coke will rise upward assisting in fluidizing and elevatlng the bed temperature. The bitumen volatiles rising out of the fll ~i7P~ bed will pass through cyclones 52 to remove coke and any other solidfi; vacuum pump 45 will create a vacuum over the fluidized be~. A subatantial part of the bitumen volatiles las required3 will be drawn through coils 72 heating the bitumen in vessel B to the desired temperature to recover the lighter bitumen volatiles 49. The temperature of the bitumen volatiles will be reduced as their heat is being transferred to the bitumen of vessel B: coils 72 will direct ths bitumen volatiles into condenser 44; condenser 44 will finalize recovery of the noncondensible gases upward through vacuum pump 45, and the recovery of bitumen distillates downward for discharqe by pump 43 into vessel A.
Vessel A will be an insulated storage and settling vessel where any solids 42 and water 41 can be removed, the vessel will be maintained at a desired temperature below 200 F. The bitumen distillate 40 will be recovered from the top of this vessel. The nrnr-nlq~n~1hlP gases CO, CB4, B2 N2, and C02 will be recovered through vacuum pump 45 and sent to storage 46. The gases will be used as fuel, as a feed stock for hydrogen production or in any other desirable ~ay. Bitumen volatiles also rising from the fluid bed are directed to heat exchanger 44A and 44B where the bitumen volatiles exchange their heat to the clrculating water tubes. The water being heated to ~ust below the dew point before being pumped 77 into C0 boilers 78 which produce steam or super steam of pressure, temperature and guali~y as requlred for T.S. well stimulation or super stea~ ~or the production of electricity, or for steam as required for any other use;
the C0 boilers 78 may be remote or close to the up-grader.
~ _ _ _, .. ., . _ .. . . ... _ , :
~5qSJ4 The bitumen volatll~as passing through heat exchangers 44A
and 44B yield their heat to the boiler water coils, the bitumen distillate 10 i5 pumped 43 to storage tank A; the non-conden6ible gases are discharged by vacuum pump ~5 into storage 46.
Bitumen obtalned from Alberta T.S. contains +-209~
coke, the coke contains ~-6~ sulfur; as a result most of the coke is stock piled as an environmentaly undesirable fuel for energy production: a prime feature of this invention is a method to lime treat the bitumen in the coking process, the lime ~-h~m~o:l11y changing the sulfur so when the coke is used for fuel the sulfur will be disposed of as ash rather than as S02 with the flue gas.
55 is a lime hopper from which lime is distributed evenly into the fluidized bed, the lime in communicatlon with the coke in the fluid bed chemically changes the sulfur, the sulfur will be disposed of as ash from the fluidi~ed bed; the un-burned coke will be recovered as - =an environmentally acceptable fuel; the lime may be introduced into the fluid be'las a powder or with water in slurry form or in a variety of other ways. If desirable ~-90~6 of the coke can be gasified. It will be shown that by gasifying the coke large amounts of heat is produced and recovered for up-grading and steam production; the C0 gas will be used as fuel in the C0 boilers to top off the quality steam required; a substantial amount of the heat required for steam production will have been recovered from heat exchangers 44A, 44B.
The coker gasifier will play an important role in bitumen production f~^om steam stimulated wells 83, boilers now use expensive natural gas for steam production and require a solvent to make the bitumen pir~7 in~hlr . The coke and n~al r~nA~n~ible gases of this invention should lower significantly the fuel cost of steam productlon' the bitumen distlllate from FIG-3-~ wlll be transferrable by plpeline without the addltlon of solvent.
Number 82 of fig-3 indicates steam being directed into a steam electric generator for the production of electricity. It will be shown from a study of Fig-3 that lime treated coke is the prime fuel source, from whlch heat is produced for up-grading bitumen, for the production of steam, for the production of C0 gas, and the production of electricity.
~ _ _ _ _ _ .. .. . .
~ ~5qs~
PIG 3A- iB a conventlonal petroleum fractLonation tower 82 (flq-3A-E:) ~sed to upgrade bitumen volatiles from the coker gasifier; it is an alternative to shipping the bitumen distillates from the coker gasifier directly to a refinery. The hea~y distillates B3 from the lower tower, the lighter distillates higher 84,BS and the non-coll~en~lble g~e~ f rs,~ the top of tbe tower.
L,c~
Claims (10)
1.....A method to recover and upgrade bitumen (heavy oil) contained in Oil-sands consisting of the following procedure: a method to excavate and dispose of overburden;
a method to excavate and recover the tar-sands: a method to separate the bitumen from the sand including a method to dispose of the sand in dry form rather than in a tailings pond; a method to separate the bitumen from the sand at relatively low temperature in contrast to present high temperature separation: a method to separate the fines and water from the bitumen; the fines for a covering over the tailings-sand and reforestration and fines as anore resource for the production of aluminum; the water for recovery and re-circulation: a method to lime treat the bitumen in the coking process (upgrading) so that the coke and the non-condensible gases (mainly CO) become environmentally acceptable fuels for energy production:
the production of steam in association with up-grading of bitumen.
a method to excavate and recover the tar-sands: a method to separate the bitumen from the sand including a method to dispose of the sand in dry form rather than in a tailings pond; a method to separate the bitumen from the sand at relatively low temperature in contrast to present high temperature separation: a method to separate the fines and water from the bitumen; the fines for a covering over the tailings-sand and reforestration and fines as anore resource for the production of aluminum; the water for recovery and re-circulation: a method to lime treat the bitumen in the coking process (upgrading) so that the coke and the non-condensible gases (mainly CO) become environmentally acceptable fuels for energy production:
the production of steam in association with up-grading of bitumen.
2.....A method as in claim 1 to excavate and dispose of overburden consisting of: a bucket chain designed to excavate and transfer over burden (or tar-sands) unto dump trucks or conveyers; said buckets mounted on powered and idler wheels supported on and moving across a mobile platform having forward powered tracks for forward and backward movement of the platform, also having rear tired wheels or tracks for platform support; Said excavator designed to excavate over-burden for disposal by truck or by conveyer and overhead trussel conveyers; also to excavate tar-sands for transfer by truck to a crusher or screening operation for recovery of bitumen,
3.....A method to separate bitumen from T.S. as in claim 1: consisting of crushing or screening the tar-sands for reduction of rocks and frozen lumps; transfer of the sands into a bitumen sand separation vessel having a rotating shaft with hard faced spiral beaters rotating within an expanded top extraction pipe designed to free the bitumen from the sand and move the sand to the discharge end of the separation vessel; air or CO2 injected along the bottom of the extraction pipe to assist in floating the bitumen to the water surface for recovery: sand with bitumen remnants dropping through a metering gate into a rinse vessel similar to the above separation vessel; recovered circulation water injected along the bottom of the rise section designed to purge the bitumen and fines from the sand elevating them upward into the separation vessel for discharge; circulation water passing upward from the rinse section supplying all the water required in the separation section: depleted sands from the rinse section discharged into sand pumps for elevation to a conventional water and sand separator at the top of the sand tailings field;
circulation water recovery by pipeline or by seepage well for re-circulation; sand disposal over the tailings field;
bitumen recovered and discharged by pipe line from the bitumen separation vessel to a bitumen up-grader designed to upgrade the bitumen into petroleum distillates non-condensable gases and coke.
circulation water recovery by pipeline or by seepage well for re-circulation; sand disposal over the tailings field;
bitumen recovered and discharged by pipe line from the bitumen separation vessel to a bitumen up-grader designed to upgrade the bitumen into petroleum distillates non-condensable gases and coke.
4.....A bitumen (heavy oil) up-grader as in claim 1:
bitumen recovered from wells or from mining which contain water and fines (or sand) pumped with solvent into a steel bitumen vessel (tank) designed for most of the water and fines movement downward for low temperature discharge and the solvent treated bitumen upward for heating and distillation; fractionation and recovery of a desirable amount of the lighter volatiles; the heavier bitumen residue passing through overflow pipes into an adjacent vessel designed as a coker gasifier.
bitumen recovered from wells or from mining which contain water and fines (or sand) pumped with solvent into a steel bitumen vessel (tank) designed for most of the water and fines movement downward for low temperature discharge and the solvent treated bitumen upward for heating and distillation; fractionation and recovery of a desirable amount of the lighter volatiles; the heavier bitumen residue passing through overflow pipes into an adjacent vessel designed as a coker gasifier.
5.....A method to upgrade bitumen (and heavy oil) as in claim 1; said up-grader having, a coker gasifier vessel with coke burner heads in number as required and evenly spaced at a desirable elevation level in a fluidized coke bed: burners designed to gasify and fluidized the coke bed; pre-heated air at designed temperature and pressure to oxidize the fluidized coke bed: steel tubes of appropriate size, length and number evenly spaced and supported at appropriate angles in the fluidized bed, said tubes having at their inlet super steam jets designed to jet coke trough the tubes to enhance fluidization of the coke bed: bitumen residue being released in a designed pattern into or (over) the fluidized coke bed, and having its temperature raised by the hot coke and coke gases to a point where all bitumen volatiles are fractionated upward for recovery, the new bitumen coke forming around and becoming part of the circulating fluidized coke bed: bitumen passing downward through heat exchange coils in the bitumen vessel (designed to heat the bitumen and fractionate the lighter volatile); said coils terminating in condensers designed to liquify and recover the bitumen distillates;
the non-condensable gases passing upward by vacuum pump for recovery: bitumen volatiles not required to heat the incoming bitumen passing to a conventional fractionation tower for upgrading or through condensers for recovery of bitumen distillates and non-condensible gases.
the non-condensable gases passing upward by vacuum pump for recovery: bitumen volatiles not required to heat the incoming bitumen passing to a conventional fractionation tower for upgrading or through condensers for recovery of bitumen distillates and non-condensible gases.
6.....A method to lime treat the fluidized coke bed in the coking process as in claim 1: consisting of distributing lime evenly into the fluidized coke bed, circulating the lime with the fluidized coke, said lime capturing and chemically changing the sulfur content in the coke, the chemically changed sulfur when burnt in association with coke fuel being discharged as ash (CASO4) rather than as SO2 with the flue gas (environmentaly unacceptable): said lime treatment capturing and removing most of the sulfur from the non-condensible gases.
7.....The production of steam in association with upgrading of bitumen as in claim 1: hot bitumen volatiles passing from the coker gasifer into a heat exchanger designed for cooling the bitumen volatiles and heating the water coils:
the bitumen distillate being recovered downward and the non-condensible gases being recovered upward by vacuum pump: boiler water injected into the heat exchanger tubes and through the boiler heat recovery unit injected into the high pressure boiler at just below dew point: said procedure substantially reducing co2 emissions into the atmosphere, increasing heat recovery and reducing fuel costs; boilers fired by CO produced gas completing the required quality stream.
the bitumen distillate being recovered downward and the non-condensible gases being recovered upward by vacuum pump: boiler water injected into the heat exchanger tubes and through the boiler heat recovery unit injected into the high pressure boiler at just below dew point: said procedure substantially reducing co2 emissions into the atmosphere, increasing heat recovery and reducing fuel costs; boilers fired by CO produced gas completing the required quality stream.
8.....A method to eliminate tailings ponds as a means of tailings disposal as in claims 1: washing the tailings sand as in claim 3 so the sand becomes a filter for recovery of water from fines disposal over the sand and if necessary for recovery of water from the water sand separator; said water being continuously recovered and re-circulated; thus eliminating ponds for tailings disposal.
9.....separation of clay fines from bitumen and bitumen sand as in claim 1: said clay finess disposed of over the dry sand tailings and becoming a prime feed source for "CLAY CARBO-CHLORINATION"; clay fines and coke residue (by product of tar sands) becoming prime resources in production of aluminum.
10.....a conventional petroleum fractunation tower in association with the coker gasifier as in claims 1 and 5 for upgrading bitumen distillates from the coker gasifier.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002159514A CA2159514A1 (en) | 1995-09-29 | 1995-09-29 | Recovery and up-grading of bitumen from tar-sands |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002159514A CA2159514A1 (en) | 1995-09-29 | 1995-09-29 | Recovery and up-grading of bitumen from tar-sands |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2159514A1 true CA2159514A1 (en) | 1997-03-30 |
Family
ID=4156678
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002159514A Abandoned CA2159514A1 (en) | 1995-09-29 | 1995-09-29 | Recovery and up-grading of bitumen from tar-sands |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2159514A1 (en) |
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US7404903B2 (en) | 2006-02-03 | 2008-07-29 | Rj Oil Sands Inc. | Drill cuttings treatment system |
| US7416671B2 (en) | 2004-07-21 | 2008-08-26 | Rj Oil Sands Inc. | Separation and recovery of bitumen oil from tar sands |
| US8137566B2 (en) | 2007-07-16 | 2012-03-20 | Rj Oil Sands Inc. | Recovery of tailings ponds |
| US11857893B2 (en) | 2020-08-18 | 2024-01-02 | 1501367 Alberta Ltd. | Fluid treatment separator and a system and method of treating fluid |
-
1995
- 1995-09-29 CA CA002159514A patent/CA2159514A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US7416671B2 (en) | 2004-07-21 | 2008-08-26 | Rj Oil Sands Inc. | Separation and recovery of bitumen oil from tar sands |
| US7404903B2 (en) | 2006-02-03 | 2008-07-29 | Rj Oil Sands Inc. | Drill cuttings treatment system |
| US8137566B2 (en) | 2007-07-16 | 2012-03-20 | Rj Oil Sands Inc. | Recovery of tailings ponds |
| US11857893B2 (en) | 2020-08-18 | 2024-01-02 | 1501367 Alberta Ltd. | Fluid treatment separator and a system and method of treating fluid |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Discontinued |
Effective date: 20000929 |