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Silicates addition in bitumen froth treatment

Inactive Publication Date: 2010-09-30
RICE UNIV +1
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018]allowing the diluted bitumen to separate from the water containing the substantial amount of fine solids to produce a dilbit having less than about 3% by weight solids.
[0022]Without being bound to theory, it is believed that during processing of diluted bitumen froth, stable water-in-oil emulsions may persist due to the presence of fine clay solids. Further, much of the fine clay solids, for example, kaolinite and illite, were found to be partially oil-wet, thereby tending to associate with the bitumen phase rather than the water phase. The addition of silicates, for example, sodium meta silicate Na2SiO3, is believed to change the wettability of these clay solids from oil-wet to water-wet. This allows the clay solids to settle into the aqueous phase rather than the oil phase. Further, it is believed that the silicates also may break up the water-in-oil emulsions, which may be stabilized by the partially oil-wet clay solids, and thus release more clay solids to the aqueous phase.
[0023]In addition, for gravity settling froth treatment processes, for example, SFT, a rag layer tends to form between the bitumen phase and the tailings phase. It is believed that this rag layer is stabilized by the presence of fine clays. The addition of silicates can reduce the rag layer, which may also result in better recovery and quality of dilbit.

Problems solved by technology

However, the prior patents and publications on sodium silicates addition for oil sand processing have only focused their use in the primary extraction process and not the upgrading of bitumen froth.

Method used

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  • Silicates addition in bitumen froth treatment
  • Silicates addition in bitumen froth treatment
  • Silicates addition in bitumen froth treatment

Examples

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example 1

[0038]A bench-scale pilot plant of a continuous naphtha-based froth treatment gravity setting operation with a configuration similar to that shown in FIG. 1 was used in the following example. Varying amounts of sodium silicate (0.0001, 0.01 and 0.1% sodium silicate, wt / wt based on bitumen froth) were added to bitumen froth diluted with naphtha. In this example, bitumen froth contained an average of about 60.1 wt % bitumen, about 28.4 wt % water and about 11.5 wt % solids. The naphtha to bitumen ratio was 0.6.

[0039]The treated dilfroth was then fed to a splitter vessel and the splitter overflow (raw dilbit) was analyzed as to the mass percent of fine solids that are present in the splitter overflow versus the diameter (μm) of the fines. FIGS. 2(a) to 2(c) show that the addition of sodium silicate resulted in less fine solids (e.g., solids having a diameter less than 10 μm) present in the raw dilbit when compared to no addition of sodium silicate. Further, the reduction in fine solids...

example 2

[0040]Bench-scale batch tests were also performed to see what effect the addition of sodium silicates would have on the stable rag layer that forms between the diluted bitumen layer and the water layer in the splitter vessel during gravity settling of the diluted bitumen froth. It is believed that the rag layer may be a result of stable water-in-oil emulsions persisting, primarily due to the clay solids present in the diluted bitumen froth. The rag layer is a mixture of partially oil-wet solids, oil and water-in-oil emulsions. Much of the clays solids are kaolinite and illite. The formation of such a rag layer prevents complete separation of the diluted bitumen from the water and solids.

[0041]In this example, bitumen froth containing water and fine solids including clays (approximately 60% bitumen, 30% water and 10% fine solids) was first diluted with naphtha to give a dilfroth having a naphtha to bitumen ratio of about 0.7:1. Sodium meta silicate (Na2SiO3) from a 10−4 M solution wa...

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Abstract

A method for processing a bitumen froth comprising bitumen, water and solids including fine solids for reducing the solids concentration in diluted bitumen is provided comprising diluting the bitumen froth with a hydrocarbon diluent to form a dilfroth; adding a sufficient amount of a silicate to the dilfroth to cause a substantial amount of fine solids to associate with the water instead of the diluted bitumen; and allowing the diluted bitumen to separate from the water containing the substantial amount of fine solids to produce a dilbit having less than 3 percent by weight solids.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates generally to a bitumen froth treatment process for reducing the fine solids concentration in hydrocarbon diluent-diluted bitumen (“dilbit”). In particular, silicates, such as sodium silicates, are added during bitumen froth treatment stage(s) to aid in the removal of fine solids such as clays with the water phase.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Oil sand, as known in the Athabasca region of Alberta, Canada, comprises water-wet, coarse sand grains having flecks of a viscous hydrocarbon, known as bitumen, trapped between the sand grains. The water sheaths surrounding the sand grains contain very fine clay particles. Thus, a sample of oil sand, for example, might comprise 70% by weight sand, 14% fines, 5% water and 11% bitumen (all % values stated in this specification are to be understood to be % by weight except where otherwise provided).[0003]For the past 25 years, the bitumen in Athabasca oil sand has been commercially recov...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): C10G1/04
CPCC10G1/047C10G1/04
Inventor NG, YIN MING SAMSONKNAPPER, BRIAN ALLENMORAN, KEVINHIRASAKI, GEORGE JIROMILLER, CLARENCE A.JIANG, TIANMIN
Owner RICE UNIV
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