Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110180459 | METHODS FOR EXTRACTING BITUMEN FROM BITUMINOUS MATERIAL - Methods for preparing solvent-dry, stackable tailings. The method can include the steps of adding a first quantity of first solvent to a bitumen material to form a first mixture, separating a first quantity of bitumen-enriched solvent from the first mixture and thereby creating first solvent-wet tailings, adding a quantity of second solvent to first solvent-wet tailings to separate a first quantity of first solvent component from the first solvent-wet tailings and thereby producing second solvent-wet tailings, and adding a quantity of water to the second solvent-wet tailings to separate a first quantity of second solvent component from the second solvent-wet tailings and thereby forming solvent-dry, stackable tailings. | 07-28-2011 |
20120101014 | METHOD FOR MAKING BIOFUELS AND BIOLUBRICANTS - A process for producing biofuels and biolubricants from lipid material includes reacting lipid material with a motive fluid in a reactor. The reactor may be configured to cause a high energy collision between the motive fluid and the lipid material that facilitates the reactions that result in biofuels and biolubricants. A heavy fraction of the effluent may be repeatedly recycled back through the reactor until most, if not all, of the lipid material has been converted. | 04-26-2012 |
20120145602 | PROCESS FOR EXTRACTING BITUMEN AND DRYING THE TAILINGS - A process for separating bitumen from bitumen ore material includes extracting bitumen with a hydrocarbon solvent to produce a bitumen-enriched solvent phase and tailings. The tailings are dried or stripped in a dryer to remove any remaining hydrocarbon solvent. The amount of solvent discharged in the tailings may be less than 4 bbl per 1000 bbl of recovered bitumen. | 06-14-2012 |
20120145603 | Process for Extracting Bitumen and Drying the Tailings - A process for separating bitumen from bitumen ore material includes extracting bitumen with a hydrocarbon solvent to produce a bitumen-enriched solvent phase and tailings. The tailings are dried or stripped in a dryer to remove any remaining hydrocarbon solvent. The amount of solvent discharged in the tailings may be less than 4 bbl per 1000 bbl of recovered bitumen. | 06-14-2012 |
20120152809 | Methods and Apparatus for Bitumen Extraction - Methods and system for extracting bitumen can include the use of a mixing drum for spraying solvent over bituminous material to help dissolve bitumen and create a bitumen-laden solvent phase that can be separated from the non-bituminous components of the bituminous material. The mixing drum can be rotating during the spraying step to help promote dissolution of bitumen. The mixing drum can also include an internal screen for separating bitumen-laden solvent from the non-bituminous material. In some embodiments, two or more mixing drums are used in series, with the non-bituminous material from the first mixing drum being sprayed with additional solvent in the second mixing drum and bitumen laden solvent from the second mixing drum being used as the solvent sprayed over bituminous material in the first mixing drum. Hydrocyclones can also be incorporated in the in system and methods for increased extraction efficiency. | 06-21-2012 |
20120228196 | Methods of Preparing Bituminous Material for Bitumen Extraction - Methods of preparing bituminous material for extraction processing are described. The methods can include mixing bituminous material with hydrocarbon solvent before and/or during a step of crushing the bituminous material to reduce the size of clumps contained in the bituminous material. The steps of adding hydrocarbon solvent and crushing the bituminous material can be carried out multiple times. | 09-13-2012 |
20130006026 | Methods of Transporting Various Bitumen Extraction Products and Compositions Thereof - Methods for transporting bitumen extraction product include providing bitumen-laden aromatic solvent, providing bitumen-laden paraffinic solvent, and blending the two materials. The resulting mixture can be transported through existing pipeline infrastructure and can use existing separation processing equipment, and thereby avoids the need for separate infrastructure for each composition. Combining the two compositions can also avoid undesirable asphaltene precipitation. | 01-03-2013 |
20130025861 | Methods and Systems for In-Situ Extraction of Bitumen - A method for carrying out in-situ bitumen extraction can include a step of forming one or more vertical freeze walls within or around a deposit of bituminous material and establishing a laterally confined deposit of bituminous material; a step of injecting a solvent within the laterally confined deposit of bituminous material; a step of withdrawing a mixture of dissolved bitumen and solvent from within the laterally confined deposit of bituminous material; a step of injecting water within the laterally confined deposit of bituminous material; and a step of withdrawing a mixture of solvent and water from within the laterally confined deposit of bituminous material. | 01-31-2013 |
20130026077 | Methods and Apparatus for Bitumen Extraction - A bitumen extraction method can include the use of a two or more mixing drums aligned in series for spraying solvent over bituminous material and/or tailings loaded in the mixing drums while the mixing drums rotate. Such mixing can result in the dissolution of bitumen into the solvent, which then allows for the separation of a “dilbit” stream from the bituminous material. | 01-31-2013 |
20130026078 | Methods for Extracting Bitumen From Bituminous Material - Methods for preparing solvent-dry, stackable tailings. The method can include the steps of adding a first quantity of solvent to a bitumen material to form a first mixture, separating a first quantity of bitumen-enriched solvent from the first mixture and thereby creating solvent-wet tailings, and adding a quantity of water to the solvent-wet tailings to separate a solvent component from the solvent-wet tailings and thereby forming solvent-dry, stackable tailings. The solvent used in the methods can include paraffinic solvent, such as pentane. | 01-31-2013 |
20130043033 | UPGRADING HYDROCARBON MATERIAL ON OFFSHORE PLATFORMS - Methods and systems for upgrading hydrocarbon on offshore platforms are described. Hydrocarbon material can be extracted from deposits under bodies of water and upgraded on offshore platforms, such as through the use of one or more nozzle reactors. The upgraded hydrocarbon material produced by the nozzle reactor, can than be transported back to shore through pipelines, in part due to the improved viscosity of the upgraded material. | 02-21-2013 |
20130048539 | Methods and Systems for Upgrading Hydrocarbon - Methods and systems for upgrading hydrocarbon are described. The system can include a combustor and a nozzle reactor. The combustor can be used to produce a motive fluid suitable for use in the nozzle reactor. The motive fluid produced by the combustor and a hydrocarbon stream can be injected into the nozzle reactor to upgrade the hydrocarbon material. The systems and methods can also be integrated with a steam assisted gravity drainage system. | 02-28-2013 |
20130058835 | NOZZLE REACTOR AND METHOD OF USE - A nozzle reactor includes a passage having one or more regions with a converging-diverging shape. The nozzle reactor accelerates a reacting fluid to supersonic velocities and mixes it with a feed material. The reacting fluid and the feed material may be pre-heated. The high speed collision between the reacting fluid and the feed material at elevated temperatures causes the materials to react. | 03-07-2013 |
20130092599 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR UPGRADING HYDROCARBON - Methods and systems of upgrading hydrocarbon material, such as bituminous material, are described. The methods and systems can reduce or eliminate the need for the use of atmospheric and/or vacuum distillation towers by instead using clyconic separation apparatus. The methods and systems can include the use of one or more cyclonic separation apparatus aligned in series in order to separate out a high boiling point fraction of the hydrocarbon material and then upgrading the high boiling point hydrocarbon material in a nozzle reactor. | 04-18-2013 |
20130105361 | Nozzle Reactor Systems and Methods of Use | 05-02-2013 |
20130105362 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INTEGRATING BITUMEN EXTRACTION WITH BITUMEN UPG... | 05-02-2013 |
20130161238 | Methods and Systems for Removing Material from Bitumen-Containing Solvent - Methods and systems for preparing bitumen-laden solvent for downstream processing are described. The bitumen-laden solvent can be treated with various materials, such as water and emulsion breakers, followed by treating the bitumen-laden solvent in a desalter. The desalted bitumen-laden solvent can then be subjected to downstream processing, such as upgrading in a nozzle reactor. | 06-27-2013 |
20130206405 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR IN-SITU EXTRACTION OF BITUMEN - Methods and systems for in situ extraction of bitumen from deposits of bitumen-containing material are described. The methods and systems can generally include establishing freeze walls within the deposit of bitumen-containing material to establish a confined zone into which solvents can be injected in order to extract bitumen from the bitumen-containing deposits. Different types of solvents can be sequentially injected in order to extract bitumen and also help reduce the amount of solvent left behind in the deposit. | 08-15-2013 |
20130206647 | PROCESS FOR EXTRACTING BITUMEN AND DRYING THE TAILINGS - A process for separating bitumen from bitumen ore material includes extracting bitumen with a hydrocarbon solvent to produce a bitumen-enriched solvent phase and tailings. The tailings are dried or stripped in a dryer to remove any remaining hydrocarbon solvent. The amount of solvent discharged in the tailings may be less than 4 bbl per 1000 bbl of recovered bitumen. | 08-15-2013 |
20130251597 | NOZZLE REACTOR AND METHOD OF USE - A nozzle reactor includes a passage having one or more regions with a converging-diverging shape. The nozzle reactor accelerates a reacting fluid to supersonic velocities and mixes it with a feed material. The reacting fluid and the feed material may be pre-heated. The high speed collision between the reacting fluid and the feed material at elevated temperatures causes the materials to react. | 09-26-2013 |
20130341245 | Methods and Systems for Upgrading Hydrocarbon Residuum - A hydrocarbon upgrading method is described. The method can generally include a step of providing a nozzle reactor, a step of injecting hydrocarbon residuum into the feed passage of the nozzle reactor, and a step of injecting a cracking material into the main passage of the nozzle reactor, and a step of collecting a product stream exiting the exit opening of the main passage of the nozzle reactor. The hydrocarbon residuum used in the method can be obtained from a hydroconversion-type upgrader, such as an ebullating bed hydrocracker. | 12-26-2013 |
20140110307 | DUAL REACTOR FOR IMPROVED CONVERSION OF HEAVY HYDROCARBONS - An improved hydrocarbon cracking process includes a first reactor such as a nozzle reactor positioned in series with a second reactor such as a tubular reactor. A cracking fluid such as steam or natural gas is reacted with heavy hydrocarbon material in the first reactor. The first reactor may provide a tremendous amount of thermal and kinetic energy that initiates cracking of heavy hydrocarbon materials. The second reactor provides sufficient residence time at high temperature to increase the conversion of heavy hydrocarbon materials to the desired level. The cracking fluid functions as a hydrogen donor in the cracking reactions so that very little of the heavy hydrocarbon material becomes hydrogen depleted and forms coke even if the heavy hydrocarbon material is repeatedly recycled through the process. | 04-24-2014 |