Patent ID: 7569137
Filing Date: 2009-08-04
Classification: C02F,C10G

Abstract:
1. A sealed process for treating a solvent diluted tailings component, comprising heated water, particulate mineral solids, precipitated asphaltenes and residual bitumen and solvent, said component having been derived from bitumen froth by dilution and mixing of the bitumen froth with solvent and separation of the resulting diluted bitumen froth into a diluted bitumen component and said solvent diluted tailings component, comprising: first subjecting the whole solvent diluted tailings component to a solvent recovery separation by pressure moderation to recover substantially all of the solvent in the solvent diluted tailings component as a separate recovered solvent component and produce a solvent recovered tailings component containing water, solids, precipitated asphaltenes and residual bitumen and solvent; second subjecting the solvent recovered tailings component to gravity separation to separately produce an overflow stream of clarified heated water and an underflow stream mainly comprising solids, precipitated asphaltenes and water; and recycling at least part of the clarified heated water for re-use in the process.