Patent ID: 6746599
Filing Date: 2004-06-08
Classification: C10G

Abstract:
A process for cleaning naphtha-diluted bitumen froth (â€œdilfrothâ€ ) comprising bitumen and naphtha hydrocarbons contaminated with water and solids, the solids comprising sand and fine clay particles (â€œfinesâ€ ), comprising:providing a splitter vessel forming a vapor-tight chamber for gravity settling, said vessel having an overflow outlet at its upper end, an underflow outlet at its lower end and means for feeding incoming dilfroth into the chamber; feeding dilfroth into the chamber through the feed means and temporarily retaining it therein so that the dilfroth separates to form a bottom layer of tails comprising aqueous middlings and sand, said tails containing some hydrocarbons, an intermediate layer of rag comprising water, fines and hydrocarbons collected in discrete three dimensional structures, said rag layer having a horizontal cross-sectional area, and a top layer of raw dilbit comprising hydrocarbons containing some water and fines, said middlings combining with the rag and dilbit to create a discernible hydrocarbons/water interface; the feed means being operative to directly feed the incoming dilfroth into the middlings; removing dilbit through the overflow outlet; and removing tails through the underflow outlet, said tails containing less than 20 wt. % of the hydrocarbons in the froth.