Patent ID: 8147682
Filing Date: 2012-04-03
Classification: C10G

Abstract:
1. A process for recovering heat in the form of cleaned warm water and residual bitumen from oil sand tailings produced during an oil sands extraction process, said oil sand tailings including coarse solids, warm water, fines and bitumen, comprising the following steps in series: screening out at least a portion of larger coarse solids from the oil sand tailings to produce a screened tailings fraction; feeding the screened tailings fraction to at least one hydrocyclone to remove at least a portion of smaller coarse solids to produce a smaller coarse solids fraction comprising about 20 wt % of the warm water and a reduced solids tailings fraction comprising fines, bitumen and about 80 wt % of the warm water; separating the reduced solids tailings fraction into no more than two fractions, a bitumen fraction and a warm water and fines fraction, by subjecting the reduced solids tailings fraction to at least one flotation device; and removing at least a portion of the fines from the warm water and fines fraction in at least one thickener to produce cleaned warm water and a concentrated fines fraction.