Patent ID: 8025341
Filing Date: 2011-09-27
Classification: B01D,B03B,B03D,C10G,E21C

Abstract:
1. A process line apparatus for mining an oil sands ore body, the process line apparatus comprising: an excavator for mining oil sands ore from the oil sands ore body; a mobile slurry facility located in a slurry facility position with respect to the oil sands ore body; a comminutor for receiving mined ore from the excavator and comminuting the mined ore to conveyable size; and a mobile conveyor having a free end, a discharge end and at least one drive for advancing the conveyor through an operational arc generally about the discharge end, the mobile conveyor having at least one conveyor belt for receiving comminuted ore from the comminutor, conveying the comminuted ore to the discharge end, and discharging the comminuted ore from the discharge end to a discharge point at a location proximate the discharge end, the discharge end including a location sensor operably configured to sense a discharge target and to provide feedback for locating the discharge point with respect to the discharge target to facilitate the discharge end being located to transfer the comminuted ore to the mobile slurry facility; whereby the excavator mines a section of ore within operational reach along the length of the mobile conveyor and supplies the mined ore to the comminutor, and the comminutor supplies conveyable ore to the mobile conveyor, and wherein the mobile conveyor is periodically moved about the discharge end to locate another portion of the ore body within operational reach of the mobile conveyor and the discharge end is periodically moved in response to the feedback from the location sensor to align the discharge point to maintain the transfer of the comminuted ore to the mobile slurry facility, until substantially all of the ore body within the operational arc has been mined while the mobile slurry facility is located in the slurry facility position.