Patent ID: 8871083
Filing Date: 2014-10-28
Classification: C10G

Abstract:
1. A method for extracting hydrocarbons from oil sand, comprising the steps: a1) producing a first suspension from oil sand and a first organic extractant; a2) transferring the first suspension into at least one settling tank, in the lower region of which particles of the first suspension settle by sedimentation; a3) removing a first subquantity of the first suspension from an upper region of the at least one settling tank into at least one sedimenting centrifuge, which may have the form of a decanter, by means of which a first extract phase containing extracted hydrocarbons is separated from a residue phase; a4) forming a second suspension comprising (i) a second subquantity of the first suspension from a lower region of the at least one settling tank and (ii) the residue phase, but not the separated first extract phase, from the at least one sedimenting centrifuge; b1) transferring the second suspension into at least one filter apparatus comprising a continuous rotary filter, by means of which a filter cake comprising filterable particles of the second suspension is separated from a majority of second extract phase; c1) expelling a residual quantity of second extract phase containing extracted hydrocarbons from the filter cake, by pressurizing steam through the filter cake by means of a first steaming unit, wherein the continuous rotary filter is used in combination with the first unit so that the separations of the filter cake according to step b1) and step c1) are carried out successively in the filter apparatus; and d1) delivering the first extract phase seperated by the at least one sedimenting centrifuge and the second extract phase expelled from the filter cake to a processing system, wherein the first extract phase separated by the at least one sedimenting centrifuge bypasses the at least one filter apparatus.