Patent ID: 7416671

Claim:
A process for phase separation of a slurry containing a mixture of a solids fraction and an oil and water fraction, the process comprising the steps of: depositing the slurry into a receiving hopper at an input point of a separation process, the receiving hopper having an outlet, wherein the receiving hopper is free of phase separation devices; supplying the slurry from the outlet of the receiving hopper into a mixing chamber of a jet pump at the input point of the separation process, the jet pump being supplied with wash fluid from a power source, wherein the jet pump operates at a Reynolds number above 250,000; agitating the slurry within the mixing chamber of the jet pump to effect an initial partial to full phase separation of the oil and water fraction from the solids fraction of the slurry; discharging the partially to fully separated oil and water fraction and solids fraction of the slurry from the jet pump into a pipeline for continued separation through mixing and contact with the wash fluid within the pipeline; and discharging the partially to fully separated mixture of the oil and water fraction and the solids fraction of the slurry from the pipeline into a phase separation device to effect a second phase separation of the slurry and produce a first output stream comprising the solids fraction and a second output stream comprising the oil and water fraction.