Patent ID: 8535485

Claim:
A system for forming an oil sand slurry from mined oil sand, comprising: a slurry preparation tower having a descending sequence of components for preparing the oil sand slurry without requiring a screen to screen out oversized lumps, comprising: an intake opening through which mined oil sand enters the slurry preparation tower; a first sizer device operative to comminute oil sand passing through the first sizer to a first upper size threshold; a second sizer device operative to comminute oil sand passing through the second sizer to a second upper size threshold, wherein the second upper size threshold is less than the first upper size threshold; and a pump box for receiving oil sand that has passed through the second sizer and feeding it to a pump; at least one conveyor, having a discharge end, for transporting mined oil sand to the slurry preparation tower; a metal detector for detecting a piece of metal in the mined oil sand during the transport of the mined oil sand to the slurry preparation tower, and transmitting a signal; and a metal rejection device operative to, in response to the signal from the metal detector, reject a portion of mined oil sand containing the piece of metal before the portion of mined oil sand enters the slurry preparation tower.