A flocculant, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, includes a core nanoparticle and at least one positively charged functional group on a surface of the core nanoparticle. The nanoparticle may comprise a silica, alumina, titania, iron oxide, iron nitride, iron carbide, or a carbon-based nanoparticle. The flocculant may be used, in a method of bitumen recovery, to neutralize and agglomerate bitumen droplets and/or mineral particles derived from oil sands ore. The bitumen droplets agglomerate about the core nanoparticle of the flocculant to form bitumen flocs, while the mineral particles agglomerate about the core nanoparticle of the flocculant to form mineral flocs. The buoyant bitumen flocs may then separate from the dense mineral flocs to enable high-yield recovery of bitumen from oil sands.

A system and method for torrefying a combination of biomass and biochar colloidal dispersion is provided.

A method of reducing settling of residual comminuted hydrocarbonaceous material during processing can comprise forming a constructed permeability control infrastructure which defines a substantially encapsulated volume; introducing a composite comminuted hydrocarbonaceous material into the control infrastructure to form a permeable body, said composite hydrocarbonaceous material comprising a comminuted hydrocarbonaceous material and a structural material; and heating the permeable body sufficient to remove hydrocarbons therefrom such that the hydrocarbonaceous material is substantially stationary during heating, exclusive of subsidence and settling. The structural material can provide structural integrity to the permeable body sufficient to maintain convective flow of fluids throughout the permeable body during heating.

A processing unit and method for separating hydrocarbons from feedstock material. The processing unit includes at least one rotating conveyor in communication with a material inlet and a material outlet; a vacuum pump providing a vacuum atmosphere within the rotating conveyor; at least one material transfer device positioned at the material inlet and at least one material transfer device positioned at the material outlet, each material transfer device configured to allow transfer of feedstock material into or out of the rotating conveyor whilst maintaining the vacuum atmosphere within the rotating conveyor; and an electrostatic generator connected to the rotating conveyor providing a static charge to the vacuum atmosphere within the rotating conveyor. The method includes rotating the feedstock material in at least one rotating conveyor in communication with a material inlet and a material outlet; providing a vacuum atmosphere within the rotating conveyor; providing a static charge to the vacuum atmosphere within the rotating conveyor; transferring the feedstock material into and out of the rotating conveyor through at least one material transfer device positioned at the material inlet and at least one material transfer device positioned at the material outlet, each material transfer device allowing transfer of feedstock material into or out of the rotating conveyor whilst maintaining the vacuum atmosphere within the rotating conveyor.

A processing method for perennially and deeply polluted sludge containing oils and water, waste residues, or oil sands in natural oil mines, and a processing system thereof. In the method, a solid substance containing oils and water is in full contact with an organic liquid solvent with a low boiling point and a weak polarity or no polarity at room temperature under pressurized condition to extract oil and water from the solid substance to the liquid, the organic solvent with low boiling point and low latent heat is easily separated from oil and water in the liquid after solid-liquid separation by decompression or heating evaporation, the gas solvent is compressed and condensed for recycling, the extracted oil and water are subjected to oil-water separation, and the extracted oil may be used as fuel or used for refining.

A method for recovering hydrocarbon diluent present in froth treatment tailings, comprising introducing the tailings into a vessel; adding a first portion of steam into the vessel to form a vapour-tailings interface; and operating the vessel to increase the exposure of the tailings to the vapour-tailings interface formed in the vessel.

A process for the treatment of thick fine tailings that include constituents of concern (CoCs) and suspended solids is provided. The process includes subjecting the thick fine tailings to treatments including chemical immobilization of the CoCs, polymer flocculation of the suspended solids, and dewatering. The chemical immobilization can include the addition of compounds enabling the insolubilization of the CoCs. Subjecting the thick fine tailings to chemical immobilization and polymer flocculation can facilitate production of a reclamation-ready material, which can enable disposing of the material as part of a permanent aquatic storage structure (PASS).

A process for the removal of heavy oil/bitumen from oil/hydrocarbon wet and/or water wet tar sand. The tar sand is mixed with an inorganic liquid such as water or a treated effluent and an inorganic solid which is a silicate or metasilicate for a period of time sufficient for the inorganic liquid and the inorganic solid to interact and strip the heavy oil/bitumen from the tar sand. The process includes additional steps to produce clean heavy oil/bitumen and clear effluent.

Pipeline quality bitumen containing less than 0.5 wt. % water and solids may be produced by conditioning oil sands ore in a water-based bitumen extraction process by adding a solvent to the ore before or during a step of creating an aqueous slurry; and agitating the slurry; separating the bitumen diluted with the solvent from water and coarse solids; thermally dehydrating the diluted bitumen at a temperature above about 100 C and below the boiling point of the solvent; separating any remaining fine solids and precipitates by gravitational separation; and recovering the solvent by distillation.

A method for processing a froth treatment tailings separated from a bitumen froth produced in a process for recovering bitumen from oil sand ore, includes subjecting the froth treatment tailings to a first solvent extraction process to produce a first extract including bitumen, and a first raffinate, subjecting the first raffinate to a separation process to produce a fine mineral material fraction including fine solid mineral material having a particle size less than 44 microns and a coarse mineral material fraction including a coarse mineral material having a particle size equal to or greater than 44 microns, subjecting the coarse mineral material fraction to a froth flotation process to produce a heavy mineral concentrate and a coarse mineral material tailings, and subjecting the heavy mineral concentrate to a second solvent extraction process to produce a second extract including bitumen and a second raffinate including a debitumenized heavy mineral concentrate.