There is described a method and apparatus for dewatering or drying mature fine tailings (MFT) associated with oil sands mining operations using ultra-thin-layers, and more particularly a method and apparatus for continuously spreading ultra-thin-layers of MFT over a silica sand substrate and simultaneously harvesting the dried MFT, while at the same time pumping a supply of MFT from a central canal.

The present invention relates to compositions comprising a plant material and methods for using the same. The methods include extracting or removing a substance from a substrate, or remediating a substrate from a substance. The substance can comprise a hydrocarbon-containing substance, a protein, lipid, wax, fatty acid or fatty alcohol, grease, fat, oil or a combination thereof.

A method of extracting bitumen from oil sands having a transition temperature at which the oil sands solidify includes forming formable oil sands into pellets and cooling at least a surface of the pellets sufficiently to prevent the pellets from aggregating; cooling the pellets to below the transition temperature; fracturing the pellets to release the bitumen from the oil sands while maintaining the temperature of the pellets below the transition temperature; and separating the bitumen from the oil sands in a separator.

A method is for thermal separation of a non-polar organic compound from a material by steam distillation, where microwave radiation provides energy to the material, and where a susceptor comprising an organic substance with an electric dipole characteristic is added to and mixed with the material prior to the steam distillation, and the susceptor contributes with vapor to the steam distillation. Use of the susceptor in a steam distillation process is described as well.

In one aspect, a method of optimizing bitumen extraction from mined oil sand ores, using a process having one or more process variables which affect bitumen recovery and/or bitumen froth quality is provided comprising measuring a measure of hydrophobicity of the solids in the ore; and adjusting the one or more process variables in response to the measure of hydrophobicity to increase bitumen recovery and/or improve bitumen froth quality by increasing its bitumen content and/or reducing its solids content.

A bio-oil product is produced from biomass material by subjecting the biomass material to a first stage liquefaction process, where the first stage liquefaction process includes combining the biomass material with a co-solvent including methanol and water to form a first slurry mixture, providing the slurry mixture within a first liquefaction reactor and maintaining the first slurry mixture at a sufficient temperature and pressure so as to convert a portion of the biomass material into a first liquefied bio-oil product as well as form a first aqueous product and a first solid product, and separating the first liquefied bio-oil product from the aqueous and solid products. The solid product obtained from the first stage liquefaction process is subjected to a second stage liquefaction process, where the second stage liquefaction process includes combining the first solid product with methane to form a second slurry mixture, and providing the second slurry mixture within a second liquefaction reactor and maintaining the second slurry mixture at a sufficient temperature and pressure so as to convert a portion of the first solid product to a second liquefied bio-oil product as well as form a second aqueous product and a second solid product.

Processes and systems for the above ground extraction of crude oil from a mud-water slurry well bore mined from oil rich diatomite formations. The slurry is separated into liquid and solid factions, the liquid faction having oil, water and small sized solids, and the solid faction having larger chunks of solids. The solids faction is processed to form a slurry mixture which is cooked to disassociate oil therefrom and is centrifuged to yield an oil/solvent faction, a water faction, and a lowered oil content solids faction. The oil/solvent faction is further processed to separate the oil and solvent. Alternately, the mud-water slurry is treated to form an emulsion having a neutral pH, with solids being removed and the remaining emulsion processed to break the emulsion by removal of water as a vapor to recovery crude oil, with remaining crude oil in the solids being further processed.

A process for extracting bitumen from oil sand ore to produce a bitumen froth having reduced solids is provided, comprising mixing the oil sand ore with water and a first process aid comprising at least one surfactant to form an oil sand slurry; conditioning the oil sand slurry to produce a conditioned oil sand slurry; and introducing the conditioned oil sand slurry into a separation zone for forming the bitumen froth having reduced solids.

The present invention relates to a method for treating carbonaceous materials by steam thermolysis, comprising: shredding carbonaceous waste materials; introducing the shredded carbonaceous waste materials into a reactor heated by combustion gases, gases laden with steam being introduced into the reactor so as to heat said shredded carbonaceous waste materials to a temperature between 200 and 700 C. during a steam thermolysis reaction; cooling the combustion gases to a temperature between 200 and 450 C. and discharging said gases; discharging from the reactor the vapor/gas products formed in the reactor by steam thermolysis, followed by condensation of said products; separating the condensate obtained from said condensation into water containing residual hydrocarbons and into oil, and the water from the condensate being used as a source of heat energy for the reactor. The present invention also relates to a device for implementing the invention.

A method of electro treating tailings in a containment structure to cause a separation of at least some water from said tailings and a consolidation and compaction of at least some solid particles is shown. The method includes placing a plurality of first electrodes in the tailings to be treated generally along one side of a predetermined volume and placing a plurality of second electrodes in the tailings to be treated generally along an opposite side of said volume to the plurality of first electrodes, said first and second electrodes being spaced apart by a predetermined distance. The next step is applying a treatment current across said distance between said spaced first and second electrodes to create an electrical field which causes solids to consolidate at one of said plurality of first and second electrodes; and creating a geotechnical structure within said volume comprised of dewatered solids consolidated from said tailings around one of said electrodes. The geotechnical structure may be a layer at the bottom of the containment structure, along a side of the containment structure or across the top of a containment structure.