A non-aqueous process for producing bitumen from oil sands is provided, and includes contacting oil sands and solvent to produce solvent diluted bitumen and solvent diluted tailings. The solvent diluted bitumen is subjected to a first fines separation stage that produces an overflow solvent diluted bitumen stream with residual fines that is subjected to a second fines separation stage to remove residual fines and produce a solvent diluted bitumen stream, which is subjected to solvent recovery. The fines streams are subjected to washing to produce washed tailings and solvent wash liquor comprising solvent and bitumen. Another non-aqueous process for producing bitumen from oil sands is provided, and includes subjecting oil sands to solvent extraction, including displacing the oil sands material and a solbit counter-currently and horizontally, and recovering a bitumen enriched solbit stream which is subjected to fines separation and subjecting the solvent diluted bitumen stream to solvent recovery.

The present invention discloses systems and methods for supplying hot water for primary extraction in the oil sands bitumen extraction process. Direct contact process and method for producing hot water using mature fine tailings are provided by employing a double staged submerge arrangement with a thickener vessel containing a submerged fuel burner and a hot water vessel containing a submerged fuel burner, a flash submerged arrangement with a flash concentrator vessel containing or adjacent to a fuel burner and a hot water vessel containing a submerged fuel burner or a triple cascade arrangement with a flash concentrator vessel, a thickener vessel containing a submerged fuel burner and a hot water vessel containing a submerged fuel burner.

A method for determining the source of a surface bitumen sheen in an end pit lake formed by water capping of oil sand tailings is provided comprising quantifying bitumen flux using ice core samples of the end pit lake. The high areas of bitumen flux indicate the areas of the end pit lake that should be dredged for reclamation of the end pit lake to prevent the formation of hydrocarbon sheen on the surface of the end pit lake. A method for evaluating reclamation of an end pit lake is also provided.

A method for determining the source of a surface bitumen sheen in an end pit lake formed by water capping of oil sand tailings is provided comprising quantifying bitumen flux using ice core samples of the end pit lake. The high areas of bitumen flux indicate the areas of the end pit lake that should be dredged for reclamation of the end pit lake to prevent the formation of hydrocarbon sheen on the surface of the end pit lake. A method for evaluating reclamation of an end pit lake is also provided.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for recovering mature fine tailings (MFT) from oil sands tailings ponds. Some examples include a hollow, fully enclosed around its perimeter, ideally of cylindrical form, open bottom structure (a hollow conduit), of predetermined geometry, which is placed at the pond surface. The hollow conduit can penetrate MFT deposits to or below a level at which MFT of required density is located. A width or diameter of the hollow conduit can be determined with respect to the MFT inflow velocity and the corresponding shear rate, so as to enable MFT flow into the hollow conduit at a rate matching a rate at which the MFT is removed from the pond (e.g., a recovery rate). An MFT fill level inside the hollow conduit can be kept constant and equal to a required fill level throughout MFT recovery operations. MFT can enter the hollow conduit during MFT recovery operations solely under action of hydraulic head pressure. MFT can be transferred from within the hollow conduit utilizing a mechanical device such as a pump or a siphon, for transfer to shore based facilities and further processing.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for recovering mature fine tailings (MFT) from oil sands tailings ponds. Some examples include a hollow, fully enclosed around its perimeter, ideally of cylindrical form, open bottom structure (a hollow conduit), of predetermined geometry, which is placed at the pond surface. The hollow conduit can penetrate MFT deposits to or below a level at which MFT of required density is located. A width or diameter of the hollow conduit can be determined with respect to the MFT inflow velocity and the corresponding shear rate, so as to enable MFT flow into the hollow conduit at a rate matching a rate at which the MFT is removed from the pond (e.g., a recovery rate). An MFT fill level inside the hollow conduit can be kept constant and equal to a required fill level throughout MFT recovery operations. MFT can enter the hollow conduit during MFT recovery operations solely under action of hydraulic head pressure. MFT can be transferred from within the hollow conduit utilizing a mechanical device such as a pump or a siphon, for transfer to shore based facilities and further processing.

A process for refining sand for use as frac sand includes the steps of passing the sand through a first fines separation stage to remove fine particles of contaminant from the sand, reducing the water content of the sand (such as to less than 20%), passing the sand into an attrition scrubber unit containing moving blades to delaminate clay and other contaminants from the sand grains, passing the sand from the attrition scrubber unit through a second fines separation stage to separate fine contaminants from the sand, and dewatering the resulting sand product in a further dewatering stage.

A process for refining sand for use as frac sand includes the steps of passing the sand through a first fines separation stage to remove fine particles of contaminant from the sand, reducing the water content of the sand (such as to less than 20%), passing the sand into an attrition scrubber unit containing moving blades to delaminate clay and other contaminants from the sand grains, passing the sand from the attrition scrubber unit through a second fines separation stage to separate fine contaminants from the sand, and dewatering the resulting sand product in a further dewatering stage.

A separator system and method may provide a four-way separator that may separate a material and remove a hazardous material. The hazardous material may include gas and sand that may he removed by the four-way separator. The separator system and method may further provide a main unit that may include three chambers or recirculation hoppers, an auger sand extractor, and a strap tank. The separator system and method may provide a faster rig-up time and may be exclusively driven by hydraulics.

A separator system and method may provide a four-way separator that may separate a material and remove a hazardous material. The hazardous material may include gas and sand that may he removed by the four-way separator. The separator system and method may further provide a main unit that may include three chambers or recirculation hoppers, an auger sand extractor, and a strap tank. The separator system and method may provide a faster rig-up time and may be exclusively driven by hydraulics.