Abstract
Abstract Oil sands represent a major world reserve of hydro-carbons. Present processing technology for mined oil sands is based on the hot water extraction process in the only operating plants to date (processing the Athabasca oil sands in Canada). Alternative technologies are of interest, particularly in view of the environmental problems associated with the aqueous effluents of the existing process. As an example of such alternative processes, a solvent extraction flow sheet for the recovery of bitumen from Athabasca oil sands is developed and used as a basis for an economic sensitivity analysis of operating costs and a comparison of the relative significance of process parameters, such as solvent type, solvent:oil sand ratio, solvent recovery efficiencies, etc For the flow sheet examined, a solvent:oil sand ratio of the order of 0.1 is required for overall profitability, necessitating recycle of bitumen solution from the extractor. The sand desolventizer efficiency has a particularly high sensitivity index because of the relatively high cost of solvent. Washing is essential to recover bitumen from solution in the interstices of the waste sand prior to steam stripping.
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