SUPERCRITICAL BITUMEN FROTH TREATMENT FROM OIL SAND

摘要

A process for treating a bitumen froth comprising bitumen, solids and water toproduce a deasphalted oil product is provided comprising optionally dilutingthe rawbitumen froth with a diluent to form a diluted bitumen froth; separating theraw ordiluted bitumen froth into a light bitumen fraction and a heavy bitumenfractioncomprising bitumen, fine solids and water; mixing the heavy bitumen fractionwith afirst solvent to form a solvent/bitumen mixture; and introducing thesolvent/bitumenmixture into a first extraction vessel operating at a temperature and apressure suchthat the solvent is at or near supercritical conditions to form a heavy phasecomprising asphaltenes, solids and water and a light phase comprisingdeasphaltedoil.