Sodium citrate and caustic as process aids for the extraction of bitumen from mined oil sands

摘要

A process for extracting bitumen from an oil sand ore having a fines content up to about 60% and a bitumen content higher than about 6% is provided, comprising mixing the oil sand ore with heated water to form an oil sand slurry; conditioning the oil sand slurry to form a conditioned oil sand slurry; introducing a dosage of sodium citrate to the process either prior to or during the mixing step, or prior to or during the conditioning step, or both; and introducing the conditioned oil sand slurry into a separation zone to form a bitumen froth and tailings.