RECOVERY OF OIL FROM TAR SANDS USING WATER-EXTERNAL MICELLAR DISPERSIONS

• US 3,644,194 A
• Filed: 12/29/1969
• Issued: 02/22/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marathon Oil Company (Marathon Oil Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Deceased Keely, Fred H. Poettman
• Inventors: Keely, deceased, Poettman, Fred H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, Curtis R.
• Application Number:
  US04/888,899
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 208/11
• US Class Current: 208/390
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/047 Hot water or cold water extraction processes

Abstract

Oil from tar sands is recovered by contacting the tar sands with a water-external micellar dispersion in amounts sufficient to solubilize at least portions of the oil from the tar sands. Thereafter, the solubilized oil within the micellar dispersion is separated from the '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'spent'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' tar sands and the oil is recovered from the micellar dispersion. To facilitate the solubilization, the micellar dispersion can have a pH of about 7-14 and the micellar dispersion and/or the tar sand can be heated to temperatures above 100* F. Volume amounts of about 0.05 to about 30 volumes of micellar dispersion per volume of tar sand is useful with the invention. The micellar dispersion contains hydrocarbon, surfactant, aqueous medium, and optionally cosurfactant and/or electrolyte.

Claims

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the micellar dispersion is at a temperature in excess of about 100* F.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the water within the micellar dispersion has a pH within the range of about 7-14.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the micellar dispersion is comprised of hydrocarbon, petroleum sulfonate, and aqueous medium.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein the micellar dispersion contains cosurfactant, electrolyte, or cosurfactant and electrolyte.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein from about 0.05 to about 30 volumes of the micellar dispersion per volume of tar sand is used in the process.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the micellar dispersion is at a temperature in excess of 150* F.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein from about 0.1 to about 15 volumes of the micellar dispersion per volume of tar sand is used in the process.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the micellar dispersion contains volume amounts of about 1 percent to about 50 percent hydrocarbon, about 40 percent to about 95 percent aqueous medium, at least about 4 percent surfactant and optionally about 0.01 percent to about 20 percent cosurfactant and/or about 0.001 to about 5 percent by weight of electrolyte.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein sufficient hydrocarbon diluent is mixed with the micellar dispersion containing solubilized oil to lower the viscosity to about 30 to about 1,000 cp. at ambient temperature.

11. A process of recovering oil from tar sands comprising comminuting the tar sands, contacting the comminuted tar sands with about 0.05 to about 30 volumes of a micellar dispersion per volume of tar sands, the micellar dispersion comprised of about 1 percent to about 50 percent hydrocarbon, at least about 4 percent of a petroleum sulfonate having an average equivalent weight within the range of about 350 to about 520, and about 40 percent to about 95 percent aqueous medium, permitting the micellar dispersion to solubilize at least a portion of the oil from the tar sands, then separating the sands from the micellar dispersion containing the solubilized oil and thereafter recovering the oil from the micellar dispersion.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein the micellar dispersion is at a temperature in excess of 100* F.

13. The process of claim 11 wherein the micellar dispersion contains about 0.01 percent to about 20 percent by volume of cosurfactant and about 0.001 percent to about 5 percent by weight of electrolyte.

14. The process of claim 11 wherein the pH of the micellar dispersion is within the range of about 7 to about 14.

15. The process of claim 11 wherein sufficient hydrocarbon diluent is admixed with the micellar dispersion containing the solubilized oil to lower the viscosity of the micellar dispersion to about 30 to about 1,000 cp. at ambient temperature.