Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Process for treating high paraffin diluted bitumen
- Patent Title (中): 高石蜡稀释沥青处理方法
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Application No.: US14001660Application Date: 2012-02-01
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Publication No.: US09587176B2Publication Date: 2017-03-07
- Inventor: Shawn van der Merwe , Ilie Cheta
- Applicant: Shawn van der Merwe , Ilie Cheta
- Applicant Address: CA Calgary
- Assignee: FORT HILLS ENERGY L.P.
- Current Assignee: FORT HILLS ENERGY L.P.
- Current Assignee Address: CA Calgary
- Agency: Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP
- Priority: CA2733332 20110225
- International Application: PCT/CA2012/050058 WO 20120201
- International Announcement: WO2012/113074 WO 20120830
- Main IPC: C10G1/04
- IPC: C10G1/04 ; C10G21/28

Abstract:
A paraffinic solvent recovery process for treating high paraffin diluted bitumen includes supplying the latter to flashing apparatus; separating into flashed paraffinic solvent and diluted bitumen underflow; and returning a portion of the underflow as returned diluted bitumen into the high paraffin diluted bitumen prior to introduction into the flashing apparatus, at temperature and amount to shift asphaltene precipitation equilibrium to reduce asphaltene precipitation. The process includes pre-heating the high paraffin diluted bitumen by transferring heat from hot dry bitumen, flashed paraffinic solvent and/or a portion of diluted bitumen underflow. Flashed paraffinic solvent may contain residual light end bitumen contaminants that increase asphaltenes solubility and the process may include removing contaminants to produce reusable paraffinic solvent at given solvent-to-bitumen ratio range to maintain given asphaltene precipitation. The process may also include a bitumen fractionation column producing hot dry bitumen underflow containing at most 0.5 wt % paraffinic solvent.
Public/Granted literature
- US20140083911A1 PROCESS FOR TREATING HIGH PARAFFIN DILUTED BITUMEN Public/Granted day:2014-03-27
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