SUPERCRITICAL FLUID EXTRACTION OF BITUMEN FREE SOLIDS SEPARATED FROM ATHABASCA OIL SAND FEED AND HOT WATER PROCESS TAILINGS POND SLUDGE

ABSTRACT

The presence of strongly bound organic matter (SOM), in association with certain solids fractions, causes serious problems in the processability of Athabasca oil sands as well as in the settling and compaction of Hot Water Process tailings pond sludge. It has been demonstrated that a substantial amount of this SOM can be separated from oil sands feed and sludge solids, after removal of bitumen by toluene, using a supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) method. The extracted material is soluble in common organic solvents which allows a direct comparison, between the SOM separated from oil sands and sludges, from the point of view of both gross analysis of the major compound types and detailed analysis of chemical structures.