Hugh William Gagon
Plumbers in Salt Lake City, UT

4342639, Aug 3, 1982

Jul 22, 1980

6/171137

Hugh W. Gagon - West Valley City UT

C10G 104

208 11LE

Bituminous sand such as oil sand or tar sand is mixed with a halogenated organic solvent which has a density greater than that of water at the same temperature. The slurry is continuously transferred to a conveyor system which is at least partially submerged in water, with the slurry being fed onto the portion of the conveyor which is submerged. As the sands move through the water on the conveyor, the organic solvent containing the bituminous material separates from the sand and forms a separate phase beneath the water. The sands ultimately move upwardly on the conveyor through the surface of the water. The organic phase is removed from beneath the water surface and the halogenated solvent is flashed therefrom in a flash evaporator chamber. Solvent vapors are withdrawn from the evaporator chamber by a compressor, and the compressed vapors are introduced into a condenser chamber. A heat exchange medium is continuously circulated between the condenser and evaporator chambers, with heat being transferred from the heat exchange medium in the evaporator and back to the heat exchange medium in the condenser.

4387016, Jun 7, 1983

Nov 10, 1980

6/207145

Hugh W. Gagon - West Valley City UT

C10G 104

208 11LE

A process for separating and recovering bituminous material from tar sand and other viscous petroleum deposits, either in-situ or after mining the deposits. The process may also apply to heavy oil wells and to secondary and tertiary recovery of oil from wells. The bituminous-containing matter is contacted within a confined space with the vapors of a halogenated, organic solvent, whereby the bituminous material separates from the other matter. The bituminous material accumulates at the bottom of the confined space and is recovered therefrom.