US 12,269,762 B2
Methods and systems of dewatering tailings
David Osborne, Redland Bay (AU); James Graham, St. Lucia (AU); Geoff Orr, Shorncliffe (AU); and James C. Fisher, II, Morgantown, WV (US)
Assigned to Somerset International Finance Designated Activity Company, Dublin (IE)
Appl. No. 18/044,338
Filed by Somerset International Finance Designated Activity Company, Dublin (IE)
PCT Filed Sep. 7, 2021, PCT No. PCT/IB2021/058136
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 7, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/053932, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 17, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/075,592, filed on Sep. 8, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0373838 A1, Nov. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. C02F 11/127 (2019.01); B01D 21/02 (2006.01); B01D 21/26 (2006.01); C02F 9/00 (2023.01); C02F 11/147 (2019.01); C10G 1/04 (2006.01); B01D 21/01 (2006.01); C02F 1/52 (2023.01); C02F 103/10 (2006.01); E21B 21/06 (2006.01); E21B 43/34 (2006.01)
CPC C02F 11/127 (2013.01) [B01D 21/02 (2013.01); B01D 21/262 (2013.01); C02F 9/00 (2013.01); C02F 11/147 (2019.01); C10G 1/045 (2013.01); B01D 21/01 (2013.01); C02F 1/52 (2013.01); C02F 2103/10 (2013.01); C02F 2305/04 (2013.01); E21B 21/068 (2013.01); E21B 43/34 (2013.01)] 34 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of treating a stream, the method comprising:
providing a tailings stream, wherein the tailings stream—
(i) has a solids content of about 2% to about 40%, by weight, based on the weight of the tailings stream, and
(ii) comprises a clay, wherein the clay is present in the tailings stream at an amount of at least 0.5%, by absolute abundance, based on the solids content of the tailings stream, and wherein the clay comprises a swelling clay;
dewatering the tailings stream with a dewatering apparatus to produce a first cake and a first residual effluent stream, wherein the first residual effluent stream has a solids content of about 0.2% to about 15%, by weight, based on the weight of the first residual effluent stream;
contacting the first residual effluent stream with one or more additives, wherein the one or more additives are selected from the group consisting of a flocculant, a coagulant, a conditioner, a surfactant, and a seeding agent; and
dewatering the first residual effluent stream with a solid bowl centrifuge to produce a second cake and a second residual effluent stream;
wherein the dewatering apparatus comprises a belt press filter, a horizontal belt vacuum filter, a rotary vacuum drum, a rotary vacuum disc filter, a screen bowl centrifuge, a deep cone/paste thickener, a membrane pressure filter, the solid bowl centrifuge, or an additional solid bowl centrifuge.