During the process of oil sands mining, bitumen is produced in primary extraction. it’s usually 50 to 60% bitumen (much of that being solids) and the rest is made up of water. It’s low grade froth that must be processed to reduce the viscosity of the bitumen. There are two main goals with froth treatment. The first is to remove as much of the water and solids as possible. The second is to recover the hydrocarbons and recycle them back into the process. One of the best ways to accomplish both goals is to install the Komax Inline Steam Heater.

The Komax Inline Steam Heater is ideal in conventional froth treatments. Solvent naphtha is used at a relatively low ratio, which helps to destablize emulsion. With the help of the heat, you can upgrade the bitumen and produce synthetic crude oil.

The Inline Steam Heater is the perfect tool for this job. It offers high heating efficiency, nearly 100%, as well as low capital costs, low noise production, and virtually no vibration. It is available in many sizes, from 2″ to 30″, and it comes in carbon steel, 316L and 317L stainless steel construction. It’s also nearly 25% more efficient than other heat exchangers.

Interested in learning more about how Komax can help? No matter what the application or the market, we’re here with the customized solutions to simplify things for your company. Contact us today to learn more.