A process for recovering bitumen, or heavy petroleum, from admixture with sand and similar inorganic materials wherein said bitumen-sand mixture is mixed with an aqueous solution of an ammonium salt selected from ammonium sulfite, ammonium bisulfite and mixtures thereof to form a second mixture comprising said aqueous ammonium salt solution, bitumen and sand; wherein said second mixture is heated to a temperature in the range of about 120.degree. F. (45.degree. C.) to about 260.degree. F. (127.degree. C.) and is separated into a bitumen phase free of sand, an aqueous phase and a sand phase.