A new process for ultrasonic-assisted surfactant extraction of bitumen from Buton oil sands is performed. The microstructure and composition of Buton oil sands are characterized. The results demonstrated that its inorganic mineral contains 95.2% calcite and the particle size is mostly 2-5 mu m. The extraction experiments show that the bitumen recovery ratio of nonylphenol polyoxyethylene ether (NP-12) is 91.6%. Ethylene oxide number and hydrophile-lipophile balance have significant effects on the bitumen recovery ratio. In addition, the bitumen recovery ratio of NP-12 can still reach 90.2% after being recycled five times.