Oil removal from hydrocarbon contaminated cuttings

Abstract From the Canadian patent

Drill cuttings contaminated with hydrocarbon such as diesel oil, kerosene or mineral oil from, residual drilling mud are cleaned up to a solid particulate form containing very low amounts of residual hydrocarbon by means of an integrated four-step treatment process. In the first step, the cuttings are conditioned to destroy the complex fluid structure of the material and to break up agglomerations and clumps of solid particles into individual particles. Preferably this is accomplished by addition of a compatible hydrocarbon diluent under shearing agitation. Secondly the destabilized contaminated cuttings are subjected to centrifugation to separate excess liquid. Thirdly the residual solids …