Method for cleaning oil from drill cuttings

摘要

This application relates to an apparatus and method for cleaning drill cuttings recovered from a wellbore. Specifically, the apparatus includes an effective system for handling and washing drill cuttings at a well site to remove hydrocarbon contaminants. The system successively washes hydrocarbon contaminated drill cuttings in organic solvent and water to remove and recover the hydrocarbon contaminates, and produce cleaned drill cuttings that may enable disposal of clean drill cuttings without further treatment.

主权项

1. A drill cuttings cleaning system for cleaning hydrocarbon contaminated drill cuttings comprising:
a wash tank for operatively containing contaminated drill cuttings and a cleaning solvent and enabling counter current flow of contaminated drill cuttings and cleaning solvent with respect to one another, the wash tank having an auger operably contained therein for moving drill cuttings with respect to the solvent for cleaning the contaminated drill cuttings; a drying system operatively connected to the drill cuttings cleaning system for drying cleaned drill cuttings, wherein the drying system comprises:
an angled drying tank having an upper end and a lower end,a drying system auger operatively contained in the drying tank,a drill cuttings inlet adjacent the lower end of the drying tank,a drill cuttings outlet adjacent the upper end of the drying tank, anda solvent vapor outlet attached to the drying tank; and a heating system operatively connected to the drying system for heating drill cuttings within the drying system.