Chevron U.s.a. Inc.

Thomas Peargin

David Glynn Thomas

Roderick James Travis

A method and apparatus for remediating porous contaminated material. In the method, fuel material is combined with the contaminated material and a smoldering combustion process is initiated in the contaminated material to remediate the contaminated material. Control systems are provided to control the smoldering combustion process. The contaminated material may include oily waste, asbestos fibers, and/or at least one of a chlorinated solvent, a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), a dioxin, a furan and a polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH).

Thermal treatment of a contaminated volume of material

A method for treating a volume of porous contaminated material is described. A combustible mixture () comprising a porous matrix and a distributed combustible contaminant is conveyed to a reaction vessel () having an ignition system (). The ignition system is activated to initiate a smoldering combustion process in the reaction vessel and an oxidizer is distributed into the reaction vessel to sustain the smoldering combustion process. The porous matrix may comprise drill cuttings () with residual drilling fluid.

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El Cerrito, CA, United States of America

Thomas Peargin