Zoran Markanovic

Mukesh Kapila

Neale Browne

Catalin Ivan

Paul Newman

Paul Gover

Arthur Martin

Glenn Antle

Robert Hood

The present invention relates to a system and a method for the extraction of hydrocarbons from drill cuttings in drilling mud. The system for extracting hydrocarbons from drill cuttings includes at least one extraction tank, a carbon dioxide tank fluidly connected to the at least one extraction tank, and at least one separation tank in fluid communication with the at least one extraction tank. The method for extracting hydrocarbons from drill cuttings consists of exposing the drill cuttings to liquid carbon dioxide, solubilizing hydrocarbons from the drill cuttings with the liquid carbon dioxide, heating the liquid carbon dioxide and the soluble hydrocarbons to convert liquid carbon dioxide to carbon dioxide vapor, separating the hydrocarbons from the carbon dioxide vapor, and collecting the separated hydrocarbons.

Method for hydrocarbon removal and recovery from drill cuttings

An apparatus for electrophoretically removing contaminants from an oil-based drilling fluid includes a housing, a drum, a means for rotating the drum, and a scraper head. The drum is retained within the housing above the housing floor. The oil-based drilling fluid is directed along the housing floor, contacting both the housing floor and the drum. A negative charge is applied to the drum and a positive charge is applied to the housing, creating an electrical field through the fluid. Drilling fluid contaminants are attracted to and collect upon the drum outer surface. The means for rotating the drum turns the drum through the fluid and collected contaminants remain on the drum outer surface. The scraper removes the collected contaminants from the drum outer surface as it rotates. A method for removing contaminants from an oil-based drilling fluid includes directing the contaminated into the electrically charged housing, adjusting the drum height of the oppositely electrically charged drum so that it contacts the fluid, rotating the drum to remove the contaminants collected thereon from the fluid, and scraping the drum with a nonconductive scraper head to remove the contaminants.

Method and apparatus for purifying an oil-based fluid

An improved thermal phase separation unit separates contaminants from a contaminated substrate. The improved thermal phase separation unit includes an enclosure arranged to withstand temperatures created by a combustion system, an essentially air-tight processing chamber supported within the enclosure by support columns connected between the processing chamber and a bottom of the enclosure, a heat shield disposed between the processing chamber and the bottom of the enclosure, and a vapor handling system arranged to remove vapor from the processing chamber. The combustion system heats the processing chamber, and, in turn, indirectly heats contaminated substrate being processed in the processing chamber so as to volatize contaminants in the contaminated substrate to vapor that is subsequently removed by the vapor handling system.

Method and apparatus for thermal phase separation

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Halifax, Canada

Zoran Markanovic