Oil Recovery from Drill Cuttings via Segmented Thermal Desorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for recovering high-quality oil from oil-based drill cuttings are inefficient, resulting in low oil recovery, high residual oil in solids, excessive energy consumption, equipment costs, and environmental hazards, with the recovered oil often unsuitable for reuse in drilling fluids due to poor quality.
Innovation Solution
A method involving peptizing acid-reactive substrates with acidic reagents under shear, followed by cocurrent mixing with combustion effluent gas in a thermal desorption zone to desorb oil, and subsequent purification to produce reclaimed oil with reduced BTEX concentration, suitable for use in drilling fluids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional thermal desorption methods are used to recover oil from drill cuttings, then oil recovery is achieved, but the recovered oil has high BTEX content and poor quality suitable only for fuel
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal desorption process is divided into multiple temperature zones: a first thermal desorption zone operating at lower temperature (300-500°C) to remove lighter contaminants, and a second thermal desorption zone operating at higher temperature (500-700°C) to remove heavier contaminants including BTEX. This segmented approach allows selective removal of different contaminant types while preserving base oil quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The process utilizes controlled temperature parameter changes across different zones to selectively desorb different components. By maintaining the first zone at lower temperatures and the second zone at higher temperatures, the process changes thermal parameters to achieve differential separation of oil components and contaminants, producing high-quality reclaimed oil with low BTEX content.
2Manufacturing precision
If high temperature thermal desorption is used to improve oil quality, then BTEX is removed, but energy consumption increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The energy-intensive thermal desorption process is segmented into two zones with different temperature requirements. The first zone operates at moderate temperatures (300-500°C) for initial contaminant removal, while the second zone operates at higher temperatures (500-700°C) for targeted BTEX removal. This segmentation distributes energy consumption across stages, avoiding the excessive energy demand of single-stage high-temperature processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The first thermal desorption zone performs preliminary removal of lighter contaminants and volatile components before the material enters the second zone. This preliminary action reduces the load on the high-temperature second zone, thereby reducing the total energy consumption required to achieve the same final oil quality.
3Manufacturing precision
If extensive purification processes are applied to produce high-quality oil, then oil quality improves, but processing time and equipment costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The process merges thermal desorption with in-situ fractionation and purification functions within a single integrated system. The sequential thermal zones simultaneously perform separation, purification, and concentration functions that would traditionally require multiple separate units, thereby reducing equipment complexity and costs while maintaining high oil quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal desorption system performs multiple functions: it acts as a separation unit for different oil components, a purification unit for removing contaminants, and a concentration unit for producing high-quality reclaimed oil. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated equipment for each function, reducing overall device complexity.
4Device complexity
If single-stage thermal desorption is used, then equipment is simpler, but residual oil in solids remains too high for environmental disposal
Solution Approach 1:
The desorption process is segmented into two sequential stages with different temperature profiles. The first stage removes the majority of oil and lighter contaminants, while the second stage removes residual oil and heavier contaminants including BTEX. This segmentation enables the system to achieve low residual oil content (suitable for environmental disposal) without requiring excessively complex equipment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method achieves high oil recovery (up to 80%) with improved oil quality, reduced BTEX content, and environmental suitability, using transportable equipment that minimizes energy consumption and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
peptizing acid-reactive substrates with acidic reagents under shear
Implementation Method 2
cocurrently mixing the peptizate with a combustion effluent gas under turbulent conditions in a thermal desorption zone to heat the peptizate and desorb at least a portion of the oil from the sorbent material
Implementation Method 3
cocurrently mixing the peptizate with a combustion effluent gas under turbulent conditions
Implementation Method 4
contacting the dilute phase with a first heat exchanger at a temperature above 100° C. to produce a first recovered fraction comprising at least 50 wt % of the oil in the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A method to recover oil from an oil bearing substrate, and a reclaimed oil produced thereby having improved properties relative to the oil originally present in the substrate. Fluids comprising the recovered oil are also disclosed.