Abstract: An apparatus is provided which is a trailer mounted rotating drum having an auger feed, an air tight seal, chain, and spiral and lateral flights within the drum which is heated externally, through which contaminated soil, such as drilling cuttings, is heated and processed to remove and reclaim the contaminants. The decontaminated soil exits through a dual trap door arrangement with the entry and exit door being 180 .degree. apart. A water quench line extends into the drum for dust suppression. The contaminant is typically diesel oil which has been added to drilling muds. The soil which exits the unit is essentially contaminant free, and the diesel oil which has been vaporized during the heating process is condensed and collected.

Abstract: A process for separating vaporous mixtures of hydrocarbons, water and emulsifier derived from the remediation of wellbore fluid, such as a mud containing solid particulate material in which the vaporous mixture is quenched with a hydrocarbon stream which is at a temperature above the boiling point of water and below the boiling point of the hydrocarbons in the vaporous stream. Most of the hydrocarbons in the vaporous stream and substantially all of the emulsifier are condensed into the hydrocarbon quench to form an oil stream. The water is recovered from the hydrocarbon quench as a vaporous stream and quenched with water. The quenched water and any residual heavier hydrocarbons are separated by phase separation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing and treating hydrocarbon-contaminated drill cuttings suspended in drilling mud so that the cuttings are made environmentally acceptable while the hydrocarbon contaminants are contemporaneously captured and returned for use in said drilling mud is disclosed. Using one or more shakers to make a first separation of the cuttings from the mud, a mud stream and a first slurry containing cuttings are produced. The mud stream is fed into a mud pit, while the first slurry is fed into a classifier/grit dewatering unit to separate the cuttings from the slurry to obtain a drill solids discharge. The drill solids discharge is passed into a rotating, heat-jacketed trundle for a time and at a temperature sufficient to vaporize the hydrocarbon contaminants to obtain processed solids and hydrocarbon vapors. The hydrocarbon vapors are captured and condensed to obtain a liquid hydrocarbon, which is delivered to the mud pit for admixture with the mud stream.