application of a fully continuous sfe process for drilling waste treatment in the oil and gas industry

Supercritical fluid extraction (sfe) is a potential method for the recovery of oil from drilling waste# the objective of this paper is to give an overview of the development of a pilot-scale, fully continuous sfe process for the drilling waste application# this fully continuous sfe process feeds slurried drilling waste (drilling waste mixed with water) and supercritical carbon dioxide into a countercurrent contacting extraction vessel# stable pressures, temperatures and flows have been demonstrated# the quality of the recovered oil is suitable for direct reuse# while the residual solids (waste) is clean (< 1 wt% oil)# this is a major step towards commercializing a continuous sfe process in the oil and gas industry#