Title: Treatment Of Crude Oil Contaminated Drill Cuttings
Authors: Yelebe Blessing Zekieni, Owei L. Youpele
Volume: 10
Issue: 1
Pages: 56-61
Publication Date: 2026/01/28
Abstract:
The oil content, which was found to be the main contaminant in drilling wastes from various oil producers, was measured in this study using retort analysis. The oil-contaminated drill cuttings were then treated using a Low Thermal Desorption Process. Following treatment, the recovered cuttings were examined for residual oil levels and associated contaminants using retort testing and other globally recognized techniques. An average residual oil content of 0.7% in the treated material was found to be in compliance with Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) standards, which is significantly below the DPR regulatory threshold of 1%. These findings suggest that the Low Thermal Desorption Process has great potential as a remediation method for reducing drilling waste pollution in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.