A method for drying or pyrolysing a solid organic feed material which comprises: (a) supplying the solid organic feed material to an inlet of a pyrolysis reaction chamber; (b) moving the solid organic material through the reaction chamber from the inlet to a downstream end of the chamber and exposing the organic material to a temperature profile in the chamber that dries and pyrolyses the organic material and releases water vapour and a volatile products gas phase, having condensable components, from the organic material as the organic material moves through the chamber, wherein the temperature profile in the reaction chamber comprises the following temperature zones extending successively along the length of the reaction chamber from the upstream end of the chamber: a first temperature zone for water condensation (Zone 1), a second temperature zone for water vaporisation (Zone 2), a third temperature zone for oil condensation (Zone 3), and a fourth temperature zone for oil vaporisation and forming the dried and pyrolysed product (Zone 4); (c) moving the water vapour phase and the volatile products gas phase produced by heating the solid organic material in step (b) through the reaction chamber in a direction counter to that of the solid organic material so that the water vapour phase and condensable components of the volatile products gas phase condense in cooler upstream sections of the chamber and form a liquid water product and a separate liquid oil product; and (d) discharging the liquid water product via an outlet along the length of the chamber and a dried and pyrolysed solid product from a downstream outlet in the chamber. (a) supplying the solid organic feed material to an inlet of a pyrolysis reaction chamber; (b) moving the solid organic material through the reaction chamber from the inlet to a downstream end of the chamber and exposing the organic material to a temperature profile in the chamber that dries and pyrolyses the organic material and releases water vapour and a volatile products gas phase, having condensable components, from the organic material as the organic material moves through the chamber, wherein the temperature profile in the reaction chamber comprises the following temperature zones extending successively along the length of the reaction chamber from the upstream end of the chamber: a first temperature zone for water condensation (Zone 1), a second temperature zone for water vaporisation (Zone 2), a third temperature zone for oil condensation (Zone 3), and a fourth temperature zone for oil vaporisation and forming the dried and pyrolysed product (Zone 4); (c) moving the water vapour phase and the volatile products gas phase produced by heating the solid organic material in step (b) through the reaction chamber in a direction counter to that of the solid organic material so that the water vapour phase and condensable components of the volatile products gas phase condense in cooler upstream sections of the chamber and form a liquid water product and a separate liquid oil product; and (d) discharging the liquid water product via an outlet along the length of the chamber and a dried and pyrolysed solid product from a downstream outlet in the chamber. <EOS>