Patent ID: 8128827

Claim:
A method for recovering oil from an emulsified oil-based sludge comprising: homogenizing an oil-rich phase, a water-rich phase, and a solids-rich phase of an emulsified oil-based sludge on a pumping skid; transferring the sludge from the pumping skid to a shaker skid; removing particulates from the oil-based sludge as the sludge traverses a shaker screen on the shaker skid; transferring the sludge from the shaker skid to a heating skid; heating the sludge on the heating skid; transferring the sludge from the heating skid to a chemical skid; injecting a chemical into the heated sludge and mixing the chemical with the heated sludge on the chemical skid, wherein the chemical includes at least one demulsifier; transferring the sludge from the chemical skid to a phase separation skid; separating the phases of the chemically-treated sludge into a solids component stream, a water component stream, a first oil component stream, and a gas component stream on the phase separation skid; transferring the first oil component stream from the phase separation skid to a decanter skid; removing solids from the first oil component stream with a decanting centrifuge to form a second oil component stream on the decanter skid; transferring the second oil component stream from the decanter skid to a oil purification skid; and removing water and solids from the second oil component stream with a disk stack centrifuge to form a third oil component stream on the oil purification skid.