Patent ID: 8894320

Claim:
A method comprising: depositing a material containing well cuttings and well fluids on a grate having a first end and a second end; vibrating said material to separate well fluids from well cuttings such that at least a portion of said well fluids passes through said grate and well cuttings move from said first end to said second end of said grate; depositing said portion of said well fluids to a first compartment, wherein said grate is positioned above said first compartment and said portion of said well fluids moves through said grate and into said first compartment; depositing said well cuttings from said second end of said grate into a second compartment, wherein said first compartment and second compartment are isolated such that well fluids in said first compartment do not contact well in said second compartment; removing said well cuttings from said second compartment; depositing said well cuttings from said second compartment onto a slide extending from said first end to said second end of said grate wherein said slide has a receiving end positioned approximately above said second end and a supply end positioned proximate to said first end; moving said well cuttings from said receiving end to said supply end to thus recycle said well cuttings from said second compartment back to said first end of said grate to further separate well fluids from said well cuttings until no more well fluids are removed from said well cuttings to thus produce mostly dry well cuttings; mixing a neutralizing compound with said mostly dry well cuttings to neutralize any remaining well fluids on said well cuttings to thus produce neutralized well cuttings; and disposing of said neutralized well cuttings.