Patent ID: 8820438

Claim:
A drill cuttings cleaning system for cleaning hydrocarbon contaminated drill cuttings comprising: a pipe and auger system for operatively containing contaminated drill cuttings and a cleaning solvent and enabling counter current flow of contaminated drill cuttings and cleaning solvent with respect to one another wherein rotation of an auger within the pipe and auger system effects movement of drill cuttings with respect to the solvent for cleaning the contaminated drill cuttings; and a drying system operatively connected to the drill cuttings cleaning system for drying cleaned drill cuttings, wherein the drying system comprises: an angled pipe having an upper end and a lower end; a drying system auger operatively contained in the angled pipe; a drill cuttings inlet adjacent the lower end of the angled pipe; a drill cuttings outlet adjacent the upper end of the angled pipe; a solvent vapour outlet attached to the angled pipe; and a heating system operatively connected to the drying system for heating drill cuttings within the drying system.