System to accelerate stabilization of drill cuttings

An integrated unit for the treatment of drill cuttings, comprising a vertical stack in a cylindrical tank of the following components:

• a mixing unit in the upper portion comprising one or more measuring devices for measuring the composition of the wet drill cuttings before being furnished to a wet drill cuttings inlet, a binder inlet, an additive inlet, a water inlet, and a vapour inlet, said mixing unit arranged for mixing the compounds, with a milling and crushing unit for milling the mixture and arranged for feeding to a mixture outlet,
• wherein one or more dosage units are arranged at said one or more inlets for furnishing the required amount of binder, additive, water and/or vapour respectively for the formation of a desired mixture,
• said mixing outlet arranged for feeding the mixture down to an underlying first intermediate storage area with a bottom formed by a first conical internal cover arranged for leading said mixture downwards to a peripheral inlet at the rim of an underlying first upwardly tapered granulating unit which is arranged for milling, setting, hardening, granulating and transporting the mixture in an upwardly direction along a first helix path to a central outlet to a first storage tank, said outlet arranged at the upper portion of said first granulation unit, said first storage tank provided with a second outlet,
• said second outlet arranged for feeding the mixture from said first granulation unit down to an underlying second intermediate storage area with a bottom formed by a second conical internal cover arranged for leading said mixture downwards to a peripheral inlet at the rim of a second conical upwards tapered granulating unit which is arranged for further milling, granulating, setting and hardening and transporting the mixture in an upwardly direction along a second helix path to a central, third outlet arranged at the upper portion of said second granulation unit and leading to a second storage tank,
• wherein hot vapour is arranged for further being furnished to the unit through manifolds in communication with said first and/or second granulation units,
• wherein said third outlet is arranged for transporting said set and hardened granulated mixture to an outlet for storage or disposal.

A method for treatment of drill fluid wet drill cuttings wherein said method comprises the following steps:

• measuring the composition of the wet drill cuttings,
• feeding said drill cuttings with binder material, water, vapour and/or additives to said mixing unit according to the composition of said wet drill cuttings, said mixing unit arranged on top of a tank-shaped integrated unit,
• mixing said drill cuttings and added materials within said mixing unit to form a mixture,
• feeding said mixture through a mixture outlet to a first underlying granulation unit,
• providing hot vapour to said first granulation unit and granulating, setting and hardening said mixture in said first granulation unit,
• transporting said granulated, set and hardened mixture from said first granulation unit to an underlying second granulation unit,
• providing hot vapour to said first granulation unit and further granulating, setting and hardening said mixture in said second granulation unit,
• transporting said set and hardened granulated mixture to an outlet for storage or disposal of said set and hardened granulated mixture.