System for extracting contaminants and hydrocarbons from cuttings waste in oil well drilling

An apparatus for drying, decontaminating and incinerating oil well cuttings containing water and hydrocarbons, the apparatus comprising:

• a. a base portion;
• b. at least one horizontally disposed cylindrical chamber mounted on the base portion, the chamber having a continuous wall defining a continuous bore therethrough and a first end for receiving the wet oil well cuttings thereinto;
• c. auger means disposed coaxially withand along the length of the chamber bore for moving the cuttings from the first end to the second end of the chamber;
• d. heating means, positioned radially around the wall of the chamber along its entire length, for providing heat within the chamber to a temperature of at least 750 degrees F. for incinerating the wet oil field cuttings moving through the chamber, the heating means including a plurality of electrical heating rods disposed within the internal wall of the drying chamber and positioned radially around the chamber wall;
• e. heat conducting means comprising a continuous layer over the chamber wall forming a composite layer with the wall of the drying chamber that is positioned between the heating rods and the wall of the drying chamber for providing uniform conduction of heat from the rods into the chamber along substantially the entire length of the chamber.