Offshore thermal treatment of drill cuttings fed from a bulk transfer system

A method for offshore treatment of drill cuttings, comprising:

• pneumatically conveying contaminated drill cuttings into a first pressurized vessel having a lower conical section structured to achieve mass flow of the contaminated drill cuttings;
• pneumatically conveying contaminated drill cuttings from the first pressurized vessel into a second pressurized vessel having a lower conical section structured to achieve mass flow of the contaminated drill cuttings;
• transferring the contaminated drill cuttings to a reactor unit by applying a compressed gas to the second pressurized vessel whereby the contaminated drill cuttings flow out of the second pressurized vessel into the reactor vessel by positive pressure under mass flow;
• applying heat to the contaminated drill cuttings so as to vaporize contaminants from the contaminated drill cuttings;
• and
• removing the vaporized contaminants from the reactor;
• wherein the first pressurized vessel, the second pressurized vessel, and the reactor unit are on an offshore rig.

A method for offshore treatment of drill cuttings, comprising:

• pneumatically conveying contaminated drill cuttings into a first pressurized vessel having a lower conical section structured to achieve mass flow of the contaminated drill cuttings;
• and
• pneumatically conveying the contaminated drill cuttings from the first pressurized vessel into a second pressurized vessel having a lower conical section structured to achieve mass flow of the contaminated drill cuttings;
• transferring the contaminated drill cuttings to a separator by applying a compressed gas to the second pressurized vessel whereby the contaminated drill cuttings flow out of the second pressurized vessel into the separator by positive pressure under mass flow;
• removing at least a portion of liquid content from the contaminated drill cuttings;
• transferring the contaminated drill cuttings from the separator to a reactor unit;
• applying heat to the contaminated drill cuttings so as to vaporize contaminants from the contaminated drill cuttings;
• and
• removing the vaporized contaminants from the reactor;
• wherein the first pressurized vessel, the second pressurized vessel, the separator, and the reactor unit are on an offshore rig.