Enhanced Slurrification Method

Abstract

A method of slurrifying oil contaminated materials by introducing a microemulsion or microemulsion-forming surfactant(s) to the material and subjecting the mixture to suitable shear or mixing forces to suitably blend such mixtures. The method may be applied directly to wastes such as waste drill mud cuttings and muds, emulsions, sludges, or soil substrates contaminated with water and/or oil drilling fluids in order to both reduce the viscosity and improve the lubricity, wetting, and flow properties of the substrate.

1 . A method of slurrifying oil contaminated materials by introducing a microemulsion or microemulsion-forming surfactant (s) to the material and subjecting the mixture to suitable shear or mixing forces to suitably blend such mixtures. 
     
     
         2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the chemical formulation comprises a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants which is an oil-in-water (O/W) or a water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion-forming surfactant (s). 
     
     
         3 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the chemical formulation comprises an oil-in-water (O/W) or a water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion. 
     
     
         4 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the chemical formulation further comprises a diluent. 
     
     
         5 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the microemulsion (forming) surfactant (s) comprises a biosurfactant. 
     
     
         6 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the chemical formulation comprises a salt or a mixture of salts. 
     
     
         7 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the chemical formulation comprises a co-surfactant or mixture of co-surfactants. 
     
     
         8 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the microemulsion (forming) formulation comprises a co-solvent. 
     
     
         9 . A method as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the co-solvent comprises a light oil hydrocarbon or an oxygenated solvent to stabilise the O/W or W/O microemulsions. 
     
     
         10 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the surfactant further comprises an enzyme or combination of enzymes. 
     
     
         11 . A method as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the enzyme is of either natural or synthetic production. 
     
     
         12 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the slurrified waste oil contaminated material is further treated or processed to clean, remediate or phase separate the slurrified oil contaminated material into its separate clean solid, water/brine and organic fractions.