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In May 2026, DOING ECO installed a customized 20 TPD (10 m³/day) electric heating pyrolysis system for oil-based drill cuttings in Inner Mongolia, China.
The customer is an experienced drilling fluid service provider working with oilfield operations in Xinjiang. The drill cuttings mainly contain white oil and diesel. Instead of treating the material only as waste, the customer wanted to recover the oil and reuse it in the drilling fluid system.
The 20TPD pyrolysis project was designed to process approximately 7,200 tons of drill cuttings per year, while keeping the equipment footprint within 120 m² and total power consumption below 500 kW. The treated solid phase was required to have an oil content of less than 0.3%.
20 TPD oil-based drill cuttings pyrolysis plant in China
Oil-based drill cuttings contain both solid drilling materials and oil-based components. Their high viscosity and corrosive characteristics make the treatment process more demanding than ordinary solid waste pyrolysis.
For this project, the main requirements were:
| Parameter | Project Details |
| Project Date | May 2026 |
| Solution Provider | DOING ECO |
| Feedstock | Oil-based drill cuttings |
| Location | Inner Mongolia, China |
| Capacity | 20 tons/day (10 m³/day) |
| Heating method | Electric heating |
| Equipment footprint | ≤120 m² |
| Total power | ≤500 kW |
| Treated solid oil content | <0.3% |
Coke and deposits can form on the reactor wall during the thermal treatment of oil-based drill cuttings. As deposits build up, they can affect heat transfer and increase the need for cleaning and maintenance.
For this reason, DOING ECO added a mechanical scraping device to the reactor. The device removes deposits from the reactor wall during operation, helping maintain heat transfer and reduce coke buildup.
The feedstock is viscous and corrosive, so the reactor material could not simply follow a standard configuration.
DOING ECO worked with material suppliers to select a suitable reactor material based on the feedstock characteristics, operating temperature and expected thermal cycling. Material selection was therefore included in the overall project design.
Doing ECO Company's oil-based drill cuttings pyrolysis reactor material
Electric heating was another key part of the project. This was DOING ECO's first practical application of electric heating for oil-based drill cuttings pyrolysis, so an existing standard configuration could not be directly applied.
The engineering team reviewed the feedstock, required capacity, available site area and power limit before determining the final equipment arrangement.
The final system was developed around the customer's actual site and operating requirements.
1. Electric heating system: Designed to meet the required processing capacity while keeping total power within the customer's limit.
2. Mechanical coke removal: A scraping device was installed inside the reactor to remove deposits during operation.
3. Customized reactor material: Selected to suit the corrosive and high-temperature working conditions.
4. Compact layout: The equipment arrangement was adjusted to fit within the 120 m² site limitation.
Oil-based drill cuttings pyrolysis project in Inner Mongolia
Before the final design was confirmed, DOING ECO's engineers visited the customer's site in Inner Mongolia.
The team checked the available installation area, operating conditions and feedstock characteristics, then used the site information to adjust the equipment layout and engineering design.
The system therefore had to bring several requirements together: 20 TPD processing capacity, limited installation space, a maximum power requirement and the need for continuous operation at an oilfield site.
The customer wanted to recover the useful oil contained in the drill cuttings rather than simply dispose of the solid waste.
The pyrolysis system is designed to separate the oil fraction from the solid material during thermal treatment. The recovered oil, mainly white oil and diesel, can then be returned to the customer's drilling fluid system for reuse.
At the same time, the treated solid phase is designed to reach an oil content below 0.3%.
Doing ECO oil-based drill cuttings pyrolysis unit project
As of May 2026, the 10 m³ (20 TPD) electric heating pyrolysis system had entered the final stage of installation at the customer's site in Inner Mongolia.
The project combines electric heating, mechanical coke removal and customized reactor material selection for the treatment of oil-based drill cuttings.
For similar projects, the appropriate pyrolysis system depends on the composition of the drill cuttings, oil content, required capacity, available site area and local energy conditions.
DOING ECO provides customized pyrolysis and thermal treatment systems for oil-based drill cuttings and other challenging waste streams.
