Oil-based mud (OBM) is an unavoidable byproduct of modern drilling operations, particularly in complex geological formations where lubrication, wellbore stability, and shale inhibition are critical. While OBM delivers clear drilling performance advantages, its post-use handling remains technically demanding. Thermal desorption has emerged as a dominant treatment route, not because it is simple, but because it directly addresses the physicochemical structure of OBM in a contro