Oil is recovered from a mercury containing Hg-containing solids containing abradants by mixing the solids with a sulfidic compound in a molar ratio of sulfur compound to mercury from 5:1 to 5,000:1, and the sulfidic compound when dissolved in water, yields S2-, SH—, Sx2-, or SxH— anions, and optionally a solvent, forming a mixture. The mixture is then separated to recover a first phase containing treated oil in water, and a second phase containing treated abradants having a reduced concentration of mercury. In one embodiment, the treated abradants contain less than 100 ppmw mercury. The abradants are provided by removing at least a portion of a mercury-containing coating from a surface by abradant blasting, laser ablation, laser thermal desorption, and sponge jet blasting.