Heavy oil was recovered from contaminated sand through capillary suction into exfoliated graphite with different packed densities by using model sands, alumina powders, with different particle sizes. For efficient recovery it was important to have an appropriate combination of average size of sand particles and packed density of exfoliated graphite. Pumping of heavy oil into exfoliated graphite occurs as a balance in an attracting capillary force between exfoliated graphite and sand, the former being stronger than the latter because of the hydrophobic nature of the surface of graphite.