Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/687,470, filed 20 June 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to mud logging and, in particular, to an in-line mud logging apparatus for improved sampling and real- or near real-time analysis of drill cuttings.

Background of the Invention

In drilling operations for extracting hydrocarbons from a subsurface formation, drilling mud and/or drilling fluid (hereinafter“drilling fluid” will refer to drilling mud and/or other drilling fluids) is typically pumped downhole to carry drill cuttings to the surface. The drill cuttings, circulating drilling fluid and mud gas can provide useful information regarding strata in the subsurface formation, including, for example, without limitation, lithological type of a formation, the quality of the rock, mapping of a formation, likelihood of missed or new hydrocarbon layers or reservoirs, and the like.

Mud logging is one of the oldest methods for collecting subsurface information. Conventionally, drill cuttings carried to the surface are separated from the circulation fluid and fines with a shaker.

Typically, so-called mud loggers are on-site at the drilling operation for manually collecting a sample of drill cuttings from a conveyor, such as a shaker. In a conventional operation, a catcher board is placed at the base of the conveyor to catch drill cuttings as they fall from the end of the conveyor. After the desired sampling time, the mud logger scrapes the cuttings off the catcher board into a sample container and labels the samples for later analysis, off-site or on-site at a location remote from the conveyor.

Concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive isotopes such as K, U and Th are widely used in formation evaluation. Currently these parameters of formation are measured downhole by gamma-ray wireline tools, for example Natural Gamma-ray Spectroscopy (NGS) wireline tools, and/or measured on cuttings or core samples in the lab using X-ray Fluorescent Spectroscopy (XRF). In the case of wireline tools, substantial additional costs are imposed due to rig time required for this operation For XRF measurements, there are limitations on the number of sample measurements a mud logger can physically process and characterize on-site.

If information delivered by mud logging is intended for the quantitative description of the subsurface, drill cutting samples should be acquired every 5 feet (1.5 m) along a well borehole. At a typical rate of penetration (ROP) of 100 ft/hr (30 m/hr), a sample of drill cuttings material would need to be acquired every 3 minutes. However, this rate of drill cutting sample acquisition is not always feasible. Beyond the physical demands of a sample acquisition every 3 minutes, on-site analysis becomes challenging due to a limited throughput of lab XRF equipment. Furthermore, there are safety concerns for people performing such sample catching operation. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to reduce or eliminate the need for a person taking manual samples, while improving a sample acquisition rate.

In an effort to address the need for drill cutting sampling and analysis of sampled cuttings material, US6,386,026Bl (Zamfes) describes analyzing a continuous stream of drill cuttings by conveying the cuttings from a shaker to a trough having a helical screw for moving the cuttings. A metering device holds a sample between vanes and releases one portion of the sample to a cotton bag and passes another portion to another screw conveyor to a transparent cylinder for quantitative analysis. In another approach, Zamfes

(US2005/0082468A1, US2008/0202811A1) contemplates modifying the device of US6,386,026Bl with gamma radiation, beta radiation and sonic sensors provided on the side of an auger transporting drill cuttings. It is unclear from these later publications, but it appears that Zamfes intended the auger with sensors would replace the transparent cylinder described in US6,2386,026Bl.

US7,730,795B2 (Rieberer) relates to a drill cuttings sampler having a frame for mounting on the end of a conventional vibratory shaker for supporting a perforated plate in the outflow path of drill cuttings exiting the shaker. A removable cutting collector is mounted beneath the perforated plate for allowing cuttings of a desired size to pass through to the collector, while larger cuttings are rejected and pass over the plate by washing with spray nozzles and vibration from the vibratory shaker. Samples of a pre-determined drilling interval are removed from the cutting collector for remote analysis.

EP3156587A1 (Schlumberger) describes an automated device for analyzing drill cuttings. A sampler located at the end of a shaker has at least one conveyor for transporting a sample in a canister from an outlet of a shaker to a treatment unit. A robotic manipulator takes the canister from the conveyor to a washing station and an archiving station for tagging and storing the sample.

W02012/100283A1 (Technological Resources Pty) relates to a sampling and analysis system for coupling with a drilling rig. A frame supports a drill cuttings handling system and an elemental analysis device and is coupled to a drilling rig platform with hydraulic rams. Drill cuttings are transported from a conveyor near the hole being drilled to a sampler splitter to produce two or more sample streams. One stream is directed to a feed chute and then to another conveyor in the analyzer, through a levelling device. Once this portion of the sample is transported past the analysis zone of the analyzer, it falls off the downstream end to the ground. The analyzer and conveyor and related equipment, are supported on a vibration isolation system.

Deficiencies of the systems described above include not allowing for real-time or near real-time analysis useful for more efficient decision-making, requiring modifications to drilling operation equipment, and/or they are very complex. Still another deficiency of the prior system having sensors on a transport tube is that the drill cuttings are not concentrated enough to measure a meaningful result. While it may be suitable for some applications, diluted drill cutting samples are a problem when deeper wells are drilled, where significantly more drilling fluid is required to remove the drill cuttings from deeper depths. There is a need for a simple apparatus that can be implemented in an existing drilling operation without undue modification. There is also a need for an in-line device that can concentrate drill cuttings for a more meaningful result.

Summary of the Invention

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for in-line mud logging, the apparatus adapted to be in material communication with a conveyor used for conveying material selected from drilling fluid, drill cuttings and combinations thereof from a well, the conveyor having a distal end from which the material falls off the conveyor, the apparatus comprising: an analysis body adapted to be disposed in the path of material falling from the conveyor; the analysis body having: a sample accumulation tray adapted to collect a sample of material falling from the conveyor; a gamma-ray detector for acquiring gamma-ray spectra from the sample of material; a weight sensor for detecting weight of the sample of material; and a sample removal device for removing the sample of material from the sample accumulation tray; and a communication module for communicating signals from the gamma-ray detector and the weight sensor to a control unit.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The apparatus of the present invention will be better understood by referring to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and the drawings referenced therein, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation view of the apparatus of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 4 is a front perspective view of the analysis body of the apparatus of Fig. 1 showing a sample accumulation tray in an open position;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an analysis body of the apparatus of Fig. 1 along the line 5-5;

Fig. 6 is a front perspective view of another embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

Fig. 7 is a front perspective view of the apparatus of Fig. 6 showing a sample accumulation tray in an open position; and

Fig. 8 is a front perspective view of a further embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The present invention provides an apparatus for sampling drill cuttings in-line for real- or near real-time gamma-ray analysis. The apparatus is advantageously implemented in place of a conventional catcher board, without the need for retrofitting a mud circulation system. The in-line mud logging of the present invention reduces the need for mud logging personnel to manually collect samples from a conventional catcher board.

Moreover, samples can be taken at a higher frequency, thereby providing greater vertical resolution of a well.

Because drill cuttings comprise pieces of the formation crushed by the drill bit during a drilling operation, properties of these cuttings are representative of the properties of the formation from which the cuttings originated. As such, if traced back to a wellbore depth, these cuttings may be sampled and analyzed to provide information about the formation properties present at that depth within the wellbore. The formation properties determined by the apparatus of the present invention provide information to assess the ability of a formation to produce hydrocarbons and/or to estimate the mechanical properties of the formation, for example, to determine frackability of the formation.

Referring now to Figs. 1 - 3, an embodiment of an in-line mud logging apparatus 10 has a mounting frame 20 and an analysis body 40. The in-line mud logging apparatus 10 is adapted to be in material communication with a conveyor, for example, in a conventional mud circulation system. By“material communication,” we mean that the apparatus 10 of the present invention receives material, for example, in the form of drill cuttings, directly from a conveyor. Preferably, the apparatus 10 receives material from the conveyor without being directly attached to the conveyor. Conventionally, material falls from the conveyor for disposal and/or future treatment.

In a preferred embodiment, the mounting frame 20 is provided to vibrationally isolate the analysis body 40 from vibrations in the mud circulation system and surrounding equipment. As shown in Fig. 1, in one embodiment, the mounting frame 20 is a two-part structure with two supporting legs 22 that are not directly connected to one another.

Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 6, the supporting legs 22 are connected to one another with crossbar 32. The supporting legs 22 have a base 24 for supporting the analysis body 40 on the ground, a platform or other surface. Preferably, the base 24 is provided with a vibration-damping material 26. A particularly suitable vibration-damping material 26 is a rubber material, for example, natural, synthetic or recycled rubber, a rubber composite or a rubber laminate· However, other materials suitable for vibration-damping will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Preferably, the vibration-damping material 26 can suppress or damp higher frequency vibrations.

In a preferred embodiment, the analysis body 40 is suspended from the mounting frame 20 with chains 28. The chains 28 advantageously suppress or damp lower frequency vibrations.

The analysis body 40 has a sample accumulation tray 42 to collect material falling from the conveyor. Because the cuttings are wet, at least a portion of the material tends to fall directly onto the sample accumulation tray 42 as opposed to falling forward of the sample accumulation tray 42. It has been observed that the material falling from the conveyor will fall onto any material in the sample accumulation tray 42 until a

substantially steady state is reached where any new material rolls off the material already in place or displaces some material previously accumulated in the sample accumulation tray 42. Accordingly, the sample obtained is generally a representative sample. Moreover, the sample is a concentrated sampling of a drilling interval, allowing for more meaningful analytical results.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 -3, the sample accumulation tray 42 acts as a cover for the interior of the analysis body 40, which houses a gamma-ray detector 44, preferably a gamma-ray spectrometer.

Natural Gamma-ray Spectroscopy (NGS) analysis of drill cuttings provides information about the type of rock being drilled. Such information is useful for drilling decisions. Potassium (K), thorium (Th), and uranium (U) are three natural sources of gamma-ray radiation present in the earth. Each of these elements emit gamma-rays with known energies, which are unique to the particular element. Shales can be distinguished from other types of rock due to the relatively high levels of these gamma-ray radiating elements present in shale. Accordingly, the presence of shale is useful information for making decisions about a drilling operation.

Fig. 4 illustrates the sample accumulation tray 42 in an open position to reveal the gamma-ray detector 44, while Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the analysis body 40. The gamma-ray detector 44 preferably comprises a gamma-ray detecting scintillation crystal 46, which is preferably optically coupled to a photomultiplier 48 for detecting photons emitted by the scintillation crystal 46. Detector electronics 73 containing a high voltage power supply and a signal processor is connected to the photomultiplier. Other electronic components required for NGS measurements will be understood by those skilled in the art of, for example, NGS wireline tools.

Preferably, the scintillation crystal 46 has a length extending along the axis of the analysis body 40 for capturing as much of the gamma-ray signal from the sample in the tray as possible. The scintillation crystal 46 is formed of a solid inorganic luminescent material that generates photons of light in response to contact with gamma-rays. Such inorganic luminescent materials include, for example, without limitation, sodium iodide (Nal), cesium iodide (Csl), and bismuth germanate (Bi4Ge30l2). Sodium iodide is a particularly preferred solid inorganic luminescent material for use in the in-line mud logging apparatus 10 of the present invention because relatively large sodium iodide crystals may be formed easily and economically. The inorganic luminescent material may include one or more activators to enhance emission of photons by the scintillation crystal 46 that are within a range of wavelengths that are detectable by the photomultiplier 48. Such activators may be present as impurities in the scintillation crystal material, and may be introduced to the crystal as a dopant.

Thallium is a preferred activator for use in a sodium iodide or cesium iodide scintillation crystal. A thallium-doped sodium iodide crystal is a preferred inorganic scintillation crystal material for use in the gamma-ray detector 44.

The photomultiplier 48 may be any conventional photomultiplier. As noted above, the photomultiplier 48 is optically coupled to the scintillation crystal 46, and may be physically coupled to the scintillation crystal 46 by locating an end of the scintillation crystal 46 in a receiving portion of the photomultiplier 48. Optical coupling grease, for example a silicon grease, may be applied at a contact interface between the end of the scintillation crystal 46 and the receiving portion of the photomultiplier 48 to reduce the loss of scintillation photons by preventing reflection of the photons at the contact interface. The photomultiplier 48 generates an electrical signal from detected photons of light emitted by the scintillation crystal 46 that is proportional to the gamma-ray energy absorbed in the scintillation crystal 46. The electrical signal produced by the

photomultiplier 48 may be used to generate a gamma-ray spectrum for analysis.

The base 52 of the analysis body 40 houses the scintillation crystal 46. Preferably, the sample accumulation tray 42 covers the base 52 in such a way as to reduce penetration of fluids associated with the drill cuttings or weather into the base 52. In a preferred embodiment, the sample accumulation tray 42 is attached to the base 52 with a hinge 71 , thereby allowing the opposing end of the sample accumulation tray 42 to move in response to weight for communicating with a weight sensor 66. This and other connections that allow for movement of the sample accumulation tray 42 in response to weight allows the weight sensor 66 to quantify the weight in the sample accumulation tray 42.

In one embodiment, the gamma ray detector 44 is coupled to the electronics enclosure 78 which encloses detector photomultiplier 48, detector electronics 47 and any other electronic components required to operate the analysis body including

communication module, weight sensor electronics, control module of an actuator 64 that moves wiper 58, power supplies, electric batteries supplying power, and the like. To reduce hazardous and potentially explosive interaction of hydrocarbon vapors present at the drilling rig with electronic components, the electronic enclosure 78 is sealed, preferably hermetically, and filled with an electrically insulating fluid (not shown). An example of a suitable electrically insulating fluid is FLUORINERT™ available from 3M. Preferably, electronic components within the electronic enclosure 72 are connected with insulated, more preferably hermetically isolated, electrical connectors 74.

In another embodiment, the electronic enclosure 72 is coupled, preferably hermetically, to the gamma ray detector 44 and is filled with a gas at a pressure slightly higher than atmospheric pressure. Such positive pressure difference inside of electronics enclosure 72 reduces penetration of any hydrocarbon vapors in the environment surrounding the analysis body 40, thereby reducing the chance of explosion. This positive pressure difference can be maintained using an external gas reservoir (not shown) equipped with pressure control equipment and connected to electronics enclosure 72 by a gas line (not shown) as will be understood by those skilled in the art of electronics equipment isolation from hazardous and explosive substances.

The base 52 has a gamma ray detector shield 68. The detector shield 68 surrounds the gamma-ray detector 44 in such a way as to maximize suppression of gamma-ray signals emitted by any gamma-ray sources in the area of deployment, other than cuttings samples in the sample accumulation tray 42. The detector shield 68 is formed of a material having a high efficiency of gamma-ray absorption effective to reduce detection of any gamma-ray radiation beyond the gamma-rays emitted from the desired sample. In one embodiment, the material is lead. Alternatively, the detector shield 68 can be made of tungsten, W-Cu alloy, mercury or any other high-density material as it can be understood by those skilled in the art of radiation shielding design.

As shown in the embodiments depicted in the drawings, the sample accumulation tray 42 has a shape for holding a pre-determined sample size. Material falling from the conveyor falls into the sample accumulation tray 42 so that the gamma-ray detector 44 can detect gamma-ray emissions from the material. The sample accumulation tray 42 allows the sample to be concentrated to produce a more meaningful result. After the gamma-rays are detected, the accumulated material is removed from the sample accumulation tray 42. Information about the gamma-ray spectra provided by the gamma-ray detector 44 is communicated to a control unit (not shown) that is remote from the distal end of the conveyor. Information is preferably communicated via a communication module (not shown) located inside the electronics enclosure 72. Preferably, the weight of the material in the sample accumulation tray 42 is measured, for example, with a weight sensor 66. More preferably, accumulated material is removed from the sample accumulation tray 42 once the measured weight reaches a predetermined weight of material. Alternatively, accumulated material is removed from the sample accumulation tray 42 once a substantially constant weight of material is measured. It has been observed that the material falling from the conveyor will fall onto any material in the sample accumulation tray 42 until a substantially steady state is reached where any new material rolls off the material already in place or displaces some material previously accumulated in the sample accumulation tray 42. As a further alternative, accumulated material is removed at a desired time interval or by external command.

When a desired sample size is accumulated in the sample accumulation tray 42, which is detected by the weight sensor 66, the sample is removed from the sample accumulation tray 42 by a sample removal device. A preferred device for removal is a wiper 58. In a preferred embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 - 5, the wiper 58 is carried by a yoke 62 that is adapted to travel along an actuator 64 along the length of the analysis body 40. The wiper 58 is preferably formed of a flexibly resilient material to conform with the shape of the sample accumulation tray 42, while being rigid enough to sweep or push the sample out of the sample accumulation tray 42. Preferably, the wiper 58 is formed of rubber, plastic or a combination thereof.

In a preferred embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 - 5, the actuator 64 is a pneumatic cylinder equipped with the two end switches and a valve controlled by the control module (not shown) located inside of the electronics enclosure 72 and connected to the external source of the pressurized gas (not shown) required for the actuator movement as it could be understood by those skilled in the art of pneumatic motion system design. The wiper 58 is connected by the yoke 62 to the actuator 64 and as a result the actuator 64 moves the wiper 58 along the length of the analysis body 40 from one side of the sample accumulation tray 42.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1 - 5, the sample accumulation tray 42 has two free ends to allow movement of the wiper 58 along the length of the sample accumulation tray 42. Preferably, the yoke 62 allows the wiper 58 to travel past the free ends of the sample accumulation tray 42, thereby reducing any inadvertent trapping of sample between the wiper 58 and the sample accumulation tray 42. The desired sample size is preferably measured with weight sensor 66, for example, as shown in Fig. 4. Other locations and types of weight sensors 66 may be used within the scope of the present invention.

In order to provide a quantitative analysis of the elements detected by the gamma- ray detector 44, weight information of the sample is also communicated via the communication module located inside the electronics enclosure 72 to the control unit so that the concentration of elements detected by the gamma-ray detector 44 can be quantified on a weight basis. Preferably, the gamma-ray spectra are normalized by the control unit for the sample weight measured during the detection time.

Preferably, the yoke 62 is actuated to move along the actuator 64 when the material in the sample accumulation tray 42 reaches a predetermined weight that is sensed by the weight sensor 66. In another preferred embodiment, the yoke 62 is actuated when the weight sensor 66 detects that the weight of material in the sample accumulation tray 42 is substantially constant. Alternatively, the yoke 62 may be actuated by a time interval or by external command.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7, in another embodiment of the in-line mud logging apparatus 10 of the present invention, the wiper 58 is carried by a block 82 that is adapted to travel along the sides of the sample accumulation tray 42. An optional cover 84 is used to protect components in the analysis body 40 from falling material and/or weather.

Alternatively, the wiper 58 may be configured to telescope from the block 82.

In the embodiment of Figs. 6 and 7, the sample accumulation tray 42 has one free end to allow movement of the wiper 58 along the length of the sample accumulation tray 42. Preferably, the block 82 allows the wiper 58 to travel past the free end of the sample accumulation tray 42, thereby reducing any inadvertent trapping of sample between the wiper 58 and the sample accumulation tray 42.

Preferably, the block 82 is actuated to move along the length of the sample accumulation tray 42 when the material in the sample accumulation tray 42 reaches a predetermined weight that is sensed by the weight sensor 66. In another preferred embodiment, the block 82 is actuated when the weight sensor 66 detects that the weight of material in the sample accumulation tray 42 is substantially constant. Alternatively, the block 82 may be actuated by a time interval or by the external command.

A further embodiment of the analysis body 40 of the present invention is depicted in Fig. 8. In this embodiment, a flap 86 is hingedly connected to a free end of the sample accumulation tray 42 so as to cooperate with the wiper 58, while stationed at the opposite end of the sample accumulation tray 42, to contain solids from the material falling from the conveyor within the sample accumulation tray 42 while gamma-rays are detected from the contained sample. When the yoke 62 is actuated, the wiper 58 pushes the sample through the flap 86. Alternatively, the flap 86 may be electronically actuated to open.

As an alternative to a wiper 58, a sample can be removed from the sample accumulation tray 42 by rotating the sample accumulation tray 42, pressure-washing, or other means within the scope of the present invention.

The in-line mud logging apparatus 10 of the present invention may be used, for example, in the method described in co-pending application entitled“In-Line Mud

Logging Method” filed in the USPTO on the same day as the present application, as a provisional application, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.

The in-line mud logging apparatus 10 of the present invention may also be used, for example, in the system described in co-pending application entitled“In-Line Mud Logging System” filed in the USPTO on the same day as the present application, as a provisional application, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, it should be understood that various changes, adaptations and modifications can be made therein within the scope of the invention(s) as claimed below.