Determining oil content of solids recovered from a wellbore

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10590764-B2
Application number	US-201515555930-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2015
Priority date	Apr 2, 2015
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

A method for the determination of the oil content for solids recovered from a wellbore is provided. The method comprises providing the solids recovered from the wellbore and measuring the thermal conductivity of the solids recovered from the wellbore using a thermal conductivity probe. The method further comprises using the thermal conductivity measurement to determine the oil content in the solids recovered from the wellbore.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method to determine an oil content for solids recovered from a wellbore, the method comprising:
providing the solids recovered from the wellbore wherein the solids recovered from the wellbore comprise drill cuttings;
measuring the thermal conductivity of the solids recovered from the wellbore using a thermal conductivity probe; and
comparing the measured thermal conductivity to a known baseline to determine the oil content in the solids recovered from the wellbore.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising heating the solids recovered from the wellbore.

3. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising placing the solids recovered from the wellbore in a vessel and pressuring the vessel.

4. A method according to claim 1 , further recording measurements obtained from the thermal conductivity probe.

5. A method to determine an oil content for solids recovered from a wellbore, the method comprising:
providing the solids recovered from the wellbore;
measuring the thermal conductivity of the solids recovered from the wellbore using a thermal conductivity probe, wherein the thermal conductivity probe is a needle probe; and
comparing the measured thermal conductivity to a known baseline to determine the oil content in the solids recovered from the wellbore.

6. A method to determine an oil content for solids recovered from a wellbore, the method comprising:
providing the solids recovered from the wellbore;
separating the solids from a drilling fluid;
measuring the thermal conductivity of the solids recovered from the wellbore using a thermal conductivity probe; and
comparing the measured thermal conductivity to a known baseline to determine the oil content in the solids recovered from the wellbore.

7. A method according to claim 6 , further comprising using the oil content in the solids recovered from the wellbore to adjust a parameter of a solids control system, the solids control system being used in the step of separating the solids from the drilling fluid.

8. A method to determine an oil content for solids recovered from a wellbore, the method comprising:
placing the solids recovered from the wellbore in a vessel, wherein the solids recovered from the wellbore comprise drill cuttings;
measuring the thermal conductivity of the solids recovered from the wellbore using a thermal conductivity probe; and
comparing the measured thermal conductivity to predetermined thermal conductivity data correlated with a known oil content to determine the oil content of the solids.

9. A method according to claim 8 , further comprising heating the solids recovered from the wellbore.

10. A method according to claim 8 , further comprising pressuring the vessel.

11. A method according to claim 8 , recording measurements obtained from the thermal conductivity probe.

12. A method according to claim 8 , further comprising recovering the solids from the wellbore.

13. A method to determine an oil content for solids recovered from a wellbore, the method comprising:
placing the solids recovered from the wellbore in a vessel;
measuring the thermal conductivity of the solids recovered from the wellbore using a thermal conductivity probe, wherein the thermal conductivity probe is a needle probe; and
comparing the measured thermal conductivity to predetermined thermal conductivity data correlated with a known oil content to determine the oil content of the solids.

14. A method to determine an oil content for solids recovered from a wellbore, the method comprising:
placing the solids recovered from the wellbore in a vessel;
separating the solids from a drilling fluid;
measuring the thermal conductivity of the solids recovered from the wellbore using a thermal conductivity probe; and
comparing the measured thermal conductivity to predetermined thermal conductivity data correlated with a known oil content to determine the oil content of the solids.

15. A system for determining an oil content for solids recovered from a wellbore, the system comprising:
a vessel,
a heating element capable of heating the vessel,
a mixing element disposed within the vessel,
a thermal conductivity probe disposed within the vessel, and
a control unit coupled to the thermal conductivity probe, wherein the control unit is configured to receive the measured thermal connectivity and compare the measured thermal connectivity to a known baseline to determine the oil content of the recovered solids.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the control unit is coupled to the heating element and the mixing element.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Ye Xiangnan
• Jamison Dale E
• Mcdaniel Cato Russell
• Newman Katerina V

Classifications

• G01N25/18 Primary

  by investigating thermal conductivity (by calorimetry G01N25/20; by measuring change of resistance of an electrically-heated body G01N27/18) · CPC title

• E21B49/02

  by mechanically taking samples of the soil · CPC title

• G01N33/241 Primary

  for hydrocarbon content · CPC title

• G01V9/00

  Prospecting or detecting by methods not provided for in groups G01V1/00 - G01V8/00 · CPC title

• B01D21/30

  Control equipment · CPC title