Colorimetric detection of shale inhibitors and/or salts

A method of detecting a shale inhibitor content of a wellbore servicing fluid (WSF) of a wellbore servicing fluid system as described herein, the method comprising:

• (a) determining a water phase salinity (WPS) of a wellbore servicing fluid;
• (b) dosing an aliquot of the wellbore servicing fluid into a container;
• (c) combining the aliquot of the wellbore servicing fluid with a detector compound specific to the shale inhibitor and mixing to provide a detection solution in the container, wherein the detection solution is characterized by at least one absorption peak wavelength in the range of from about 380 nanometers (nm) to about 760 nm;
• (d) measuring the shale inhibitor content of the detection solution using colorimetry by detecting an absorption intensity for the detection solution at a wavelength within about ±20% of the at least one absorption peak wavelength, comparing the absorption intensity of the detection solution at the wavelength within about ±20% of the at least one absorption peak wavelength with a target absorption intensity to determine the amount of shale inhibitor in the WSF, and comparing the amount of shale inhibitor in the WSF with a target amount of the shale inhibitor;
• (e) reporting the data from the measuring at (d) to a computer control system;
• (f) determining a wellbore servicing fluid treatment based on the water phase salinity (WPS) from (a) and the content of shale inhibitor from (d);
• and
• (g) subjecting the wellbore servicing fluid of the wellbore servicing fluid system to the treatment.