# US 11,029,304 B2 · Water retort > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,029,304 B2 - Document ID: US11029304B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/344,342 - Filed: 2018-07-18 - Published: 2020-12-10 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-18 - Assignees: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Applicants: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Inventors: Brice Aaron Jackson; Kevin G Kleinguetl; Adam Dotson; Dale E Jamison; Lawrence Joseph Herskowitz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029304B2 ## CPC - G01N 33/2823: {Raw oil, drilling fluid or polyphasic mixtures} - E21B 49/005: {Testing the nature of borehole walls or the formation by using drilling mud or cutting data} - E21B 49/086: {Withdrawing samples at the surface} - G01F 22/00: Methods or apparatus for measuring volume of fluids or fluent solid material, not otherwise provided for - G01N 1/44: Sample treatment involving radiation, e.g. heat - G01N 25/18: by investigating thermal conductivity (by calorimetry G01N25/20; by measuring change of resistance of an electrically-heated body G01N27/18) - G01N 33/2847: {Water in oils} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME ## Abstract Provided is a water retort apparatus, methods of using the water retort apparatus, and systems including the water retort apparatus. An example of the water retort apparatus comprises a sample test cell, a heating element configured to heat the sample test cell to a temperature between about 212° F. and about 400° F., a condenser in fluidic communication with the sample test cell, a sight glass in fluidic communication with the condenser, a camera configured to capture images of the sight glass, and a controller configured to analyze the images captured by the camera and estimate a volume of water in the sight glass. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A water retort apparatus comprising: a sample test cell, a heating element configured to heat the sample test cell to a temperature between about 212° F. and about 400° F., a condenser in fluidic communication with the sample test cell, a sight glass in fluidic communication with the condenser, a camera configured to capture images of the sight glass, and a controller configured to analyze the images captured by the camera and estimate a volume of water in the sight glass. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The water retort apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plunger within the sample test cell. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The water retort apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plunger is configured to be actuated by the controller. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The water retort apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a valve coupled to a gas source. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The water retort apparatus of claim 4, wherein the valve is configured to be actuated by the controller. ### Claim 6 A method of measuring a water volume of a drilling fluid, the method comprising: providing a water retort apparatus comprising: a sample test cell, a heating element, a condenser in fluidic communication with the sample test cell, a sight glass in fluidic communication with the condenser, a camera, and a controller; placing a sample of the drilling fluid in the sample test cell, wherein the drilling fluid comprises water, oil, and suspended solids; heating the sample of the drilling fluid to a temperature sufficient to evaporate the water but not to a temperature sufficient to evaporate the oil; condensing the evaporated water in the condenser to provide liquid water; collecting the liquid water in the sight glass; capturing images of the liquid water in the sight glass with the camera; and analyzing the images of the liquid water to estimate the volume of water in the sight glass. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising cleaning the sample test cell. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the cleaning the sample test cell is automated and is initiated by the controller. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising measuring an oil content of the oil and suspended solids. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the oil content is measured using a thermal conductivity probe. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising calculating an oil to water ratio of the drilling fluid sample. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the sample of the drilling fluid is a first sample of the drilling fluid; wherein the method further comprises measuring the water volume of a second sample of the drilling fluid; wherein the second sample of the drilling fluid may be introduced into the sample test cell while maintaining the heated temperature of the sample test cell. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising flowing a gas through at least a portion of the water retort apparatus to remove the evaporated water or the liquid water from the water retort apparatus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the flowing of the gas is automated and is initiated by the controller. ### Claim 15 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising measuring an oil content of the sample of the drilling fluid; wherein the oil is not vaporized by the measuring of the oil content of the sample of the drilling fluid. ### Claim 16 A system for measuring the water volume of a drilling fluid, the system comprising: a water retort apparatus comprising: a sample test cell, a heating element configured to heat the sample test cell to a temperature between about 212° F. and about 400° F., a condenser in fluidic communication with the sample test cell, a sight glass in fluidic communication with the condenser, a camera configured to capture images of the sight glass, and a controller configured to analyze the images captured by the camera; and a drilling fluid comprising water, oil, and suspended solids. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, further comprising a thermal conductivity probe. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, further comprising a plunger disposed within the sample test cell. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the plunger is configured to be actuated by the controller. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, further comprising a valve coupled to a gas source, wherein the valve is configured to be actuated by the controller.