# US 11,994,025 B2 · Band-stop filter for volume analysis of downhole particles

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- Number: US 11,994,025 B2
- Document ID: US11994025B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/748,909
- Filed: 2022-05-19
- Published: 2023-11-23
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2022-05-19
- Assignees: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
- Applicants: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
- Inventors: Shaun Patrick Lawrence; Mathew Dennis Rowe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994025B2

## CPC

- E21B 49/005: {Testing the nature of borehole walls or the formation by using drilling mud or cutting data}
- E21B 21/01: Arrangements for handling drilling fluids or cuttings outside the borehole, e.g. mud boxes
- E21B 43/08: Screens or liners {(expandable screens or liners E21B43/108)}
- E21B 43/35: {specially adapted for separating solids (down-hole drilling fluid separation systems E21B21/002; separating solids from drilling fluids E21B21/065)}
- E21B 44/00: Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions
- E21B 47/002: by visual inspection
- E21B 47/003: Determining well or borehole volumes
- G01N 33/24: Earth materials (G01N33/42 takes precedence)
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- 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)

## Abstract

A system including an image acquisition unit in optical communication with a flow pathway. The system may include at least one illumination source directable toward a shale shaker. The illumination source may emit a light output. A band-stop filter may be affixed to the image acquisition unit to filter out infrared light. The band-stop filter may also allow electromagnetic radiation of the light output to reach the image acquisition unit. An analysis device may be used to determine a volume of downhole particles on the shale shaker using deflections of the light output observed by the image acquisition unit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
an image acquisition unit in optical communication with a flow pathway;
at least one illumination source directable toward a shale shaker to emit a light output;
a band-stop filter positionable at the image acquisition unit to block infrared wavelength electromagnetic radiation of the light output from reaching an aperture of the image acquisition unit, while allowing non-infrared wavelength electromagnetic radiation of the light output to reach the aperture of the image acquisition unit; and
an analysis device positionable to determine a volume of downhole particles on the shale shaker using deflections of the non-infrared wavelength light output observed by the image acquisition unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the downhole particles comprise cuttings from a formation surrounding a wellbore, and wherein the analysis device is positionable to determine the volume of downhole particles based on detected sizes and velocities of the downhole particles.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the analysis device is positionable to determine a projected volume of cuttings returning to a surface during drilling of the wellbore.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one illumination source comprises a plurality of illumination sources of varying light output wavelengths, and wherein the band-stop filter is adjustable to block electromagnetic radiation outside of the varying light output wavelengths of the plurality of illumination sources.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the image acquisition unit comprises a visible camera, a near-infrared camera, a mid-infrared camera, a far-infrared camera, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the shale shaker is positionable to vibrate a shaker screen to separate the downhole particles from a fluid.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the analysis device is positionable to, in response to a determination that a difference between a measured volume of downhole particles and a projected volume of downhole particles exceeds an error threshold, output a notification of a downhole condition occurring.

### Claim 8

A method comprising:
receiving a fluid in a flow pathway extending from a wellbore, the fluid containing downhole particles;
illuminating the downhole particles with at least one illumination source emitting a light output;
blocking, with a band-stop filter, electromagnetic radiation of an infrared wavelength from an aperture of an image acquisition unit with in optical communication with the flow pathway;
acquiring an image of the downhole particles using the image acquisition unit; and
determining a volume of downhole particles using deflections of non-infrared wavelengths of the light output observed by the image acquisition unit at a shale shaker.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the determined volume of the downhole particles is determined using detected sizes and velocities of the downhole particles.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
determining a projected volume of downhole particles returning to a surface during a drilling of the wellbore.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
outputting a notification of a downhole condition occurring in response to a determination that a difference between the determined volume of the downhole particles and the projected volume of the downhole particles exceeds an error threshold.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
adjusting the band-stop filter to block electromagnetic radiation outside of wavelengths of the light output of the at least one illumination source, wherein the at least one illumination source comprises a plurality of illumination sources.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the image acquisition unit comprises a visible camera, a near-infrared camera, a mid-infrared camera, a far infrared camera, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one illumination source comprises at least one laser.

### Claim 15

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code that is executable by one or more processing devices for causing the one or more processing devices to:
control at least one illumination source to emit a light output to illuminate downhole particles contained in a fluid in a flow pathway extending from a wellbore, wherein the light output comprises a wavelength that is passed by a band-stop filter that blocks infrared wavelength electromagnetic radiation from an aperture of an image acquisition unit in optical communication with the flow pathway;
control the image acquisition unit to acquire an image of the downhole particles; and
determine a volume of downhole particles using deflections of non-infrared wavelengths of the light output observed by the image acquisition unit.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the determined volume of the downhole particles is determined using detected sizes and velocities of the downhole particles.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising program code that is executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to:
determine a projected volume of downhole particles returning to a surface during a drilling of the wellbore.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising program code that is executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to:
output a notification of a downhole condition occurring in response to a determination that a difference between the determined volume of the downhole particles and the projected volume of the downhole particles exceeds an error threshold.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the image acquisition unit comprises a visible camera, a near-infrared camera, a mid-infrared camera, a far infrared camera, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one illumination source comprises at least one laser.