Automated device for drill cuttings image acquisition

A method for acquiring a digital image of a drill cuttings sample obtained during a subterranean drilling operation, the method comprising:

• placing the drill cuttings sample on a tray, the tray deployed in a first chamber in an automated image acquisition device including:
• a housing defining the first chamber and a second chamber;
• a divider disposed in the housing and fixed in position relative to the housing and isolating the first chamber from the second chamber;
• at least one light disposed in the first chamber and configured to illuminate the tray;
• and
• a digital camera configured to automatically acquire the digital image of the drill cuttings sample, the digital camera comprising a lens and a connector port, wherein the digital camera is disposed through the divider such that the lens is disposed in the first chamber and the connector port is disposed in the second chamber;
• automatically turning on the at least one light;
• automatically causing the digital camera to acquire the digital image of the drill cuttings sample;
• and
• automatically saving the digital image to memory or transferring the digital image to an external computing device.

An apparatus for acquiring a digital image of a drill cuttings sample obtained during a subterranean drilling operation, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing defining an upper service chamber and a lower image acquisition chamber;
• a divider disposed in the housing and fixed in position relative to the housing and separating the lower image acquisition chamber from the upper service chamber;
• a tray deployed in the lower image acquisition chamber and configured to receive the drill cuttings sample;
• a white light deployed in the lower image acquisition chamber and disposed to illuminate the tray;
• an ultraviolet light deployed in the lower image acquisition chamber and disposed to illuminate the tray;
• a digital camera comprising a lens and a connector port, wherein the digital camera is deployed through the divider such that the lens is disposed in the lower image acquisition chamber and configured to acquire the digital image of the drill cuttings sample and the connector port is disposed in the upper service chamber;
• and
• an electronic controller configured to automatically turn the white light on and off, instruct the digital camera to acquire the digital image of the drill cuttings sample when the white light is on, and to save the digital image to digital memory or transfer the digital image to an external computing device.