Emulsion detection using optical computing devices

A method, comprising:

• pumping a formation fluid from a subterranean formation into a sampling tool;
• monitoring the formation fluid with at least one optical computing device as it flows through the sampling tool, wherein monitoring the formation fluid includes:
• optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with the formation fluid and thereby generating fluid interacted radiation;
• detecting a portion of the fluid interacted radiation with a reference detector arranged within an optical channel of the at least one optical computing device, wherein the optical channel is a reference channel defined within the optical computing device;
• optically interacting the fluid interacted radiation with an integrated computational element (ICE) arranged within a primary channel of the optical computing device and thereby generating modified electromagnetic radiation;
• receiving the modified electromagnetic radiation from the ICE with a primary detector;
• generating a primary signal with the primary detector;
• generating a reference signal with the reference detector;
• normalizing an output signal of the primary detector based on the reference signal;
• monitoring the reference signal over time;
• detecting a change in the monitored reference signal;
• and
• determining an emulsive state of the fluid based on the detected change;
• and
• altering one or more pump parameters of the sampling tool based on the emulsive state of the formation fluid.