Use of capillary-membrane sampling device to monitor oil-drilling muds
OwnerDuane K. Wolcottinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for monitoring oil-drilling mud. A supported capillary membrane (SCMS) device having a support member, a capillary membrane permeable to hydrocarbons, and flights on the surface of the support member within which the capillary member is supported is disposed in a stream returning mud from a drill hole to the surface of an oil well. A stream of inert gas is passed through the SCMS device, thereby entraining hydrocarbon vapors in the gas stream and providing a sample of the hydrocarbons associated with the oil-drilling mud. The hydrocarbon-laden gas stream is input to an analytical instrument such as a gas chromatograph capable of identifying and quantitatively determining the concentrations of the hydrocarbons.
Claims7
A method for monitoring oil-drilling mud, which comprises the steps of:
- (a) providing a device comprising a support member, a capillary membrane permeable to hydrocarbons, and flights on the surface of the support member within which the capillary member is supported;
- (b) disposing the device in a stream returning mud from a drill hole to the surface of an oil well;
- (c) passing a stream of inert gas through the capillary membrane, thereby entraining hydrocarbon vapors in the gas stream;
- and
- (d) inputting the gas stream containing the entrained hydrocarbon vapors to an analytical instrument capable of identifying and quantitatively determining the concentrations of the hydrocarbons.
A method for sampling hydrocarbons associated with oil-drilling mud, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a device comprising a support member, a capillary membrane permeable to hydrocarbons, and flights on the surface of the support member within which the capillary member is supported;
- (b) disposing the device in a stream returning mud from a drill hole to the surface of an oil well;
- and
- (c) passing a stream of inert gas through the capillary membrane, thereby entraining hydrocarbon vapors in the gas stream and obtaining a sample of the hydrocarbons associated with the oil-drilling mud.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.