US 8,569,685 B2 · Portable analytical system for on-site analysis of fluids

Abstract

A portable analytical system for the rapid on-site analysis of fluids, and a method for using this system at the well-site for the analysis of samples extracted from drilling fluids is described. The portable analytical solution may be deployed at the well-site and used to perform detailed real-time analysis of formation fluids and extracts of rock cuttings. The method described could be used during hydrocarbon exploration and production to determine whether the drill stem has passed through a hydrocarbon-bearing region, or rocks that are capable of functioning as an oil reservoir or that may have been a source rock, or that may have come into contact with oil, or that may contain oil at present.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A topside drilling fluid analysis tool for on-site analysis and identification of fluids generated through hydrocarbon exploration or production, the tool comprising:

(a) a separation module configured for coupling to a source of fluids as they are collected from a well-head and for separating the generating fluids into its constituent chemical species, the separation module being coupled to (b) an atmospheric pressure soft ionization source coupled to (c) a mass analyzer, and wherein the atmospheric pressure soft ionization source is coupled to the mass analyzer via an interface between vacuum and atmospheric pressure, the mass analyzer is configured to identify chemical components of the drilling fluid by their molecular ions as they are eluted by the separation module and ionized by the soft ionization source, and wherein the soft ionization source is configured to effect the formation of ions without breaking chemical bonds.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Portable analytical system for on-site analysis of fluids

Life of this patent

Portable analytical system for on-site analysis of fluids

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14