Rock Sample Decontamination Using Inert Gas Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drill cuttings contaminated with drilling fluid pose challenges in analyzing properties like Total Organic Content (TOC) due to interference from drilling fluid components, especially when using oil-based muds, making it difficult to discriminate between fluid and formation-derived organic matter.
Innovation Solution
A method involving heating the rock sample under an inert atmosphere with a temperature below 300°C and a flow of inert gas to remove contaminants, followed by analysis using techniques like DRIFTS spectroscopy, which includes an oven system with a heating chamber, heater, and inert gas flow generator for decontamination and subsequent analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If drill cuttings are cleaned with flammable solvents like pentane, then decontamination efficiency is improved, but safety risk increases due to fire hazards in explosive environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces flammable solvent cleaning with heating in an inert atmosphere (nitrogen or carbon dioxide). The inert gas environment eliminates fire hazards while the thermal energy effectively removes drilling fluid contaminants from drill cuttings, achieving both safety and decontamination efficiency.
2Measurement precision
If heating temperature is increased to improve decontamination, then contaminant removal efficiency is improved, but risk of altering organic matter increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the heating temperature parameter to a specific range (below 300°C, preferably 150-250°C) that is sufficient to remove drilling fluid contaminants through thermal decomposition and volatilization, yet low enough to preserve the integrity of organic matter for accurate TOC analysis.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively decontaminates drill cuttings, allowing for accurate determination of non-volatile organic matter properties like TOC, providing results comparable to existing methods while being safer and easier to implement, especially in explosive environments without the need for flammable chemicals.
Implementation Method 1
heating the sample under inert atmosphere with a temperature below 300° C. and with a flow of inert gas to remove contaminants
Implementation Method 2
heating the sample under inert atmosphere with a temperature below 300° C.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a method of analyzing at least a rock sample extracted from a geological formation. The method comprises:heating the at least one rock sample under inert atmosphere with a temperature below 300° C. and with a flow of inert gas to remove contaminants,analyzing at least one of the decontaminated rock samples and determining at least a property relative to non-volatile organic matter contained in the geological formation based on the analysis.