Solvent Extraction of Formation Fluids from Drill Cuttings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for analyzing formation fluids from drill cuttings are time-consuming, often requiring offsite laboratory processes and may not accurately account for all components due to incomplete vaporization, leading to inaccurate data and delayed decision-making in subterranean operations.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for extracting and analyzing formation fluids from formation solids at a well site using a pressurizable container with solvents at elevated pressures, allowing for real-time, accurate characterization of formation fluids without the need for secondary offsite analysis, and eliminating the need for gas phase extraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional gas trap methods are used to collect and analyze hydrocarbon gases from drilling fluid, then gas phase analysis can be performed, but the accuracy is compromised due to incomplete vaporization of less volatile components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the sample from gas phase to liquid phase by maintaining the extracted formation fluids in liquid form during analysis. This eliminates vaporization issues that cause incomplete representation of less volatile components, thereby improving measurement precision while enabling real-time analysis at the well site rather than requiring time-consuming offsite laboratory processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical vaporization process used in conventional gas traps with a solvent extraction system that directly extracts formation fluids from drill cuttings in liquid form. This substitution eliminates the need for heating and vaporization steps, preserving the complete composition of formation fluids including less volatile components, and enables faster analysis at the well site.
2Device complexity
If solvent extraction is performed at ambient pressure, then the process is simpler, but the extracted fluids may vaporize and lose volatile components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure parameter from ambient to elevated pressure during solvent extraction. This pressure increase prevents vaporization of the extracted formation fluids, ensuring that both volatile and less volatile components remain in liquid form and are completely represented in the analysis, thereby improving reliability without significantly increasing device complexity.
3Loss of information
If formation solids are sent to offsite laboratories for analysis, then comprehensive analysis can be performed, but real-time data is not available for drilling decisions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service system where the well site itself performs the complete solvent extraction and analysis process using portable equipment. This eliminates the need to send samples to offsite laboratories, providing real-time formation fluid characterization data that enables immediate drilling decisions while maintaining complete component representation through pressure-controlled liquid phase extraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves the analysis capability from a centralized offsite laboratory to a distributed well site location. This dimensional shift in where the analysis occurs enables real-time data acquisition without compromising the completeness of formation fluid characterization, as the solvent extraction process at elevated pressure preserves all components during transport and analysis at the well site.
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 approach simplifies and accelerates the analysis of formation fluids, providing more accurate and real-time data on subterranean formation characteristics, reducing the need for downhole equipment and enabling more efficient drilling operations by maintaining extracted samples in a liquid phase for enhanced analysis.
Implementation Method 1
adding one or more solvents to the pressurizable container at an elevated pressure so as to extract at least a portion of one or more formation fluids residing the formation solids into the solvent(s)
Implementation Method 2
The solvent comprising the extracted formation fluids is maintained at a pressure sufficient to maintain substantially all of the extracted sample in its liquid phase
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for extracting and analyzing formation fluids from solids circulated out of a subterranean formation are provided. In one embodiment, the methods comprise: providing a sample of formation solids that have been separated from a fluid circulated in at least a portion of a well bore penetrating a portion of a subterranean formation at a well site; performing a solvent extraction on the sample of formation solids using one or more solvents at an elevated pressure at the well site, wherein at least a portion of one or more formation fluids residing in the formation solids is extracted into the one or more solvents to produce an extracted fluid; and analyzing the extracted fluid at the well site to determine the composition of the extracted fluid.