A system for measuring volume flow of a material includes: an imaging receiver for receiving images of a screen deck of a vibratory shaker from an overhead position; at least one illumination device for projecting a line of light onto the screen deck from an angle different than a viewing angle of the imaging receiver to the screen deck; and a mounting bracket for holding the imaging receiver and the at least one illumination device in a substantially fixed relative position to one another and to the screen deck. The system is determines the volume flow of the material based on the images of the screen deck.

There are provided methods, systems and processes for the utilization of microbial and related genetic information for use in the exploration, determination, production and recovery of natural resources, including energy sources, and the monitoring, control and analysis of processes and activities.

A method of detecting an amine-based additive in wellbore servicing fluid (WSF) comprising contacting an aliquot of WSF with an amine detector reagent and aqueous medium to form a detection solution; wherein the amine detector reagent comprises an amine detector compound, and a polar organic solvent (POS) with flash point >105° C.; wherein the WSF comprises the amine-based additive; and wherein the detection solution is characterized by at least one absorption peak wavelength in 380-760 nm; detecting an absorption intensity for detection solution at a wavelength within ±20% of the at least one absorption peak wavelength; comparing the absorption intensity of detection solution at the wavelength within ±20% of the at least one absorption peak wavelength with a target absorption intensity of amine-based additive to determine the amount of amine-based additive in WSF; and comparing the amount of amine-based additive in WSF with a target amount of amine-based additive.

The invention relates to a probe for sampling a drilling fluid comprising a handle extending along an axis, and a sampling head located at a first end of the handle, the head defining an inner space opening outward through an opening. The head comprises a filtration device comprising a filtering wall disposed through the opening; and an extraction duct extending into the handle and opening into the inner space of the head. The filtration device comprises a cleaning blade designed to sweep an outer face of the filtering wall, the blade being mounted to move in translation in a direction parallel to the axis.

A hermetically sealed horizontal washing decanter centrifuge for enhanced drilling fluid recovery and drilled solids washing. A process and apparatus for liquid phase-solid phase separation of oil based drilling mud-containing drill cuttings is described including flowing the drilling mud-containing drill cuttings into a horizontal washing decanter wherein the stresses imposed within the decanter act as a wash as the diluent and oil based drilling mud move away from the drill cuttings. Diluent is added prior to flowing the drilling mud containing drill cutting to the hermetically sealed horizontal washing decanter centrifuge. The entire process is performed in a gas-tight environment preventing escape of diluent from the process into the external atmosphere and preventing introduction of gases into the process from the external atmosphere.

A system for separating solids from fluids, the system including a separator having a deck having a feed inlet and a solids outlet and a plurality of screens disposed on the deck. Also, an image sensor disposed proximate the solids outlet, the image sensor to capture images of the separator, and send the captured mages to a remote location for analysis. Additionally, a method of monitoring a separator, the method including capturing an image of the separator and sending the image of the separator to a control module disposed at a remote location. The method also including analyzing the image with the control module to determine a separation property and modifying the operation of the separator based on the determined separation property.

Systems and methods for determining rheology characteristics of a drilling fluid include a drop-in unit sized to fit within a flowline of a drilling fluid circulation system upstream of a mud shaker. The drop-in unit has an entry funnel having an end plate with an opening through the end plate. The entrance of the entry funnel has an outer diameter that is larger than a diameter of the opening through the end plate. An instrumentation tubular is an elongated member with an inner bore that is in fluid communication with the opening through the end plate. The instrumentation tubular includes a downstream sensor and an upstream sensor. The upstream and downstream sensors are operable to sense a parameter of the drilling fluid traveling through the instrumentation tubular for calculating a change of viscosity of the drilling fluid within the flowline between a first time and a second time.

Methods for monitoring a drilling process that uses a drilling fluid are described. The methods include measuring an initial salinity of a water phase of the drilling fluid, diluting the drilling fluid with a known amount of water to form a diluted drilling fluid, measuring a salinity of a water phase of the diluted drilling fluid, determining an initial relationship between a salt content and a water content in the drilling fluid using the initial salinity of the water phase of the drilling fluid, calculating an initial water content of the drilling fluid using the measured salinity of the diluted drilling fluid and the initial relationship between the salt content and the water content in the drilling fluid, and adjusting one or more drilling parameters in response to the calculated initial water content.

A system and method for separating two or more materials, such as a solid from a liquid, or a solid from a slurry, are provided. An exemplary system and method for separating drill cuttings from drilling fluids are provided, as well as a system and method of processing such separated drill cuttings. In another implementation, a system and method is provided for separating gold (or another mineral, element, or solid) from a slurry or liquid that includes mining cuttings.

Methods of and systems for determining depths of provenance of drill cuttings contained in a drilling fluid received from a wellbore, the drilling fluid containing drill cuttings of different sizes that arrive at surface at different recorded times, the drill cuttings originating from different formation layers at different depth along the wellbore. Such methods, for example, may include extracting samples of drill cuttings from the drilling fluid, wherein the drill cuttings in the samples are smaller than a predetermined threshold and repeating this step as necessary to provide samples of drill cuttings that arrive at surface at different recorded times; characterizing drill cuttings in the samples, comprising characterizing one or more formation attributes associated with the drill cuttings; and for each formation attribute estimating a distribution of formation attribute characterization versus depth of provenance, comprising defining a hydrodynamic transport of the characterized drill cuttings within the drilling fluid, including an effect of diffusion and dispersion on the hydrodynamic transport.