Improved Methods for Sampling Gas and Drill Cuttings

Abstract

Summary Large variations exist in the sampling performance of conventional drilling-mud gas samplers, resulting from a combination of design and operational differences. These variations have been evaluated systematically, and modifications have been made that improve sampling performance and make samplers operate comparably. A new method of sampling for drill cuttings from drilling mud has been tested that overcomes deficiencies in sampling from shaker tailings. With this method, it is possible to obtain cuttings samples more representative of the drilled interval.