US 11,692,440 B2
Polymer nano-clays as multifunctional mud logging barcode tracers
Wei Wang, Quincy, MA (US); Hooisweng Ow, Woburn, MA (US); and Sehoon Chang, Boston, MA (US)
Assigned to ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY, Houston, TX (US)
Filed by SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Nov. 11, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/454,539.
Prior Publication US 2023/0140917 A1, May 11, 2023
Int. Cl. E21B 49/00 (2006.01); E21B 47/11 (2012.01); E21B 21/01 (2006.01); C09K 8/24 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 49/005 (2013.01) [C09K 8/24 (2013.01); E21B 21/01 (2013.01); E21B 47/11 (2020.05); C09K 2208/10 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
introducing a plurality of tags into a drilling fluid, each tag comprising:
a first clay nanoparticle; and
a first polymer embedded into the clay nanoparticle;
circulating the drilling fluid and tags through a well during a drilling operation that creates formation cuttings such that the tags interact with the formation cuttings, creating tagged cuttings;
collecting returned cuttings from the circulating drilling fluid at a surface of the well;
detecting the tags on the returned cuttings to identify the tagged cuttings; and
correlating the tagged cuttings with a drill depth in the well from the drilling operation.