US 11,788,939 B2
Methods and systems for preparing drill cuttings for measuring petrophysical properties of subsurface formations
Stacey Althaus, Houston, TX (US); Jin-Hong Chen, Katy, TX (US); and Gary Eppler, Baytown, TX (US)
Assigned to Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Oct. 17, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/655,364.
Prior Publication US 2021/0116335 A1, Apr. 22, 2021
Int. Cl. G01N 1/34 (2006.01); E21B 21/06 (2006.01); E21B 49/00 (2006.01); E21B 49/02 (2006.01); E21B 21/01 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 1/34 (2013.01) [E21B 21/066 (2013.01); E21B 49/005 (2013.01); E21B 49/02 (2013.01); E21B 21/01 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for cleaning drill cuttings, the method comprising:
collecting surfaced drill cutting samples from a shale shaker or a wellhead;
filtering the surfaced drill cutting samples through a sieve having a first mesh size to remove cavings from the surfaced drill cuttings so that drill cuttings are obtained from the surfaced drill cuttings;
placing the drill cuttings in a plurality of cylindrically shaped sieve baskets that are each disposed in one of a plurality of cylindrically shaped vessels;
filling the vessels with brine if water-based-mud was used in drilling the drill cutting samples;
filling the vessel with diesel if oil-based mud was used in drilling the drill cutting samples; and
removing contaminants from the drill cuttings by sonicating the sieve baskets with ultrasonic waves from a sonicator while simultaneously mechanically shaking the sieve baskets with a mechanical means.