Mud Logging: Surface Gas Measurement and Fluid Characterization

Origin of Gas in Mud and the Degassing Process

• Types of gas in mud
• Equilibrium calculations and limits
• Material exchange
• Volume, kinetics, and thermal effects      

On the first day, participants will learn about the origins of gas in mud and the degassing process.  The different types of mud in gas, including liberated, produced, connection, trip, contamination, and recycled gas, will all be covered.  The day will continue the participants learning about the degassing process, to include equilibrium calculations for extracting gas from mud.  Material exchange, equilibrium limits, as well as volume, kinetics, and thermal effects will all be covered.  The day will end with a discussion on multipass degassing.   

Degassing Technologies and Gas Analyzing Technology 

• Conventional and constant volume degassers
• Temperature fluid extractors
• Classic detectors, new detectors, and calibration  

Day two will cover degassing and gas analyzing technologies.  Specific degassers that will be covered include conventional degassers and constant volume degassers.  Participants will learn about constant volume and temperature fluid extractors.  Improved gas extraction stirring vs. temperature will be covered and attendees will participate in a workshop showing the different types of degasser equipment, how they function, and the basic troubleshooting techniques.  The second half of the day will cover gas analyzing technology.  Classic and new detectors will be covered along with the calibration of each.  The advantages and inconveniences of each will be covered as well.  The day will end with a workshop where participants will learn about the different types of analyzing equipment, how they function, and how a calibration is performed.

Gas Interpretation

• Petroleum fluids and their composition
• Fluid logging vs. gas logging
• History of gas interpretation
• Gas ratio      

The focus of the third day will be to teach participants about gas interpretation.  Petroleum fluids and their composition will be covered, along with the difference between fluid and gas logging.  The history of gas interpretation will also be discussed.  The day will end with attendees learning about gas ratios and participating in a classroom based exercise that will demonstrate the use of pixlar plots and triangular diagrams to show how an interpretation is done using field examples.

New Technology and Gas Correction 

• Gas correction
• Lag time calculation
• Synchronization
• Booster pump and contamination correction

Participants will learn about new technologies and gas correction on day four.  Specific topics that will be covered include the importance of gas in and gas out with high end degassers and detectors.  Lag time calculation will be covered as well, with a simulation in a mud logging unit so participants can see lag time calculations in real-time and they will learn how it operates and performs.  Synchronization, booster pumps, and contamination correction will also be discussed.

High End Degasser Case Studies

• Drilling fluid contamination
• Offshore results and multiwall studies
• Fault zone
• Reservoir compartmentalization      

The last day will focus on high end degasser case studies.  Drilling fluid contamination, offshore results, and multiwall studies will be covered.  Participants will also learn about fault zone and reservoir compartmentalization on this day.