System and methodology for chemical constituent sensing and analysis

• Main Authors: Molla, Shahnawaz Hossain, Lam, Jane T, van Hal, Ronald E. G, Toribio, Michael Mallari, Mostowfi, Farshid, Du, Amy, Bostrom, Neil William
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 10.07.2018
• Subjects: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE; EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; MINING; MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING, DISPERSING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING

A technique facilitates detection and analysis of constituents, e.g. chemicals, which may be found in formation fluids and/or other types of fluids. The technique comprises intermittently introducing a first fluid and a second fluid into a channel in a manner which forms slugs of the first fluid separated by the second fluid. The intermittent fluids are flowed through the channel to create a mixing action which mixes the fluid in the slugs. The mixing increases the exchange, e.g. transfer, of the chemical constituent between the second fluid and the first fluid. The exchange aids in sensing an amount of the chemical or chemicals for analysis. In many applications, the intermittent introduction, mixing, and measuring can be performed in a subterranean environment.