Alun Whittaker

Mudlogging: Equipment,
Sanders and Whittaker
Services, and Personnel Vallejo, California, U.S.A.

INTRODUCTION made of all logged data.

Mudlogging, sometimes called hydrocarbon logging or
physical formation logging, involves the monitoring and
recording of a variety of data related to the borehole and to
the drilling process. Mudlogging incorporates gas analysis
and cuttings data with drilling information to build a
continuous formation evaluation record as the well is being
drilled. Equipment and services for mudlogging can range
from simple monitoring to integrated computer modeling of
the wellsite and borehole environment.
• Mud test kit—This kit contains equipment to perform
routine drilling fluid analyses and titrations.
• Sample processing equipmen—This equipment is used for
catching, sieving, preparing, and testing lithology,
mineralogy, and oil content in cuttings (Figures 3 and
4).
• Optical equipment—A stereomicroscope is equipped for
use with natural and ultraviolet light.
• hog production equipment—A typewriter, plotter, and
copy system are needed for log reproduction.

Additional equipment may be needed to perform special

EQUIPMENT on-site analyses.
Standard Equipment
The minimum complement of equipment for basic
mudlogging is listed here. Figure 1 shows much of this
equipment in a typical mudlogger's work area.

• Gas extraction—An automatic gas trap is located in the

return mudstream for continuous gas extraction (see
chapter on "Mudlogging: Gas Extraction and
Monitoring" in Part 3).
• Vacuum system—A vacuum pump, pressure regulators,
flow meters, filters, and dryers maintain uniform gas
sample flow rate and composition from the gas trap
and blender. This system includes a pressure and flow
alarm and purge system to detect vacuum system
blockage or leaks.
• Total gas detector—Hot wire, flame ionization, or
infrared detectors are acceptable for total gas detection.
• Chromatograph—An automatic gas chromatograph is
equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID) or
infrared detector capable of accepting samples from
either the gas trap or blender (Figures 1 and 2).
• Gas calibration—A gas calibration system injects known
. single and mixed gases into the total gas detector and
chromatograph in a range of concentrations for
calibration.
• Blender—A blender agitates and grinds a discrete
sample of mud and cuttings and extracts the released
gas for measurement.
• Depth and rate of penetration monitor—A sensor
independent of the drilling system is capable of
detecting changes in depth and compensating for rig
motion offshore (Figure 1).
• Pump rate counter—A pump stroke counter is needed
for each mud pump
• Mud pit level monitor—Continuous monitoring of mud Figure 1. Standard mudlogger's work area. (A) Chromatograph.
pit level(s) and rig motion-compensated volume is (B) Chromatograph chart. (C) Back-up chromatograph.
necessary (D) Depth and time monitoring equipment. (E) Power panel.
• Chart recording—A continuous analog chart recording is (Photo courtesy of Long Co. Technical Service, Casper, WY.)

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