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Welcome to Apex Logging
Company
State of the art Equipment
A successful mud logging job cannot be performed with
faulty and unreliable equipment. If a gas filament is blown while
drilling, the chance that an important zone will go undetected becomes
very real. Yet, many mud logging companies continue to rely on the
1980's catalytic combustion technology while drilling through zones of
high gas concentration such as the Bend Conglomerate and Barnett
Shale formations. Today's technologies allow for improved and
extremely reliable gas detection systems.
Our gas detection systems are built using the best
infrared sensors. This is just one of the advantages we have over
our
competitors.
Here is why we decided on infrared technology:
Disadvantages of the Catalytic Combustion
'hotwire' systems
The limiting factors in catalytic detector technology:
- Catalysts become poisoned or inactive due to
contamination - especially from silicone compounds found in antifreeze
commonly used in bubble jars. This leads to inconsistent
gas readings on a single well.
- The only means of identifying detector
sensitivity
loss is by checking with the appropriate gas on a routine basis and
recalibrating as required. In many cases, daily recalibration is
necessary to preserve confidence in gas readings.
- Prolonged exposure to high concentrations of
combustible gas may degrade sensor performance.
- If
flooded with a very high gas concentration, may show erroneously low or
no response, and sensor may be damaged or rendered inoperable.
Advantages of using Infrared Detectors
- Immunity to contamination and poisoning.
This is important during winter months when antifreeze bubble jars are
sometimes necessary.
- Consumables (source and detector) tend to
outlast catalytic sensors.
- Can be calibrated less often than a catalytic
detector. Does not require field calibration.
- Ability to operate in continuous presence of
gas. There is no filament that will become weakened with
continuous heat.
- Can perform more reliably in varying flow
conditions.
- No drift from temperature fluctuations;
therefore consistent base level throughout the well.
- Even when flooded with gas, will continue to
show high reading and sensor will not be damaged. Will not 'pop'
during gas kicks.
- Able to detect at levels above 100 % LEL.
Especially suited for shale gas applications.
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You're drilling a well in a
structurally complex area. Your primary target is the Barnett Shale.
The mudlogging company you choose is using a catalytic combustion
hotwire gas detection system.
As you get to your anticipated
formation depth,
the cuttings show a mixture of lime and shale. It could be the Barnett,
except that there is little noticable increase in background gas.
You figure that you must be running
lower than your offset well, and you continue to drill
deeper as you watch for increased background gas.
Unfortunately, the hotwire filament
has been coated because of silicone
vapors coming from the bubble-jar antifreeze, and it is no longer
responsive. There
is no increase in background gas.
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