Patent ID: 7730795
Filing Date: 2010-06-08
Classification: E21B,G01N

Abstract:
1. A device for sampling drill cuttings comprising: a frame directly mountable to and supported by, so as to cooperate with, a downstream end of a vibratory screen over which drill cuttings are passed in a downstream flow direction so that vibratory motion of the vibrating screen is transmitted at least in part to said frame, an inclined perforated planar member mounted on said frame, said planar member including a plate or sieve screen having perforations over at least a portion thereof between an upstream end and a downstream end of said planar member wherein said perforations are sized to screen out those cuttings exceeding a pre-determined size and to allow to pass through said perforations those cuttings equal to or less than said pre-determined size, and wherein said perforations are disposed on said planar member so that a substantially linear flow path between said upstream and downstream ends of said planar member along which cuttings translate pass over so as to intersect a plurality of said perforations, a sprayer mounted adjacent said upstream end of said planar member so as to direct fluid spray downstream along said planar member and over said perforations, an open-topped cuttings collector removably mounted to said frame so as to be insertable into a collecting position disposed beneath said perforations on said perforated planar member, and removable from said frame so that the cuttings may be removed from said collector for analysis, wherein said planar member is covered by adjustable cover plates so that only a pre-selected ratio of the cuttings on the vibratory screen are entrained onto the perforated portion of said planar member, and wherein said cover plates are adjustable laterally relative to said downstream flow direction, and wherein a plurality of bolt members are mounted in said planar member so as to be upstanding from said planar member, and wherein said cover plates have slots therein, said bolt members sliding in said slots so as to guide said lateral adjustment of said cover plates, whereby, the drill cuttings for any particular drill-hole cross-section are uniformly sampled and the resulting sample of a selectively pre-determined volume for ease of and efficient removal for analysis, wherein said frame defines a drawer support and wherein said collector is a perforated drawer for draining fluid from the cuttings while retaining the cuttings in the drawer, and wherein said drawer is selectively drawn out from under said planar member and selectively slid back into said frame so as to align an open top of said drawer under said perforations on said planar member.