Patent ID: 8775086

Claim:
A method of estimating an amount of caving in an open hole drilling well, comprising: calculating by a gas analyzer system an actual lag for a well by detecting a predetermined component of atmospheric air in a drilling fluid with a gas analyzer probe, comprising: detecting a connection event; detecting a change in an amount of the predetermined component of atmospheric air in the drilling fluid corresponding to the connection event; determining a first quantity of mud pump strokes at an end of the connection event; determining a second quantity of mud pump strokes at a beginning of the change in the amount of the predetermined component of atmospheric air in the drilling fluid corresponding to the connection event; determining a third quantity of down strokes of the mud pump; and calculating the actual lag by subtracting the second quantity and the third quantity from the first quantity; calculating by the gas analyzer system a theoretical lag for the well; and calculating by the gas analyzer system a caving amount by comparing the actual lag and the theoretical lag.