Chromatograph
With over 60 years experience and 3200 wells drilled in the Gulf of Mexico region, Continental Laboratories has been a leader in designing and implementing state of the art gas analysis systems for the oil and gas industry. Our latest FID (Flame Ionization Detection) chromatograph was designed to withstand high levels of rig-induced electrical noise, ambient temperature swings, and rig vibrations while still maintaining excellent characteristics throughout the spectrum of gases. With fully automatic pressure, flow and temperature controls, combined with integrated PLC logic to increase efficiency, operators will feel comfortable with the ease of use of this system.
Safety is our number one priority at Continental Laboratories. With this in mind, we have designed our Chromatograph to be as safe to operate as possible. We’ve added advanced safety features including automatic hydrogen shutdown, temperature and timeout safety controls, and audible and visual alarms that are easily accessible to the operator.
Technical Specifications
- Automatic hydrocarbon analysis C1-C5
- Dynamic gas sampling for increased speed
- Data Integration 30 times per second
- Independent temperature controls
- Three stage sample filtering
- Custom hydrocarbon specific column
- Automatic zero correction
- Resolution down to 1 part ppm
- Industrially designed 19" Rack mount
Safety
- Hydrogen safety shutdown
- Auto flame out and reignite control
- Over temperature and timeout alarm
- H2 off and low air pressure alarm
- Igniter failure alarm
- Audible and visual alarm notifications
Gas Detector
With 60 years of experience and more than 3200 wells drilled in the Gulf of Mexico region, Continental Laboratories has accrued a leadership role in designing and implementing gas analysis systems for the Oil and Gas industry. Our latest generation gas detection system incorporates two different technologies into one detector. Catalytic sensors are utilized for greater accuracy when smaller percentages of hydrocarbon gases are present. When greater percentages are encountered, infrared sensor technology is utilized to measure target gasses up to 100% by volume.
This rugged gas detector was designed to withstand extreme levels of rig-induced electrical noise, ambient temperature swings and rig vibrations while still maintaining excellent characteristics throughout the full range of hydrocarbon gases. The result is an extremely accurate and reliable instrument, suitable for all oilfield environments.
Safety is our number one priority at Continental Laboratories and we have designed our gas detector to be as safe to operate as possible. We have added advanced safety features including over-temp monitoring, sensor status indicators, remote alarm capability and audible and visual alarms that are easily accessible to the operator.
Technical Specifications
- Ultra sensitive low level catalytic gas readings
- High gas readings utilizing Infrared technology
- Linear measurement of all hydrocarbon gases
- Accurate sensing of high level gases though 100% methane equivalent
- Automatic temperature correction
- Full sample filtration and moisture removal
- Multi level gas calibrations
- Fully shielded for EMF noise protection
- Multiple analog outputs available
- Industrially designed 19" rack mount
Safety
- Over temp monitoring
- Filament sensor status indicator
- Infrared sensor status indicator
- Remote alarm capability
- Audible and visual alarm notifications
Rig Sight™ Lite Enhanced Logging
This Rig Sight Lite system provides critical Mud Logging related data at a reduced cost. Rig Sight Lite utilizes the same high speed PLC based processing and acquisition system as our standard instrumentation package. It features our explosion-proof sensors for the monitoring of critical rig functions, unlimited number of remote displays for rig personnel, WITS compliant Ethernet and serial outputs and various tools for data management and manipulation. This system provides critical mud logging data to drilling personnel at various locations on the rig, all in real time. With the optional live data package, this data can be viewed remotely via the internet.
Monitored values (sensor derived data) include
- Depth
- Hookload/WOB
- Standpipe Pressure
- Flow Out
- Total Gas
- Pump Strokes (1-3)
- Chromatography (C1 - C5)
Gas Trap
This rugged, durable conventional gas extractor is manufactured by Continental Laboratories in Houston and is available with either a pneumatic or electric motor. The device delivers a very high efficiency of gas extraction.
Technical Specifications
- Enhanced sensitivity optimized for mud system and general gas levels
- Provides accurate, predictable sampling of gases unaffected by normal mud level changes
- Enables the surface gas measurements to become an effective tool for formation evaluation
- The system can easily coupled to an existing gas detection and measurement system while retaining the low-cost, low-maintenance features of the older system
Mass Spectrometry Geochemical Profiling
The dq1000 is a portable quadrupole mass analyzer for use on drilling wells. It analyzes C1-C10 petroleum species, and inorganic compounds such as CO2, He, N2, O2 and sulfur bearing volatiles. It can discriminate among paraffins, naphthenes and aromatics, BTEX compounds (Benzene, Toluene, Xylene) and contributions from the drilling fluid. It can be remotely monitored and maintained and data transfer can be accomplished via satellite uplink, thereby making it capable of running unmanned.
The instrument has a 90 second cycle time, and baseline sensitivity of 0.01 ppm for C4+ species (some caveats). Fragmentation without pre-separation via a GC creates some challenges, but more than compensated for by sensitivity, speed, and breadth of chemical analysis with a single instrument.
Key applications center on defining petroleum type and quality, fluid contacts, porosity/permeability, proximity to charge and compartmentalization. The instrument has been found to be useful in both conventional and unconventional reservoirs, and has been run in virtually all major shale plays in the USA with great success.
