Emulsion detection using optical computing devices

Abstract

Disclosed is the detection of emulsions and microdispersions with an optical computing device. One disclosed method includes emitting electromagnetic radiation from an electromagnetic radiation source, optically interacting the electromagnetic radiation with a fluid and thereby generating fluid interacted radiation, detecting a portion of the fluid interacted radiation with a reference detector arranged within an optical channel of an optical computing device, generating a reference signal with the reference detector, and determining an emulsive state of the fluid based on the reference signal.

1 . A method, comprising:
 emitting electromagnetic radiation from an electromagnetic radiation source;   optically interacting the electromagnetic radiation with a fluid and thereby generating fluid interacted radiation;   detecting a portion of the fluid interacted radiation with a reference detector arranged within an optical channel of an optical computing device;   generating a reference signal with the reference detector;   determining an emulsive state of the fluid based on the reference signal; and   obtaining a sample of the fluid based on the emulsive state.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein optically interacting the electromagnetic radiation with the fluid comprises at least one of transmitting the electromagnetic radiation through the fluid and reflecting the electromagnetic radiation off the fluid. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving the reference signal with a signal processor communicably coupled to the reference detector;   processing the reference signal with the signal processor to obtain a resulting output signal; and   monitoring the resulting output signal to determine the emulsive state of the fluid.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein processing the reference signal with the signal processor further comprises graphically displaying the reference signal on a graphical user interface with the signal processor, and wherein determining the emulsive state of the fluid comprises examining the reference signal on the graphical user interface. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising obtaining a sample of the fluid when the emulsive state of the fluid asymptotically stabilizes. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising obtaining a sample of the fluid when the reference signal indicates that an emulsion or microdispersion of the fluid has broken or destabilized. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the optical computing device includes a beam splitter, and wherein detecting the portion of the fluid interacted radiation with the reference detector comprises:
 receiving the fluid interacted radiation with the beam splitter;   splitting the fluid interacted radiation to generate the portion of the fluid interacted radiation; and   directing the portion of the fluid interacted radiation toward the reference detector with the beam splitter.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the optical channel is a reference channel defined within the optical computing device, the method further comprising:
 optically interacting the fluid interacted radiation with an integrated computational element (ICE) arranged within a primary channel of the optical computing device and thereby generating modified electromagnetic radiation;   receiving the modified electromagnetic radiation from the ICE with a primary detector; and   generating an output signal with the primary detector corresponding to a characteristic of the fluid.   
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising:
 pumping a formation fluid from a subterranean formation into a sampling tool;   monitoring the formation fluid with at least one optical computing device as it flows through the sampling tool, wherein monitoring the formation fluid includes:
 optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with the formation fluid and thereby generating fluid interacted radiation; 
 detecting a portion of the fluid interacted radiation with a reference detector arranged within an optical channel of the at least one optical computing device; 
 generating a reference signal with the reference detector; and 
 determining an emulsive state of the formation fluid based on the reference signal; and 
   altering one or more pump parameters of the sampling tool based on the emulsive state of the formation fluid.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising obtaining a sample of the formation fluid based on the emulsive state. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving the reference signal with a signal processor communicably coupled to the reference detector;   processing the reference signal with the signal processor to obtain a resulting output signal; and   monitoring the resulting output signal to determine the emulsive state of the formation fluid.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein processing the reference signal with the signal processor further comprises graphically displaying the reference signal on a graphical user interface with the signal processor, and wherein determining the emulsive state of the formation fluid comprises examining the reference signal on the graphical user interface. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising obtaining a sample of the fluid when the emulsive state of the fluid asymptotically stabilizes. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising obtaining a sample of the fluid when the reference signal indicates that an emulsion of the fluid has broken. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 monitoring the formation fluid with a densitometer arranged within the sampling tool;   generating a densitometer signal with the densitometer; and   obtaining a sample of the formation fluid based on the reference and densitometer signals.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 graphically displaying the reference signal and the densitometer signal on a graphical user interface; and   examining the reference and densitometer signals on the graphical user interface to determine when to sample the formation fluid.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein altering the one or more pump parameters of the sampling tool comprises:
 increasing or decreasing a speed of the pump; and   obtaining a sample of the formation fluid when the reference signal asymptotically stabilizes or indicates that an emulsion or microdispersion of the formation fluid has broken.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein optically interacting the electromagnetic radiation with the sample comprises:
 emitting electromagnetic radiation from an electromagnetic radiation source; and   transmitting the electromagnetic radiation through the sample to generate the fluid interacted radiation.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the optical channel is a reference channel defined within the optical computing device, and wherein monitoring the formation fluid further comprises:
 optically interacting a second portion of the fluid interacted radiation with an integrated computational element (ICE) arranged within a primary channel of the optical computing device and thereby generating modified electromagnetic radiation;   receiving the modified electromagnetic radiation from the ICE with a primary detector; and   generating an output signal with the primary detector corresponding to a characteristic of the formation fluid.