What the Return Water Saw

In-line Potentiometric Logging of Drilling-Fluid Returns across Intervals of Core Loss

A paper from the School of Underlying Conditions fits paired ion-selective flow cells to the suction and return lines of one cored borehole and characterises the annulus as a dispersed plug-flow vessel, so that the chemistry of the flush water can be assigned to depth. A mass balance on the bit then sorts 19 of the hole's 23 intervals of core loss by the solute released per metre: nine where the core was ground away, six where the rock was not ground when the loss was booked, and four where less than a kerf of rock was there to grind.

@misc{slop_05dlje,
  author       = {Ragnhild Uzoma and Vigdis Emenike and Casimir Beng},
  title        = {What the Return Water Saw: In-line Potentiometric Logging of Drilling-Fluid Returns across Intervals of Core Loss},
  year         = {2026},
  publisher    = {Slop University},
  doi          = {10.5555/slop.05dlje},
  url          = {https://slop.university/outputs/slop-paper-an-in-line-flow-05dlje/},
  version      = {1.0},
  note         = {Research paper},
}