1. n. [Drilling Fluids]
A quantitative analysis of sulfides in the drilling fluid. Specific test methods have been published by API. The oil-mud procedure analyzes active sulfides and uses whole mud samples, whereas the water-base drilling fluid procedure tests filtrate. The instrument used is called a Garrett gas train (GGT), a clear, plastic block (2.5 in. x 4 in. x 6 in.) that contains three interconnected chambers. A carrier gas is used to flow an inert gas through the chambers. The sample is placed in chamber #1 and is acidified to release sulfides as H2S (and carbonates as CO2). The appropriate Draeger tube is used to measure the effluent gas that is evolved from the sample. The device is named after Bob Garrett, who invented it while at Exxon Production Research.
References: Garrett RL: "A New Field Method for the Quantitative Determination of Sulfides in Water-Based Drilling Fluids," Journal of Petroleum Technology 29, no. 9 (September 1977): 1195-1201.
Garrett RL, Carlton LA and Denekas MO: "Methods for Field Monitoring of Oil-Based Drilling Fluids for Hydrogen Sulfide and Water Intrusions," SPE Drilling Engineering 3, no.3 (September 1988): 296-302.
See related terms: Garrett Gas Train, hydrogen sulfide, iron sulfide, OSHA, pyrrhotite, stress corrosion cracking, sulfate-reducing bacteria, zinc basic carbonate
