Abstract: An example method for determining downhole conditions in a subterranean formation during a drilling operation may include introducing non-formation gas into a flow of drilling fluid through a fluid conduit in fluid communication with a drill string disposed within a borehole in the subterranean operation. The non-formation gas may be received from the flow of drilling fluid through a return line in fluid communication with the borehole. A downhole condition may be determined based, at least in part, on the received non-formation gas.

Abstract: An example method for determining down-hole conditions in a subterranean formation during a drilling operation may include introducing non-formation gas into a flow of drilling fluid through a fluid conduit in fluid communication with a drill string disposed within a borehole in the subterranean operation. The non-formation gas may be received from the flow of drilling fluid through a return line in fluid communication with the borehole. A downhole condition may be determined based, at least in part, on the received non-formation gas.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing reservoir hydrocarbon calculations from surface hydrocarbon compositions during a drilling operation in a reservoir using a drilling fluid is described herein. The apparatus comprises a processor and a memory device coupled to the processor. The memory device may contains a set of instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to determine a raw gas value for a gas species measured at a surface gas analyzer; determine a first set of constant values corresponding to the gas species and the reservoir; determine a fluid characteristic of the drilling fluid; and calculate a subsurface gas concentration for the gas species based, at least in part, on the raw gas value, the first set of constant values and the fluid characteristic.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus and a system, as well as a method and an article, may operate to acquire live video stream information from an imaging device, the information including down hole cuttings image information, and then to process the down hole cuttings image information to determine data that quantifies at least one of a shape, a size distribution, or a volume of the down hole cuttings. Further activities include publishing changes in the data in conjunction with probable conditions associated with a borehole drilling operation or a borehole pumping operation. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.