Fluorescent barcoded tags for drilling depth correlation

A composition including a fluorescent polymer tag and an aqueous-based drilling fluid is provided. Also provided is a method of determining drill depth of recovered drill cuttings. The method includes introducing a fluorescent polymer tag into a drilling fluid, the fluorescent polymer tag includes the composition having the fluorescent compound linked to the polymer. The method then includes circulating the drilling fluid through a well during a drilling operation that creates formation cuttings such that the fluorescent polymer interacts with the formation cuttings, creating tagged cuttings. The returned cuttings are collected from the circulating drilling fluid at a surface of the well. The method then includes detecting the presence of the fluorescent polymer tag on the returned cuttings to identify the tagged cuttings, and correlating the tagged cuttings with the drill depth in the well at a time during the drilling operation.