The core geologic sampling and analyses are one of the key tools used by the Oil and Gas business to predict and understand specific oil and gas reserves. Rock samples, which are the result of core sampling, reveal many details regarding the history and formation of wells and reserves, an essential component to assess the fundamental geological properties of the hydrocarbon reserves as the only direct evidence available from beneath the earth. They provide the upstream operators with an opportunity to view the characteristics of the reservoir that has been encountered. These samples contain information regarding hydrocarbon nature, porosity, grain size, and mineralogy which are all important factors that can influence decisions about drilling locations. <br/>To access the information related from the hydrocarbon embedded with the mineral, it needs to be extracted from the solid matrix by various types of standard protocols, which can be lengthy, and then dried before analysis can occur.  These dried samples are then characterized using many different surface techniques. The possibility to obtain this information with minimum to no sample preparation is investigated.<br/>Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Infrared (IR) Microscopy will be used to evaluate selected samples (core, shale) from different worldwide locations.  LIBS is a fast analytical technique that can provide elemental information both laterally and in-depth of a given sample. While IR Microscopy is a relatively easy technique that provides information about the functional group's existing on the hydrocarbon. The mineral composition and the hydrocarbon structural characteristics obtained from IR microscopy will be used with data collected from LIBS, to produce high-resolution images that all information, without using any sample preparation method.<br/>

High-resolution mapping of core and shale samples: Combination of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy with infrared microscopy for advanced characterization

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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