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QUANTITATIVE SAMPLE
Site Navigation DESCRIPTIONS USING FTIR Quick Links
and DRIFTS

 Ter INFRA- THIS PAGE

ms
Of RED
FTIR Sample Basics
Us FTIR Principles
e/ Theory
Dis Examples
cla
im THIS CHAPTER
er
 Pa Wireline Logging
y Coiled Tubing / Drill Pipe
Sh Logging While Drilling
are Measurement While Drilling
wa Publication History: This article is Sample Logging
re based on "Crain's Data Acquisition" byFTIR Sample Logging
Fe E. R. (Ross) Crain, P.Eng., first published
e Mud Logging
in 2010. Updated 2015. This webpage Depth Determination
 Ha version is the copyrighted intellectual Editing - Depth Shifts
nd property of the author.
bo Editing - Log Normalization
ok Core Analysis Basics
Ind Do not copy or distribute in any
ex form without explicit permission.
/
Sit QUANTITATIVE SAMPLE DESCRIPTIONS
e The typical sample description log is a qualitative
Ma description of the rock samples recovered from the mud
p system during the drilling operations at a well site or from
conventional or sidewall cores taken over specific intervals
  Fre in the well. Semi-quantitative analysis can be done using a
e microscope and eyeball estimates of the quantities of each
Sp mineral present. This is a little imprecise but may resolve
rea some issues.
ds
he X-Ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) is another quantitative
et method for description of the mineralogy of cuttings or core
Do samples.
wn
loa Infra-red spectroscopy is a somewhat newer technology.
ds
Infra-red analysis of washed samples can resolve most
 Fre minerals, including clays and organics, into a quantitative
e
breakdown. It can be performed at the well site, as part of
Pu
the other sample description and gas logging process
bli
cat
(measurements while drilling) or in a laboratory after drilling
ion the well.
s
 Te There are two types of infra-red spectroscopy. The most
sti common is transmission, or absorption, infra-red
mo spectroscopy, in which the spectra are inverted to a mineral
nia assemblage by a Fourier Transform algorithm, commonly
ls abbreviated as FTIR. Another independent method is diffuse
 Ab reflection infra-red Fourier Transform spectroscopy, better
out known as DRIFTS. DRIFTS is newer, faster, and cheaper
Th than conventional FTIR. Although the transmission and
e reflection spectra are quite different in appearance, both
Au techniques give very similar results.
tho
r Samples from cores can also be used. Small samples (0.5 to
1.0 grams) are crushed and placed in the FTIR apparatus,
Petrophy where IR absorption spectrum is scanned with a broad
sical range of infra-red frequencies. Each mineral, liquid, and gas
Training has a unique spectrum, allowing the software to identify
each mineral by comparing to pure mineral spectra.
 We Multiple scans of the same sample are used to increase
bin signal to noise ratio. With the most recent development of
ar
wellsite instruments, a typical measurement takes two to
Dat
three minutes. Results in weight percent or mass fraction
es
are stored on disc and displayed on request. Sample
 Co
preparation can take a few minutes as well.
urs
e
Dat
es
 Or
der
AV
Co
urs
es
 Or
der
Vid
eo
Co
urs
es
 Or
der
 Ref
ere
nc
e
Ma
nu
als
 Be
co
me
An
As
so
cia
te
Ins
tru
cto
r
FTIR absorption spectra for calcite and quartz after being
processed by the Fourier transform software. The peaks are
Petrophy due to covalent bonds in the molecules and give a unique
sical pattern for each mineral. The relative amplitudes of peaks
Consulti compared to pure mineral standards are used to estimate
ng the quantity of each mineral present in a mixture. (image:
Ana-Min)
 Co
ns FTIR LOG EXAMPLES
ulti A log of results versus depth is constructed by the FTIR
ng software package and can augment the conventional sample
Ser log or stand alone for comparison to wireline or computed
vic log analysis results.
es
 Cli
ent
Lis
t
 Pr
oje
ct
Lis
t
 An FTIR quantitative sample log, measured in weight
percent, with interpreted lithology description (images
courtesy of Ana-Min)

Tabular listing of FTIR quantitative mineralogy, measured in

weight percent, can be loaded into petrophysical analysis
software in a manner similar to core analysis or XRD data, to
assist in calibrating analysis results. Note the availability of
TOC data in this example.

The technique is quite new and not yet widely used at the
wellsite. It has applications in conventional and
unconventional reservoirs, including shale gas, tight oil, and
coal bed methane. It can provide a quantitative estimate of
total organic carbon (TOC) and quantitative mineralogy and
clay volume without waiting to transport and analyze
samples in the laboratory. Since it is a near-real time
measurement, it can assist in geo-steering of horizontal or
deviated wells.

DRIFTS LOG EXAMPLES

The example below is from "Kerogen Content and Maturity,
Mineralogy, and Clay Typing from DRIFTS Analysis of
Cuttings or Cores", M.Heron et al, Petrophysics, Oct 2014.

DRIFTS analysis of core samples from the Montney

formation in Alberta. Note that clay content averages about
30% by weight, quartz-carbonate ratio is about 50:50, and
carbonate is mostly dolomite (with minor calcite-rich layers).
Kerogen is about 3%. Although pyrite weight fraction
usually is in the 3 to 8% range in this interval, none is shown
in this example.
 DRIFTS example from cuttings in Marcellus Shale. Clay-
quartz ratio is near 50:50 with little carbonate. Kerogen runs
4 to 12% by weight. Colour codes same as previous
example.
Comparison of DRIFTS and FTIR methods on the same core
samples from the Montney example shown earlier.

THE INFRA-RED SPECTRUM

Infra-red radiation Is a form of electromagnetic radiation
with frequencies between those visible to humans and those
familiar as radio waves. Ultra-violet, X-rays, and gamma rays
are at higher frequencies.

The radiation spectrum shows the infra-red to the lower

frequency side of the visible light region. Ultra-violet, X-ray,
and gamma rays are on the high frequency side of the
visible spectrum.

Some definitions are in order:

1: Wavelength = 10^4 / Wave Number (microns)
2: Wave Number = 10^4 / Frequency ((reciprocal
centimeters - cm^-1)
3: Wavelength = 2.9979 * 10^4 / Frequency (meters)

In frequency terms, 1 cm^-1 = 2.9979 * 10^9 = 30 Ghz.

Infra-red energy obeys the same laws of transmission,

reflection, and absorption as does visible light. The
frequencies absorbed and reflected by each substance have
a unique frequency spectrum or signature, which depends
on the molecular structure of the substance.

FTIR spectroscopy relies on detection of covalent bonds or

molecular group vibrations. Mineral identification is
possible because minerals have characteristic absorption
bands in the mid-range of the infrared (4000 to 400 cm-1).
The concentration of a mineral in a sample can be extracted
from the FTIR spectrum because the absorbance of the
mixture is proportional to the concentration of each mineral.
This is given by Beers Law:
4: A = SUM (Cj * Ej * L)

Where:
A = absorbance of a mineral mixture at a given
wavenumber
Ej = absorbtivity of component j
L = the absorption path length (pellet thickness)
Cj is the concentration of component j.

All multi-component analyses are based on Beer’s law, and

the absorbance at a specific wavenumber is the sum of the
absorbance of all sample components that absorb at that
wavenumber. Since the spectrum covers a wide range of
wavenumbers, a non-negative least squares solution to the
Cj concentration values is possible.

HOW FTIR REALLY WORKS

Source: Wikipedia

The goal of any absorption spectroscopy is to measure how

well a sample absorbs light at each wavelength. The most
straightforward way to do this, the "dispersive
spectroscopy" technique, is to shine a monochromatic light
beam at a sample, measure how much of the light is
absorbed, and repeat for each different wavelength.

Fourier transform spectroscopy is a less intuitive way to

obtain the same information. Rather than shining a
monochromatic beam of light at the sample, this technique
shines a beam containing many frequencies of light at once,
and measures how much of that beam is absorbed by the
sample. Next, the beam is modified to contain a different
combination of frequencies, giving a second data point. This
process is repeated many times. Afterwards, a computer
takes all these data and works backwards to infer what the
absorption is at each wavelength.

The beam described above is generated by starting with a

broadband light source, one containing the full spectrum of
wavelengths to be measured. The light shines into a
Michelson interferometer, a certain configuration of mirrors,
one of which is moved by a motor. As this mirror moves,
each wavelength of light in the beam is periodically blocked,
transmitted, blocked, transmitted, by the interferometer, due
to wave interference. Different wavelengths are modulated
at different rates, so that at each moment, the beam coming
out of the interferometer has a different spectrum. The raw
data is sometimes called an "interferogram".

As mentioned, computer processing is required to turn the

raw data (light absorption for each mirror position) into the
desired result (light absorption for each wavelength). The
processing required turns out to be a common algorithm
called the Fourier transform. The interferogram belongs in
the length domain. Fourier transform inverts the dimension,
so the transform of the interferogram belongs in the
reciprocal length domain, that is the wavenumber domain.
(end of Wiki extract)

Once the FTIR spectrum has been obtained, the peaks and
valleys on the wave number graph can be compared to
standard graphs for pure minerals recorded in a catalog. By
identifying particular peaks, the minerals present can be
identified. The amplitudes of the peaks are used to estimate
the quantity of each mineral. Hardware suppliers have
created proprietary software that can quickly compare
thousands of possible combinations to find a match to the
measured spectrum. The task is simplified by choosing an
appropriate mineral "package" that best represents the rock
sequence, thus reducing the number of comparisons
required. That mineral package contains the spectra for a
few to a few dozen pure minerals.

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