Qemscan
Fully Automated Quantitative Mineralogical Analysis
QEMSCAN ® represents an integrated scanning electron microscope hardware and cutting edge software suite.
This allows the fully automated acquisition of quantitative mineralogical data from a range of widely available samples - including ditch cuttings, core pieces/plugs or plug trims, hand specimens, polished thin sections and even slabbed core.
Up to 16 samples can be loaded into the machine in one go and data are captured automatically into the Datastore™ database and manipulated/analysed using the iDiscover™ software suite.
State-of the-art technology
Robertson's state-of-the-art QEMSCAN (Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by Scanning Electron Microscopy) apparatus provides digital imaging, and mineralogical and petrological analysis.
This flagship instrument consists of a base scanning electron microscope, equipped with four energy dispersive X-ray detectors, a microanalyser and an electronic processing unit designed by Intellection. This powerful automated system can acquire and process vast amounts of chemical and mineralogical data.
Features and applications
- 12000 mineral analyses per minute
- Objective discrimination of mineral types using robust statistical software
- Rapid cuttings analysis/screening
- Grain size, shape analysis
- Rock properties (including porosity and specific gravity evaluation)
- Correlation using mineral and chemical data
- Chemostratigraphy
- Provenance evaluation
- Microfossil targeting and imaging
- 24 hour operation
Detailed Analyses
- Automatic generation and assignment of user modifiable lithotypes provides a powerful tool for the analysis and characterisation of ditch cuttings or core samples.
- High resolution analysis of ditch cuttings and core samples provides data such as the volume, shape, orientation and size distribution of pores.
- Heavy mineral analyses for sediment provenance evaluation and discrimination of igneous lithologies.
- Highly detailed grain analyses which include grain size, shape and long axis orientation used in conjunction with our Core Magnetics analyses.
Detailed, Repeatable Results
The QEMSCAN system is capable of capturing up to 12000 mineralogical point count results every minute.
Generating high detail datasets at a range of resolutions from a quarter of a micron spot sample spacing upward.
Lower resolution quick look analysis (around 50μm spot spacing) generates detailed mineralogical data.
Higher resolution (10μm and less) also enables the capture of textural and porosity data.
Datasets
Fully quantitative QEMSCAN datasets have a wide range of uses within the oil and gas industry, most notably:
- Comprehensive chemical and mineralogical characterisation of sediments/volcanic suites to assist with chemical stratigraphic subdivisions and for the correlation of key stratigraphic surfaces. Unique joint workflow with XRF/ICP analysis to quantify rare earth elements and aid correlative events.
- Detailed mineralogical and textural data obtained from the actual rock, generating valuable data for petrophysical/wireline log calibration which include specific gravity curves.