Development of VNIR & SWIR Hyperspectral MSCL

Development of VNIR & SWIR Hyperspectral MSCL

Geotek are pleased to announce a new relationship with Spectra-Map Limited, to integrate a leading VNIR and SWIR hyperspectral camera (SpecCam 3) onto our range of multi-sensor core logger (MSCL) systems.

Geotek and Spectra-Map logos

Spectra-Map Ltd are a company based in Oxford, UK, that use a range of spectroscopic techniques that provide detailed analyses of minerals, as well as deriving whole rock mineralogies. They offer a full consulting service across a range of environments, whether it be at the well-site, client office, or one of their own offices. In 2008, the first introduction to the UK oil industry of a non-destructive, non-contact and real-time imaging reflectance spectrometer, was the SpecCam imaging spectrometer. The SpecCam technology generates near continuous data, overcoming limitations such as low productivity, low density data and inability to show detailed spatial distribution of minerals often encountered when using point sampling techniques. Each pixel in the recorded image can be analysed in great detail, with the ability to identify a specific mineral type, hydrocarbons and contaminants.

 

Example hyperspectral dataset from a North Sea field showing changes in percentage hydrocarbon and clay composition, and their relationship to fracture infill.

The exclusive relationship will combine Spectra-Map’s wealth of experience in designing and using high resolution hyperspectral cameras across the research, minerals, and oil and gas industries, with Geotek’s experience in geoscience applications and manufacturing of automated core scanning platforms. The relationship will see the new MSCL systems being able to integrate ultra sensitive XRF measurements with high resolution VNIR and SWIR hyperspectral datasets to produce both elemental and mineralogical distributions and information across and downcore for a range of geological samples.

The hyperspectral MSCL systems offered by Geotek will include processing and interpretation software for automatic mineral identification and quantification, as well as the ability to detect liquid and solid hydrocarbons at a sub-millimetre scale. These data combined with ultra-sensitive XRF data can illustrate relationships between a sample’s chemostratigraphy and its physical properties like permeability, porosity, sonic, or density. Geologists can therefore obtain a more thorough knowledge base from one Geotek scanning system, saving time between loading cores/core boxes, money from purchasing several systems, and improve depth collaboration between multiple datasets and downhole logs.

The hyperspectral MSCL scanners will be capable of acquiring: XRF using either the Olympus Vanta handheld, or Geotek XRF sensor, magnetic susceptibility, colour spectrophotometry, density and porosity, P-wave velocity, spectral and total natural gamma, and electrical resistivity, all integrated onto one automated core logging system. Furthermore, we will be offering this new sensor technology to our existing customers as an upgrade for older MSCL systems.

Tony Bosley, Geotek’s Managing Director says “Geotek are looking forward to working with Spectra-Map and progressing our research and development for the integration of the SpecCam3 onto our MSCL systems. We see infrared hyperspectral imaging as an excellent addition to our suite of sensor technologies especially as hyperspectral imaging is quickly becoming a “must-have” dataset for the minerals and oil and gas industries.”

Richard Williams, Spectra-Map’s Commercial Director commented “We are delighted to join forces with Geotek, market leaders in multi-sensor core logging systems, providing a hyperspectral imaging capability to their MSCL systems. The combination of our SpecCam with XRF and other analytical instruments will bring new levels of detail to mineral identification, without sample preparation or damage.”

Contact Geotek at info@geotek.co.uk for more information, and keep checking our website for more information on this exciting technology development.