Probing Local Mineralogy in 3D with Dual Energy X-Ray Microscopy

In recent years, 3D imaging of rock microstructures has become routine practice for determining pore-scale properties in the geosciences. X-Ray imaging techniques, such as X-Ray Microscopy (XRM), have demonstrated several unique capabilities: namely, the ability to characterize the same sample across a range of length scales and REVs (from millimeters to nanometers), and to perform these characterizations on the same sample over a range of times/treatments (e.g., to observe fluid transporting through the pore networks in a flow cell). While the XRM technique is a popular choice for structural (i.e., pore) characterization, historically it has provided little mineralogical information. This means that resulting simulations are either based on pore structure alone, or rely on correlative chemical mapping techniques for compositionally-sensitive models. Recent advancements in XRM techniques are now enabling compositional sensitivity for a variety of geological sample types. By collecting high-resolution 3D tomography data sets at two different source settings (energies), results may be mixed together to enhance the appearance (contrast) of specific materials. This approach is proving beneficial, for example, to mining applications to locate and identify precious metals, as well as for oil & gas applications to map local hydrophobicity. Here, we will introduce the technique of dual energy X-Ray microscopy, showing how it extends the capabilities of traditional XRM techniques, affording the same high resolution structural information while adding 3D compositional data. Application examples will be shown to illustrate its effectiveness at both the single to sub-micron length scale for mining applications as well as at the 150 nm length scale for shale rock analysis.