Core scanner technologies: take everything without breaking
Sandra Rodrigues A and Joan Esterle BA School of Earth Sciences, The University of Queensland.
B The University of Queensland.
The APPEA Journal 56(2) 595-595 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ15101
Published: 2016
Abstract
Modern core scanning technologies, such as hyperspectral CoreScan™ or X-ray fluorescence (XRF) Itrax, which allow data acquisition without the necessity of breaking the core for speciality analysis, are receiving increasing interest in coal and CSG industries in the past few years. Such technologies are able to characterise and evaluate mineral matter in greater detail than conventional sampling and analyses, producing mineral maps and mineral/elemental profiles throughout the core.
Although mineralogical information is the main output from both techniques, CoreScan™ has the ability of producing organic profiles that allow the recognition of the different lithotypes in the coal based on the spectral reflectance as well as rank, which makes a potential technique for coal quality. On the other hand, XRF Itrax core scanner allies the chemical elemental profile, from major to trace elements, with an X-radiographic image, creating a dynamic duo between stony partings and coal, and within the coal between bright and dull lithotypes, through contrasting image properties. These emerging technologies will allow coal reservoirs to be analysed quickly and reliably without subsampling that could introduce bias from the user.
Sandra Rodrigues has a PhD from the University of Porto and University of Aveiro (Portugal). Sandra is a geologist who specialises in organic petrology. She has been working in projects in CSG and coal quality. She applies organic petrology to evaluate the rank and composition of coal samples from different basins, including the Bowen and Surat basins in Australia, and Moatize Basin in Mozambique. Characterisation of dispersed organic matter and thermal basin evaluation in old petroleum systems are also part of Sandra’s projects on the Proterozoic McArthur Basin in the NT. In addition to the studies on the organic fraction of coal and other organic-rich rocks, Sandra has been working on the characterisation of the mineral matter using microscale techniques such as optical microscopy, SEM/EDS, and QEMSCAN and well as core scanner technologies such as HyLogger, Corescan, and more recently XRF Itrax core scanner at UNWS. |
Joan Esterle is a coal geologist with a PhD from the University of Kentucky (1990). Following a career with CSIRO (1992–2008) and GeoGAS Runge (2008–10), she joined the University of Queensland full time, taking up the chair of the Vale-UQ Coal Geoscience Program. The group has grown to more than six senior researchers and some 20 undergrad and post-graduate students working across a range of projects in 2015. Her main research questions focus on geological controls on the origins and distribution of coal and gas in coal, gas and coal production, overburden geotechnical variability, and coal material properties. These applied research projects are underpinned by a fundamental understanding of peat and coal formation. Joan’s projects are supported through the Australian Coal Association, the Centre for Coal Seam Gas, Australian Low Emissions Coal fund, the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, and a suite of companies. |
References
ACARP, 2016—Use of core scanning and hand held Xray fluorescence analysis in coal quality assessment. Ongoing ACARP Project C24025. Brisbane: Australian Coal Research Limited.Kelloway, S.J., Ward, C.R., Marjo, C.E., Wainwright, I.E., and Cohen, D.R. (2014a). Quantitative chemical profiling of coal using core-scanning X-ray fluorescence techniques. International Journal of Coal Geology 128, 55–67.
Kelloway, S.J., Ward, C.R., Marjo, C.E., Wainwright, I.E., and Cohen, D.R. (2014b). Calibration for ED-XRF profiling of coal cores for the Itrax Core Scanner. Powder Diffraction 29, S28.
