Application of ToF-SIMS for analysis of formation fluid samples and formation rock samples
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsBastian Sauerer, Wael Abdallah
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A workflow is provided that extracts and isolates an oil/water interface of a formation fluid sample and employs a ToF-SIMS instrument to characterize properties of the oil-water interface of the formation fluid sample. Additionally or alternatively, the workflow can use a ToF-SIMS instrument to analyze a formation rock sample and characterize properties of the formation rock sample. The workflow can also involve combining the at least one property related to the oil-water interface of the formation fluid sample and the least one property related to the formation rock sample for output or display to a user.
Claims28
A method for subsurface characterization, comprising:
- obtaining a formation fluid sample;
- extracting an oil-water interface from the formation fluid sample;
- preparing a solid-phase test sample from the oil-water interface extracted from the formation fluid sample;
- configuring a time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry instrument to analyze the solid-phase test sample to determine a mass spectrum of the solid-phase test sample;
- and
- processing the mass spectrum of the solid-phase test sample to determine at least one property of the oil-water interface of the formation fluid sample,
- wherein the solid-phase test sample includes surface-active species and solid adsorbed species of the oil-water interface, and
- wherein the preparing the solid-phase test sample involves heating or drying the oil-water interface extracted from the formation fluid sample.
A method for subsurface characterization, comprising:
- i) obtaining a formation fluid sample;
- ii) extracting an oil-water interface from the formation fluid sample;
- iii) preparing a solid-phase test sample from the oil-water interface extracted from the formation fluid sample, wherein the solid-phase test sample includes surface-active species and solid adsorbed species of the oil-water interface;
- iv) configuring a time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry instrument to analyze the solid-phase test sample to determine a mass spectrum of the solid-phase test sample;
- v) processing the mass spectrum of the solid-phase test sample to determine at least one property related to the oil-water interface of the formation fluid sample, wherein the at least one property of v) relates to interfacial tension or interfacial elasticity behavior of the oil-water interface of the formation fluid sample;
- vi) obtaining a formation rock sample corresponding to the formation fluid sample;
- vii) configuring the time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry instrument or a different time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry instrument to analyze the formation rock sample or part thereof to determine a mass spectrum of the formation rock sample or part thereof;
- viii) processing the mass spectrum of the formation rock sample or part thereof to determine at least one property related to the formation rock sample or part thereof, wherein the at least one property of viii) is related to at least one of salinity of at least one fluid inclusion in the formation rock sample or part thereof, thermal maturity of kerogen in the formation rock sample or part thereof, or other kerogen properties or biomarkers in the formation rock sample or part thereof;
- and
- ix) combining the at least one property related to the oil-water interface of the formation fluid sample of v) and the at least one property related to the formation rock sample or part thereof of viii) for output or display to a user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.