Chapter 10: Subsurface Characterization for Energy Applications

X-ray fluorescence analysis and chemostratigraphy are fundamental tools used to characterize core, core plug, and drill cutting materials that are collected for oil and gas exploration. This chapter provides an overview of the fundamental methods required to conduct analyses and interpret X-ray fluorescence data and will familiarize the user with the development, application, and interpretation of pXRF methods, workflows, and research projects. The basic requirements necessary to clean and prepare core materials, the calibration techniques required to standardize datasets, and the multivariate statistical approaches that can be used to interpret collected datasets are discussed. These tools can be integrated into a robust workflow that will result in consistent elemental concentration datasets that can be interpreted by experienced geochemists looking to better characterize a rock unit of interest.