From X-Ray Fluorescence ( XRF ) to Mechanical Profiling for Better Well Completion . Valuable Analytics for the Exploration Toolbox !

The fast pace of drilling and completion of unconventional reservoirs in North America is challenging engineers, geoscientists and petrophysicists who have to make prompt and reasonable plans for drilling and completion strategies. One of the main issues is understanding the physical rock properties, such as clay and organic content, and mechanical properties or stress behaviour, in these often highly anisotropic reservoirs. In many cases, these parameters are selected or determined based only on well log data, and if available, a few data points from core derived from close or far offset wells. This practice continues despite the fact that, during drilling, valuable cuttings material is available; in addition, government archives store valuable cores or cuttings material from older, offset wells.