An Interactive 5-Day Training Course
XRD, XRF & Mineralogy Laboratory Techniques
XRD and XRF Laboratory Methods
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Duration
5 Days
Price
$ 3,000
Starting From
22 Nov 2027
Home Geology and Geoscience XRD, XRF & Mineralogy Laboratory Techniques
XRD, XRF & Mineralogy Laboratory Techniques
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XRD, XRF & Mineralogy Laboratory Techniques - GG-XRD-PEA27
| Code | Date | Time | Duration | Location | Currency | Early Bird Fee Per Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GG-XRD-PEA27 | 22 - 26 Nov 2027 | 10 AM CST | 4 Hours Per Day |
Online |
USD |
3000 |
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XRD, XRF & Mineralogy Laboratory Techniques
This training covers X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and related mineralogical laboratory techniques. It works through sample preparation for each method, X-ray diffraction principles and operation, bulk mineralogy quantification, clay fraction separation and analysis, X-ray fluorescence principles and calibration, elemental to mineral conversion, complementary techniques, data quality assessment and the application of mineralogical data to reservoir and completion problems.
Description
Mineralogical data underpins petrophysical interpretation, reservoir quality assessment, completion fluid selection and chemostratigraphic correlation. X-ray diffraction identifies and quantifies the minerals present; X-ray fluorescence measures elemental concentrations quickly and at high resolution. The two are complementary, both require careful preparation and calibration, and both produce numbers whose reliability depends on work that the data user rarely sees.
This training covers both techniques and their use. Sample preparation for each method is established first, since preparation determines the quality of everything that follows. X-ray diffraction principles and operation follow, covering the physics and the instrument at the level a user needs. Bulk mineralogy quantification is then developed, covering the quantification methods and their accuracy. Clay fraction separation and analysis follow in detail, since clay analysis requires specific preparation and interpretation. X-ray fluorescence principles and calibration are then addressed. Elemental to mineral conversion follows, covering the inversion and its assumptions. Complementary techniques are then developed. Data quality assessment follows. The training closes with applications.
X-ray diffraction identifies minerals and quantifies them less well. The technique identifies crystalline phases reliably from their diffraction patterns, and quantification requires either reference intensity ratios or full pattern fitting, both of which carry uncertainty. For a well-crystallised simple mixture the quantification may be within a few per cent absolute; for a clay-rich sample with poorly ordered phases and preferred orientation it can be substantially worse. Reported percentages should be understood as estimates with real uncertainty.
Clay analysis requires separating the clay fraction and treating it. Bulk analysis detects clays but cannot distinguish the clay species reliably, because their diffraction peaks overlap and their basal reflections depend on hydration state. Separating the sub-two-micron fraction, mounting it as an oriented aggregate, and running it air dried, glycolated and heated, moves the basal peaks in diagnostic ways that identify smectite, illite, kaolinite, chlorite and mixed layer phases. This is a distinct analysis that must be requested specifically.
X-ray fluorescence measures elements and the minerals have to be inferred. Handheld and bench XRF instruments give rapid elemental concentrations, and converting them to mineralogy requires assuming which minerals host each element: aluminium in clays and feldspar, silicon in quartz and silicates, calcium in calcite or plagioclase or apatite. The inversion is underdetermined and requires either constraints from diffraction on a subset of samples or assumptions that may not hold. Elemental data is nonetheless extremely useful for correlation, where consistency matters more than absolute mineralogy.
Finally, the mineralogy drives practical decisions in completions. Clay content and type determine the sensitivity of the formation to fresh water and to acid; carbonate content determines whether acidising will be effective; quartz and carbonate against clay proportions govern the mechanical response to hydraulic fracturing; and iron-bearing minerals determine whether acid will precipitate iron compounds. These are decisions with direct cost consequences, and they are made from mineralogical data that is frequently not acquired.
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Specify sample preparation for diffraction and fluorescence analysis
- Explain X-ray diffraction principles and instrument operation
- Interpret diffraction patterns and identify minerals
- Assess the accuracy of quantitative mineralogy
- Specify clay fraction separation and oriented aggregate analysis
- Interpret clay diffraction patterns including treatment responses
- Specify and interpret X-ray fluorescence analysis
- Convert elemental to mineralogical data and state its assumptions
- Apply complementary techniques where diffraction is insufficient
- Apply mineralogical data to reservoir and completion decisions
The training combines instrument operation with data interpretation. Participants prepare samples, run analyses and interpret patterns, including clay fraction work with the full treatment sequence. Quantification results are compared against known mixtures to assess accuracy. Elemental data is inverted to mineralogy and compared against diffraction results on the same samples.
Organisations sending participants to this training will:
- Specify mineralogical analysis appropriate to the question
- Request clay fraction analysis where clay species matter
- Assess the reliability of reported mineralogy
- Use elemental data appropriately for correlation
- Apply mineralogy to completion fluid selection
- Improve the value obtained from laboratory analysis
Participants will:
- Specify and supervise mineralogical analysis
- Interpret diffraction patterns
- Identify clay minerals from treated patterns
- Interpret elemental data
- Assess data quality critically
- Apply mineralogy to practical decisions
- Petrophysicists using mineralogical data
- Reservoir geologists and sedimentologists
- Laboratory staff operating diffraction and fluorescence instruments
- Completion engineers selecting fluids
- Geochemists and chemostratigraphers
- Unconventional play geoscientists
- Technical staff specifying laboratory programmes
Module 1 - Sample Preparation
- Sample selection and representativeness
- Sample size requirements
- Crushing and grinding methods
- Particle size requirements for diffraction
- Over-grinding and structural damage
- Avoiding contamination from grinding media
- Preferred orientation and its avoidance
- Random powder mount preparation
- Spray drying and side packing
- Pressed pellet preparation for fluorescence
- Fused bead preparation
- Preparation records
Module 2 - X-Ray Diffraction Principles
- X-ray generation and tubes
- Bragg's law and diffraction geometry
- Diffractometer configuration
- Detectors and their characteristics
- Scan range and step size
- Count time and signal to noise
- Monochromators and filters
- Sample holders and spinning
- Instrument alignment and calibration
- Standards and reference materials
- Pattern acquisition parameters
- Common instrumental artefacts
Module 3 - Pattern Interpretation and Bulk Mineralogy
- Diffraction pattern features
- Peak position and d-spacing
- Peak intensity and its controls
- Peak width and crystallite size
- Search match identification
- Reference databases
- Overlapping peaks and ambiguity
- Amorphous content and its detection
- Quantification by reference intensity ratio
- Rietveld and full pattern fitting
- Quantification accuracy and its limits
- Reporting conventions for mineralogy
Module 4 - Clay Fraction Analysis
- Why bulk analysis is insufficient for clays
- Clay fraction separation by settling
- Centrifugation methods
- Sub-two-micron fraction isolation
- Oriented aggregate mount preparation
- Air dried pattern
- Ethylene glycol solvation and smectite response
- Heating to 300 and 550 degrees
- Kaolinite and chlorite discrimination
- Illite crystallinity and its measurement
- Mixed layer clays and their modelling
- Reporting clay mineralogy
Module 5 - X-Ray Fluorescence
- Fluorescence principles
- Characteristic emission lines
- Wavelength and energy dispersive instruments
- Handheld instruments and their use
- Core scanning fluorescence
- Detection limits by element
- Light element limitations
- Matrix effects and corrections
- Calibration standards
- Quantitative against semi-quantitative modes
- Measurement time and precision
- Repeatability and drift checking
Module 6 - Elemental to Mineral Conversion
- Element to mineral assignment
- Mineral hosts for each element
- Underdetermined inversion problem
- Constraining with diffraction subsets
- Normative calculation methods
- Assumption sensitivity
- Elemental ratios and their use
- Chemostratigraphic application
- Correlation using elemental data
- Provenance indicators
- Redox and palaeoenvironment indicators
- When elemental data suffices
Module 7 - Complementary Techniques
- Scanning electron microscopy
- Energy dispersive spectrometry in SEM
- Automated mineralogy systems
- Electron microprobe analysis
- Infrared spectroscopy
- Raman spectroscopy
- Thermogravimetric analysis
- Cation exchange capacity measurement
- Carbonate content by acid digestion
- Total organic carbon measurement
- Technique selection by question
- Combining techniques
Module 8 - Quality and Applications
- Assessing a mineralogy report
- Checking totals and closure
- Internal consistency checks
- Comparison against log derived mineralogy
- Inter-laboratory comparison
- Round robin results and their lessons
- Petrophysical application of mineralogy
- Matrix property determination
- Clay sensitivity and fluid selection
- Acidising design from mineralogy
- Brittleness and completion design
- Specifying mineralogical programmes
Upon successful completion of this training course, delegates will be awarded an official Certificate of Completion issued by the Petroleum Engineers Association (PEA), an ISO 9001:2015 certified training organization. The certificate carries 10 Credits and formally records the total learning hours completed.
Each certificate is signed by the Course Facilitator and the CEO of the Petroleum Engineers Association, and serves as verifiable proof of professional training that delegates can present to employers and professional bodies worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
All course bookings made through PEA are strictly non-refundable. By registering for a course, you acknowledge and accept that all fees are payable in full and are not subject to refund under any circumstances, including changes in personal or professional commitments or partial attendance.
PEA reserves the right to make reasonable adjustments to course content, trainers, or schedules where necessary, without entitling delegates to a refund. Comprehensive details of each course — including objectives, target audience, and content — are clearly outlined before enrolment, and it is the responsibility of the delegate to ensure the course's suitability prior to booking.
For any inquiries related to cancellations or bookings, please contact our support team, who will be happy to assist you.
