Sample Description:

Chemical Rocks
Chemical Rocks

• Chert
• Halite
• Anhydrite and Gypsum
• Carbonaceous rocks
Chemical Rocks: Chert
• Very hard (very slow ROP, bit bouncing, vibration)
• Glass-like brittleness
• Bedded cherts are usually even bedded, thinly
laminated to massive
• Color could be indicative of the environment of
deposition
• Cuttings: large, elongate, blade-shaped, fresh
conchoidal fracture surfaces, cryptocrystalline or
microcrystalline, very hard
• Possible abundant metal shavings in the sample
Chemical Rocks: Chert: Color

• Diatomaceous and radiolarian chert is black

to dark grey due to clay impurities
• Spiculiferous cherts are light to medium
grey with a brown to green tinge due to
large amounts of calcite
Chemical Rocks: Halite
• Secondary evidence of presence of evaporites:
– An increase and smooth ROP
– Decreased cuttings volume
– Eroded or reworked appearance of cuttings
– Increased mud salinity
– Increased mud viscosity
– Decrease and smooth background gas
– Salty encrustations on surface of cuttings
• Cuttings – good cubic cleavage, colorless to white
(often with a pink to red tinge), soluble, salty taste
Chemical Rocks: Anhydrite and Gypsum

• Determination between anhydrite and

gypsum is not always possible at the
wellsite, but an attempt should be made
Anhydrite and Gypsum
Gypsum Anhydrite
Formula CaSO4x2H2O CaSO4
Color White, light to dark grey, red, blue, yellow- White, pale grey, red
brown
Structure Selenite crystals, glassy, slightly flexible, Fibrous, parallel &
fibrous texture radiate structures, fine
Satin spar, fibrous to lacy, pearly grained
Massive, fine grained, subvitreous to dull luster Amorphous, fine grained,
Spongy, white soft massive but cleavable

Luster Pearly, earthy, subvitreous Pearly, glassy, vitreous

Hardness Scratched by a fingernail Scratched by a brass pin
Density 2.3 to 2.37 gm/cc 2.9 to 3.0 gm/cc
Checking For the Presence of Anhydrite and Gypsum

Barium Chloride Test

1. Place several cuttings in a bottle and fill with
distilled water
2. Agitate and pour off water. Refill and repeat
3. Fill bottle half full with distilled water and add 3
drops of HCl and agitate
4. Add 2 drops of Barium Chloride
5. A pearly white discoloration will confirm the
presence of gypsum or anhydrite
Limestone/Dolomite or Anhydrite/Gypsum?

• To discriminate between limestone /

dolomite and anhydrite or gypsum, use
HCl, limestone will effervesce, anhydrite
and gypsum will not.
Carbonaceous Rocks
• Coal beds are useful marker beds
• Can be inferred from ROP
• Give well defined methane peaks
• Show up quite well in the GR, Density-Neutron logs
• Unusual to encounter coal beds > 6 ft (2 meters) thick
• In geologically young deposits, lignite (brown coal) is
found
• There should be signs of vegetal matter in the lignite
Humic Coal

• Gas-prone source rock

• Woody, plant tissue dominant
• Divisible by decreasing proportion of volatile
components:
– Lignite -> Sub-bituminous -> Bituminous -> Semi-
bituminous
• Laminated, friable in part, jointed, fibrous, bright
“jet”-like layers, variable luster, hard/brittle
Sapropelic Coal

• Oil-prone source rock

• Non-woody, comprises of spores, algae and
macerated plant material
• Massive unlaminated glassy appearance,
conchoidal fracture, firm rather than hard
End of Topic