CUTTING DESCRIPTION GUIDELINES...............................................................

2
Cutting preparation........................................................................................................................................2 Sample quality : At the Shale shakers..........................................................................................................2 Sample quality : Cuttings representativeness...............................................................................................2 Large volume of cuttings requirements....................................................................................................2 Cuttings poorly representative .................................................................................................................3 Sample quality : the cutting cleaning ...........................................................................................................3 Check always the top sieve.......................................................................................................................3 Water ase mu! cuttings cleaning............................................................................................................" #il ase mu! cuttings cleaning................................................................................................................." Sample quality : the lag !epth .....................................................................................................................$ Sample %uality Check list............................................................................................................................$ &rying the cuttings.......................................................................................................................................$ 'ackaging the cuttings..................................................................................................................................$ Calcimetry.....................................................................................................................................................( Cutting description method...........................................................................................................................7 )acroscopic as well as )icroscopic............................................................................................................* Systematic Cutting &escription )etho!.......................................................................................................* +eneral Sequence of &escription ............................................................................................................, +ui!elines for cutting !escription............................................................................................................, -stimating 'ercentage ........................................................................................................................., &escription sequence............................................................................................................................. /ock name......................................................................................................................................... Color.................................................................................................................................................. +rain Color ...................................................................................................................................01 2ar!ness.........................................................................................................................................00 Cutting shape..................................................................................................................................00 +rain Color3 Shape 4 Surface3 Si5e3 Sorting.................................................................................03 Cementation 4 matri6....................................................................................................................0$ 'orosity7'ermea ility.....................................................................................................................0( Accessory )inerals 4 unusual features.........................................................................................0* 2y!rocar on shows........................................................................................................................0, Last advice.....................................................................................................................................................18 Cement........................................................................................................................................................0,

Cutting description Guidelines

Cutting preparation 8he est lithologist will have a little performance if he !escri e unrelia le sample. A goo! an! simple a!vice3 efore to start the cutting !escription 9o 3 is to walk aroun! the shale shakers an! to o serve the sample catcher in his sampling activity. Sample quality : At the Shale shakers 8he screens use! are ranging from "1 to 211 meshes :1.1*$ to 1.3,mm;. 8he screens commonly use! are the 01170$1 meshes. With these screens you will e normally a le to !istinguish silts or very fine quart5 grains from your cuttings. Anyway3 if !espite3 /#'3 LW& an! gas in!ications3 you are una le to i!entify san!s or silts in cuttings3 ask for a check sample from the !esilter. Sample quality : Cuttings representativeness <f the samples are not collecte! properly3 so not representative3 the est an! ela orate !escription will ecome useless. Also the post=mortem stu!ies using the a!ly recovere! collection of cuttings can e questiona le. A!"#"$ This kind of problems happens often when the sample catcher is not experienced and when the volume of cuttings for collection required is too important. Large volume of cuttings requirements >nfortunately3 large volume of cuttings requirements for collection3 happens in the small si5e! reservoir section. Check if the sample catcher concern is only3 how to get the volume requeste! for collections3 an! not how to collect accurately samples. %&plain to each )u!loggers e6actly how you want the sample caught. <n that case the est way is to procee! as follow: Collection samples :Wet3 +eochemical3 &rie!; will always e an interval3 e.g. etween 2 requeste! sample !epths Ask the sample catcher to catch the ma6imum cuttings in this interval3 y using for e6ample a plank !own to the shale shakers. Check if3 after collecting the cuttings3 he flushes or removes regularly on the plank3 all cuttings from the former interval. Ask him to collect carefully for your cutting !escription3 the top part of the collecte! interval3 which is suppose! to e at the correct sample lagge! !epth.

A'normal case3 particular event such mu! returns overflow3 inopportune flushing of cuttings y !errickman etc? Ask the sample catcher to collect you a sample for cuttings !escription at the ne6t relia le !epth :it can e 0m after3 if the planne! sample !epth is misse!;. @or collection itAs etter to miss some samples3 than to fill half3 all the ags :of course giving the priority to the 8#8AL collection over the partners or the local7national organi5ation;. <n that case ask the sample catcher to leave in the cuttings sample o63 a marker in place of the missing sample3 with a simple te6t such BCot sample!D.

Cuttings poorly representative <tAs sometimes inevita le: <n !eep offshore !rilling3 representativeness may e !ifficult to evaluate !ue to the cutting recirculation in the riser causing unrelia le or !ifficult !escription of the lumpy cuttings generate!. 'oor !rilling :worn it or tur o!rilling; generating rock flour. 'oor hy!raulic parameters3 generating unrelia le recirculate! lumpy cuttings :if too low; or washing reservoirs :if too high; causing overestimation of san!. +eomechanic well ore insta ility3 intro!ucing non=representative cavings in your cuttings. #n every case( report the cutting representativeness pro'lems in the )asterlog. Eou nee! to think a out the further la oratory stu!ies. Warning him3 you can help the la . en! user an! allow him to save time an! to avoi! inaccurate results. Sample quality : the cutting cleaning 8he cleaning of cuttings is a simple separation of cuttings from the mu! using sieves. 3 sieves is a stan!ar! com ination: $ mm F 0 mm F $1 m. 8he top sieve will stop the recirculate! large cuttings or cavings3 the mi!!le one will sort the representative cuttings to analy5e an! you will check the silts an! forams from the last one. Check always the top sieve <n the top sieve3 ensure amounts3 type an! si5e of cavings nee! to e monitore! closely :particularly in 2igh 'ressure wells;. When cavings are present or suspecte!3 this fact shoul! e note! on the masterlog it is very important geomechanic in*ormation. @or e6ample: !rilling mainly san!stone levels whilst e6periencing cavings from overlying shales3 the percentages may e .1G shale3 01G san!stone. 8hese woul! e recor!e! with the a!!e! note: Hshale all cavings F shape description+

Water ase mu! cuttings cleaning Cutting cleaning is often performs y 9etting with pressure! water. 'ro lems: 2igh gel mu!s !ifficult to wash3 ask the mu! logger to clean with light touch an! not to squash cuttings3 the cutting shape is important information. <f the formation is unconsoli!ate!3 soft an! sticky then soft clays will e easily washe! away. +et the )u!loggers to put a small pile of unwashe! sample on the tray. <f clay washing is high3 as per the following figure3 estimate the percentage of volume loss :clay washe! away; an! make a raw overestimation rule for soft clay content.

#il ase mu! cuttings cleaning 8he main cleaning metho! is ase oil F !etergent. A set of uckets is use!3 if possi le 2 containing the ase oil an! 2 containing hot water mi6e! with a powerful professional !etergent. )u! removal is !one in the ase oil an! the cleaning of cuttings in the hot water F !etergent uckets. &ue to the to6icity of the fumes3 this cleaning operation has to e performe! in an open=air place. Ask the sample catcher to always wear gloves an! if itAs not supplie!3 request a pro!uct :cream or alm; to protect an! care han!s. A!"#"$ @or oil an! glycol ase! mu!3 insufficient washing can cause grains to have a coating aroun!3 or stain on the grain3 which makes analysis !ifficult. 8he color is maske! an! it prevents the cutting reacting with aci! properly.

Sample quality : the lag depth 8he lag !epth accuracy is a function of the goo! appreciation of the volume of the si5e of the open hole part of the well. Iecause mu!loggers can only un!erestimate the orehole si5e3 errors from inaccurate lag !epth will cause a !elay in the arrival of the Bin !epthD cuttings. 8his will also affect the representativeness of the cuttings. Accuracy of the lag !epth can e checke! while !rilling with gas returns. @rom time to time3 use the opportunity of the connection gas :air slug; to verify the precision of the lag !epth correction. 8his has to e !one particularly after large cavings pro!uction or san! pro!uction3 these 2 events eing a typical consequence of washouts. <f a LW& logging takes place3 check the consistency of the lithological variation with the logs. Sample ,uality Check list /egular checks: 0. #ccasionally check how the sample catchers are catching the samples to ensure consistency an! are complying with the collection program. Are the cutting samples representativeJ 2. &o the samples noticea ly change at sample catchers shift changesJ Are there !ifferences etween in!ivi!uals in how they carry out sample catching an! processingJ <t can have noticea le effects on sample appearance. 3. <s the lag correctJ &o samples an! gas tie in with !rilling reaks or LW& responsesJ A lag check shoul! e performe! at least once a !ay. -rying the cuttings Ask mu! loggers to never cook cuttings in a hotplate3 you want it !rie! not cooke!. 8his !rying must e !one with a reasona le temperature :ma6. (1 !egC;3 over this temperature the further geochemical analysis of the cuttings will e mo!ifie!. <f the weather con!itions an! the rig facilities allow it3 !ry samples outsi!e3 especially for #il ase mu! cuttings3 you will avoi! to reath the fumes. .ackaging the cuttings 8wo asic rules: Check the marking3 markers must e permanent an! shoul! resist to all ags han!ling. Check the la eling3 la els must e clearly i!entifia le an! written as per 8< #peration +eology instructions :check +eoprolog stan!ing instructions;.

Calcimetry 8he calcimeter recor!s a volume of C#2 per minute pro!uce! y the 2Cl reaction on the car onate molecules. 8his volume is translate! in G3 relative to a stan!ar! reaction etween a pure limestone pow!er an! the 2Cl. CaC#3 F 2 2Cl CaCl2 F 22# F C#2 :or with )g C#3; 8he C#2 volume is linke! to the quantity of C#3= = ions. 8he volume of C#2 :e6presse! in G; o taine! after 0A is suppose! to represent the pure calcite content. Iecause the reaction is slower for the !olomite3 after 3A the percentage :or C#2 volume; is suppose! to represent the dolomite content. Iasic rules for a goo! 9o : Check if the mu! logger cleans well the cuttings :#I)3 +lycol mu!;. Check the crush3 !rie! cuttings nee!s to e finely an! homogeneously pow!ere! to allow a goo! an! homogeneous aci! reaction. Check if the calcimetry sample weight is constant an! accurate. <f a goo! cutting cleaning is !ifficult to perform3 ask the mu! logger to shake stronger the reactor !evice3 in or!er to favor an! improve the aci! attack. Last trick3 sometimes the high 'yrite content can mask an! increase the &olomite percentage3 after checking: the 'yrite content in the cuttings3 the Brotten egg smellD3 when opening the reactor !evice. Eou 9ust nee! to report it in the Litholog3 with this e6ample of comment: B&olomite G increase! y high 'yrite contentD

Cutting description method )acroscopic as /ell as )icroscopic As well as !escri ing in!ivi!ual samples the Wellsite +eologist shoul! also look at the roa!er view. Lay out sample trays on a ench in the unit in !epth or!er. Iy !oing this3 su tle color or te6ture changes can e seen which may e misse! in in!ivi!ual samples. <f changes !o occur then look again at in!ivi!ual samples to see if any changes have een misse!. &o these changes tie in with topsJ 8hese can e use! for !escriptive intervals on logs an! reports.

Systematic Cutting -escription )ethod All samples shoul! e e6amine! for: Lithology an! accessory minerals3 microfaunal content 8e6ture an! fa ric 'orosity an! permea ility 2y!rocar on type an! content

+eneral Sequence of &escription 8he sequence of !escription of cutting samples shoul! follow the same stan!ar! routine: 0. Look at the sample tray without the microscope. Are the various lithotypes easily !istinguisha leJ -nsure there is sufficient sample on the tray an! that it is a ma6imum of one layer thick. 2. 'ut the sample tray in the >K o63 is there any fluorescenceJ <s this natural mineral fluorescence :limestone or 2eavy minerals; or is there a possi le showJ 3. 'ut the sample tray un!er the microscope at low magnification an! look roun! the tray. As the sample tray is processe! the various lithotypes are aggregate! y the washing action. ". A visual determination o* the relative percentages of the various lithologic components shoul! e ma!e an! entere! on the Wellsite &escription Sheet. &onAt e afrai! to go ack an! change these percentages when you have !escri e! the lithotype as it is sometimes etter go gauge percentages after the !escriptions an! the sample has !rie! a it. $. )etho!ically !escri e the sample as per the gui!elines. (. 'erform lithotype test as require!. *. Check an! !escri e shows as per gui!elines. ,. @ill in as much information as possi le on the Wellsite &escription Sheet. .. /eview percentages again. 01. &o samples fit in with changes in /#' or LW& curvesJ 00. See how sample fits in to overall sequence of samples. +ui!elines for cutting !escription %stimating .ercentage 8his ecomes easier with e6periences3 to help you3 you will fin! many charts to e6ercise your eyes in the percentage estimate. 8he main things to remem er are: &o not spen! hours agoni5ing a out each percentage. <t is not an e6act science an! you will not e penali5e! for eing 01G out. -stimate percentage to nearest $=01G. Anything less than $G are usually !esignate! as rare trace to goo! trace. >se comparison charts. <f the cuttings are gra!ational etween en! mem ers3 e.g. san!stones3 silstone an! claystone3 then estimate the relative percentage as est you can ut make a note of the gra!ational nature. 'ick criteria to !eci!e what is what an! stick y it. <f possi le3 !iscuss these criteria with your ack to ack an! with the )u!loggers too. Always reassess percentage after you have !escri e! the lithotypes. <t is often easier to see when you have Hgot your eye inA on the lithotypes.

-escription sequence !ock name: Color: $rain Color: 0ardness: Cuttings Shape: $rain Si1e: $rain Shape 2 sur*ace: Sorting: Cementation3)atri&: .orosity3.ermea'ility: Accessory )inerals: 4nusual 5eatures : 0ydrocar'on Sho/s: !ock name San!stone3 siltstone etc. >se stan!ar! color charts )ainly applies to san!stones 2ow resistant are the cuttings to applie! force +eneral shape of cuttings >se stan!ar! grain si5e charts3 mainly san!stones >se grain shape 4 surface chart3 mainly san!stones >se sorting chart3 mainly san!stones 8ypes of cement an! matri6 /aw visual !eterminations only +lauconite3 micas etc3 with some qualifier as to a un!ance )icrofossils3 fissures3 etc. See gui!elines

Color Color is use! as simple !iagnostic tool to ai! in mineral an! environmental !etermination an! can e use! also for correlation.

<t is recommen!e! that the color e !escri e! when the cuttings are /et( as it will e much lighter when !ry. <t is always etter to use a color chart3 for e6ample the /ock Color Chart of the +eological Society of America3 ut as it is in!ication !onAt waste time in analy5ing the su tle sha!e of the color variation. <f a lithotype is varicolore! then !escri e it as eing so3 give a !ominant color an! try to estimate the percentage of each color. &oes it change with !epthJ Can you tell if the color are mottle!3 streake! etc. in natureJ Color /e! L #range %nvironmental #ndications @erric L o6i!i5e! state in!icative of o6ygenate! environments3 e.g. !eserts an! river systems. Light green <ron @errous re!uce! state in!icative of re!ucing environment. +reens an! purple re!uction spots are foun! in parts of 8ertiary3 8riassic etc. Iright +reen +lauconite3 Chlorite +lauconite is marine se!iment an! an! Chamosite may e a pro!uct of fish faeces. Chlorite an! chamosite :an=o6y chlorite; may e foun! in se!iments !erive! from near y methamorphic sources or in !eeper well as pro!ucts of !iagenesis. Ilue 8uffaceous Ilue colouration is commonly relate! to volcanic origin &ark grey L rown Car onaceous material Ano6ic environment3 mainly marine. lack L olive lack 8his allows preservation of organic material an! !isseminate! pyrite :@eS; is commonly associate!. Eellow L ochre Limonite Limonite covers a range of hy!rate! iron o6i!es an! iron hy!ro6i!es. <t is a weathering pro!uct of all iron containing minerals. Irown #il Check for showsM $rain Color 6See grain si1e( shape and sorting7 )ineral #ndications <ron

0ardness 8his category is inten!e! to characteri5e the !egree cementation an!7or compaction of the lithology an! how the sample fractures. 8o !etermine har!ness for each lithotype3 you will nee! to crush a num er of cuttings using a pro! or twee5ers. 8he common a!9ectives use! to !escri e har!ness inclu!e: Loose lse +rains !esaggregate when the sample !ry. Cot use! on clay7shale. @ria le fri Loose grains can e separate! y pressure from the finger. @irm frm +rains can e separate! with a pro! 2ar! h! +rains !ifficult to !etach pressure result in cutting reaking grains. Kery 2ar! v.h! <n!ivi!ual grains cannot e !etache! an! cutting reak through grains. @or clay ase! lithologies3 the following terms can e use!: Kery soft v sft Can e !isperse! y water7!rilling mu! Soft sft Co shape or strength very easily !eforme!. Sticky stky Sticks to fingers an! pro! 'lastic plas -asily mol!e! an! retains shape3 !ifficult to wash through sieve. @irm frm &efinite shape an! structure3 penetrate! an! roken y pro!. 2ar! h! Sharp angular e!ges3 not easily roken y pro!. Kariously su !ivi!e! as mo!erately to very har!. When testing for har!ness the fracture or H reakA of the cutting can !escri e. 8he reak may e !escri e! using the following terms: Crum ly crmly -asily crushe! into constituent parts. Irittle rit Ireaks into small pieces when fractures. Conchoi!al conch Curve! fracture planes such as those seen in flint. 2ackly hkly <rregular reak with no preferre! fracture orientation Splintery splty Kery har! an! splinters into sharp pieces when roken. Cutting shape Cuttings shape an! si5e are strongly influence! y: rock type3 :mainly use! to !escri e the cutting shape of clay ase! lithologies; it type3 formation pressure vs. hy!rostatic mu! pressure :e.g. over alance 4 un!er alance; <f the well is close to alance3 hol! !own force is low an! cuttings are freely li erate!. 8hey ten! to e igger an! HfresherA looking when seen at surface. <f the cuttings get too ig then the circulation system will not e a le to carry them quickly up the hole. 8hey will ten! to ecome a ra!e! y constant impacts with other cutting an! the orehole wall.

<f there is over alance3 then cuttings are not freely li erate! an! they are much smaller. 8hey may e rolle! roun! on ottom an! will have a more roun!e! an! less HAfreshA appearance. <nfluences on it shape are !iscusse! elow. &rilling influence on cuttings shape : it type an! over alance influence; 8ype o* 'it "o over'alance Slight over'alance 0igh over'alance Irittle failure. 8ransitional failure. 'seu!oplastic failure. 8ri9cone Cuttings shoot out Chips remove! gently. #riginal rock fa ric is lost milltooth and an! te6ture !isrupte! insert 'its Shear to rittle Shear to rittle failure 'seu!oplastic failure. -iamond :it failure lea!ing to lea!ing to small cuttings #riginal rock fa ric lost an! 60ard *ormation7
small cuttings where original rock fa ric is possi ly retaine! or slightly !isrupte! Large ri!ge or steppe! cuttings. -ach step separate! y a shear fracture. where original rock fa ric is possi ly !isrupte! y shears

.-C :its 6.roduces characteristic .-C platelets7

Large ri!ge or steppe! cuttings. -ach step separate! y a shear fracture. #riginal rock fa ric poorly preserve!.

if high heat is generate! at the it the sample is Hmetamorphose!A then useless for evaluation Smooth or very slightly ri!ge cuttings cause! y pseu!oplastic failure. /ock fa ric almost totally lost.

%&ample 1: the .-C platelets

'&C its pro!uce very characteristic cuttings shapes as shown. <n a situation close to alance3 sheare! an! steppe! cuttings are pro!uce!. With a situation of over alance then a sheare! ut more uniform cutting is pro!uce!. Cote that in each case the rock fa ric is severely !isrupte! y the shearing process. 8he curve! surface may have a smoothe! an! polishe! appearance. %&ample 2: .lastic or pseudoplastic *ailure 8his failure is reache! after a high pressure is e6erte! on the rocks. Iit action in e6treme con!itions :' 4 8; can lea! to the pro!uction of this type of o serve! te6tures: !ock or :it 5lour: >sually soft an! lighter colore! than normal cuttings. <t is soft3 amorphous3 an! pasty e.g. slightly hy!rate! if water ase! mu!. Loose sand grains: for cemente! an! consoli!ate! san!stones the original san!stone matri6 is groun! out an! the san! grains are li erate!. 8he original san!stone te6ture is !estroye!. Also3 unconsoli!ate! san!stones can e totally !isrupte! y 9etting :force of mu! through the it 9ets; an! will result in loose san! grains in samples. Clasts: from conglomerates an! reccias may e release! y it action3 which !estroys the matri6. Large clasts will e too large for transportation an! will e roken up. Small pe les may e transporte! up the annulus.

Amorphous

Blocky

Platy

Subfissile

Fissile

Pressure caving

Common3 !escriptive a!9ectives use! for cuttings shape are: Amorphous amor Co shape L generally !ue to hy!ration of sample3 preferre! fracture orientation maske! Ilocky lky Square3 angular appearance with no preferre! fracture orientation 'laty plty @lat appearance with roun!e! e!ges3 preferre! fracture plane Su fissile s fiss @latter an! more elongate than platy3 not as sharp e!ges as fissile3 preferre! fracture plane @issile fiss +enerally flat an! elongate with sharp e!ges3 marke! fracture orientation 'ressure press <t refers e6clusively to cavings :i.e. press. cav.;. Si5e varia le3 flat3 more elongate than platy3 with typical curve! aspect. 8he geologist shoul! pay some attention to cutting shape an! quality as well as !escri ing the lithological features. 8he corollary of this is that if we know what the it type is an! the lithology3 the shape may give us some in!ication of over alance! which will help us with pressure evaluation. 8he nature o* the cutting shape is also a pore pressure indicator. $rain Color( Shape 2 Sur*ace( Si1e( Sorting $rain color When !escri ing san!stones an! pe les you will nee! to !escri e not only the color of the constituent grains an! clasts3 ut also their transparent3 translucent or opaque nature. 8his will help in mineral i!entification. Also note any surface !iscoloration of the grain or if there is any colore! inclusion.

$rain shape 2 Sur*ace +rain shape an! sphericity give an in!ication of the maturity of the san!stone. 2owever3 these can e affecte! y later mineralisation so that the original grains are ero!e!3 coate! or overgrown. Any evi!ence for this nee!s to e !escri e as it will effect grain shape an! porosity an! permea ility

@or grain surface !escription3 the common terms use! are: 'itting Staining Coating @rosting +lassy $rain si1e +rain si5e can e easily measure! using one of the many grain si5e comparison charts that are availa le in the )u!logging units. Another simple way to make an estimate is to have with you a mechanical pencil of 1.$mm !iameter. %uart5 is fine graine! if si5e is lower than the half si5e of the lea!. %uarter si5e of the lea! means very fine grains. >n!er inocular3 v.fine grains are 9ust visi le an! silts are arely visi le. Small holes on surface grains :chemical !issolution or physical impacts;. <ron staining is common ut may also e oil staining. 8hick veneer of matri63 cement3 flui! :oil; on grain surfaces. Cause! y a rasion on surface :typical aeolian grains;. )ineral overgrowths into voi! with flat crystal surfaces apparent.

arning( the grain size will also be affected by the mesh size of the shale shakers. Always be aware of the shaker screen size currently in use. On top hole it is common to use large mesh size screens, so that cuttings and even fairly coarser sand grains will go straight through and thus will not be seen in samples. n this case, get desilter or desander samples to check the relevancy of your description.

$rain sorting Sorting is also a very goo! in!icator of the te6tural maturity of the san!stone an! has a strong influence on porosity 4 permea ility. As it is !ifficult to gauge comparative grain si5es in whole rock samples of cuttings an! core chips it is est to !esegregate the sample to evaluate sorting. Simply crush a few grains of san!stone in a spot tray or on a spare metal tray an! sprea! the grains out so they are one layer thick. -nsure you are not looking at well=sorte! laminations of !ifferent grain si5es. Cementation 2 matri& 8he most common cements are: Calcite :CaC#3; -olomite :Ca)g:C#3;2 Silica :Si#2; Will react strongly with !ilute :01G; hy!rochloric aci!. 8he cutting shoul! !isintegrate into constituent grains as cement is !issolve!. Cote crystal si5e if visi le. 2as slower reaction with 01G hy!rochloric aci!3 quicker with 31G. Calcimetry will give you in!ications. Cement ut may grow in optical continuity with quart5 grains :overgrowth; an! can e !ifficult to spot. Look for resi!ual surfaces3 flat crystal surfaces in %t5 grains. Assume silica cement if no reaction with aci! &ull yellow rown an! white3 will react slowly with application of aci!. /elatively rare as cement. Iright yellow gol! an! metallic3 ut relatively rare.

Siderite :@eC#3; .yrite :@eS2;

8he most common matri6 material in san!stone is silt an!7or argillaceous material. ;aolinite is also common an! generally appears as a soft to firm an! white clayey material3 ut shoul! e reporte! as cement. <t is often a ypro!uct of fel!spar leaching. Cote also that kaolinite cement can ecome separate! from the san! grains3 especially when !rilling with '&CAs or in an over alance! situation an! can pro!uce! an un!istinguisha le Hrock flourA.

.orosity3.ermea'ility 'orosity an! permea ility in !rille! cuttings are !ifficult to evaluate an! are !etermine!3 at est3 only very su 9ectively. 8ake a goo! look at num er of samples an! cuttings an! see how well they are cemente! or if there is a common matri6. Sorting also affects porosity an! shoul! e evaluate! first3 as it may e a porosity in!icator. 8-S8: select pieces an! let them !ry out3 porosity may then e estimate! y placing a !rop of water on a !rie! cutting while viewing through the microscope. 8he spee! at which the water is a sor e! y the cutting will help in su 9ectively evaluating porosity an! permea ility. 8his test is useless with #il ase mu!3 in this case estimate of porosity will e only visual. 8he scale of estimate is as follows: 8race le3 8r 1=$G of porosity shoul! inclu!e <f possi the evaluation 'oor 'r $=01G the type of porosity :e.g. intergranular3 vuggy3 pin= @airetc;. @r 01=21G point3 +oo! +! 21=31G

Accessory )inerals 2 unusual *eatures Common accessory minerals are: $lauconite +lauc. &ark green L green lack3 generally roun!e! grains especially if recycle!. <n situ :amorphous shapes; it in!icates a shelf marine environment 'yr. +ol! color3 may e !isseminate!3 small no!ules or crystalline fragments )ic :mmic; )ica flakes are common in san!stone whilst small mica fragments :micromica; are common in finer clastic rocks. Chlorite is also common an! is !istinctive green colour. Car mat &ark lack specks. <n cores this may inclu!e layers of car onaceous material3 rootlets an! plant !e ris. Nao White clayey material3 foun! as cement an! as !ecompose! fel!spar grains. Coal7lig Irittle3 lack coal layers may e o serve! in cores3 lignite is softer an! rown an! his ligneous cell arrangement is in place visi le. si! Eellow rown or !ark rown pellets.

.yrite )ica 6)icromica7

Car'onaceous )at. ;aolinite Coal3Lignite

Siderite

5ossil material can e !escri e! as accessories. <n marine se!iments3 macrofossil fragments are fairly common ut it is generally !ifficult to i!entify the origin3 ut you are normally a le to !istinguish shell fragments. )icrofossils can e very common. With a goo! microscope3 many can e i!entifie!. +ive them a general name3 :i.e. enthic or pelagic forams;3 an! !onAt spen! hours on microfossils for clastics rocks3 if necessary3 the samples will e su 9ect to analysis after the well.

0ydrocar'on sho/s 8his section will e !etaile! apart. Last advice 8he most !ifficult 9o for the cutting !escription is to i!entify an! select the lithotypes3 i.e. the constant cutting facies3 which represents the facies variation of your formations. We know y e6perience the near y limit of our geological an! se!imentological e6pertise at the wellsite. Cevertheless we are all a le to !escri e simple things3 such san!s3 shales an! for gra!ational facies !escri e how is the evolution. We are also all3 a le to report the presence an! the frequency of very interesting environmental markers such as car onaceous material3 ioclasts3 color change3 grain si5e3 sorting3 grain shape3 accessory minerals3 etc? A goo! san! 7 shale percentage ratio3 well !escri e! as per gui!elines3 is always etter than a complete3 pseu!oscientific an! ne ulous lithological !escription involving " or more lithotypes. So the est a!vice will e: :e simple in your general lithotype selection( 'ut very accurate and detailed in their description. &onAt spen! ages !eci!ing on e6act percentages. <t is not an e6act science an! the amounts of each lithotypes are only relative. &o a not use HAs A oveA :A7A; more than three time or so efore !oing another full !escription. <t is easy to miss su tle changes y !oing this. <!eally every sample shoul! e !escri e!3 ut practically this is impossi le. Cever let the acklog of sample accumulate3 not only is it !ifficult to catch up ut the )u!loggers get short of trays. Always !escri e samples on the metal trays. Cutting samples are collecte! wet from the shale shaker. Samples shoul! e !escri e! whilst still wet an! shoul! not e left to !ry out or re=hy!rate! with water. 'ut samples in plastic ags or at least cover them up3 if it is to e sometime efore they are !escri e!. 2owever3 the te6ture of certain formation types can e seen more clearly when !ry3 so occasionally keep a portion of sample for later3 !ry e6amination. +et the )u!loggers to have representative samples of all potential mu! a!!itives that may e use! in the well. <f you think there is contamination from !rilling flui! a!!itives then check with your reference set. /emem er that these pro!ucts may change after eing su 9ecte! to the pressures an! temperatures of the !rilling.

Cement Cement contamination is usually encountere! when !rilling after Casing or while si!etracking. Common confusion is with Siltstone. Eou can easily i!entify cement y testing with phenopthalein3 in which cement stains purple. 8hen Hget in your eyesA the cement cutting appearance :worn3 roun!e!; an! procee! to the percentage estimate.