Best practices for shale core handling: Transportation, sampling and storage for conduction of analyses

Abstract

Drill core shale samples are critical for palaeoenvironmental studies and potential hydrocarbon reservoirs. They need to be preserved carefully to maximise their retention of reservoir condition properties. However, they are susceptible to alteration due to cooling and depressurisation during retrieval to the surface, resulting in volume expansion and formation of desiccation and micro fractures. This leads to inconsistent measurements of different critical attributes, such as porosity and permeability. Best practices for core handling start during retrieval while extracting from the barrel, followed by correct procedures for transportation and storage. Appropriate preservation measures should be adopted depending on the objectives of the scientific investigation and core coherency, with respect to consolidation and weathering. It is particularly desirable to maintain a constant temperature of 1 to 4 °C and a consistent relative humidity of >75% to minimise any micro fracturing and internal moisture movement in the core. While core re-sampling, it should be ensured that there is no further core compaction, especially while using a hand corer.