Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy Study of Barnett Shale Core

Abstract

Measurements are reported of positron annihilation lifetime and Doppler broadening parameters on 14 samples of Barnett shale core selected from 196 samples ranging from depths of 6107 to 6402 feet. The Barnett shale core was taken from EOG well Two-O-Five 2H located in Johnson county TX. The selected samples are dark clay-rich mudstone consisting of fine-grained clay minerals. The samples are varied in shape, typically a few inches long and about 1/2 inch in width and thickness, and are representative of the predominant facies in the core. X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), petrographic analysis and geochemical analysis of total organic carbon (TOC) were already available for each of the selected samples. The lifetime data are analyzed in terms of three lifetime components with the shortest lifetime fixed at 125 ps. The second lifetime is attributed to positron annihilation in the bulk and positron trapping; and the third lifetime is due to positronium. Correlations of the lifetimes, intensities, the average lifetime and S and W parameters with TOC, XRF and XRD parameters are discussed. The observed correlations suggest that positron spectroscopy may be a useful tool in characterizing shale.