Identification of clay minerals in reservoir rocks by FTIR spectroscopy

Abstract

Clay minerals including kaolinite, montmorillonite and bentonite in oil and gas reservoir rocks are identified by absorption spectra obtained via Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Bands around 3695, 3666, 3650 and 3630 cm{-1} and bands around 3620 and 3400 cm{-1} are the most diagnostically reliable for kaolinite and montmorillonite, respectively; also absorption bands in the region of 1200...955 cm{-1} are equally diagnostic for all the clay minerals studied.