Notes on Sample Examination & Description

An Example of a Cuttings Description

Cutting Descriptions / Rock Identification
Oil Shows – procedure and description
Chemical tests
Abbreviations

An Example of a Cuttings Description

There is a universal format for the description of rock cutting. It is recommended that all cutting
descriptions must adhere to this format.
1. Rock Name
2. Colour(s)
3. Hardness / fissility
4. Elements or grains
Clastic Carbonates
a. grain size a. ‘grain’ nature
b. roundness b. ‘grain’ size
c. sphericity
d. sorting

5. Cement / Matrix
a. abundance a. abundance
b. nature b. crystallinity

6. Accessory Minerals / Fossils

7. Other Features eg calcareous
8. Visual Porosity Estimation
9. Hydrocarbon Indications (show description if necessary)

Example:

1000-1030 SANDSTONE: light grey-brown, friable, medium-coarse grain, rounded,

well sorted, trace calcareous cement, trace glauconitic, faint hydrocarbon odour.
SHOW: faint trace light brown oil stain, fair pale yellow direct fluorescence, strong
white streaming cut fluorescence, pale yellow UV residue ring, light brown residue
ring.

1030-1060 CLAYSTONE: dark grey, occasionally dark green/grey, firm to hard, slightly fissile
trace calcareous, rare glauconitic, slight earthy texture.
Cutting Descriptions / Rock Identification

This section contains useful information that will add in sample descriptions and the identification
of rock types.

Rock Types

Argillaceous Rocks:
- shale
- clay
- claystone
- marl
Carbonate Rocks
- Limestone
- Dolomite / Dolostone
- Chalk
Siliceous Rocks
- Siltstone
- Sand
- Sandstone
- Chert
- Breccia / Conglomerate
Evaporites
- Gypsum
- Anhydrite
- Halite
Organic Materials
- Coal
- Lignite
- Bituminous Minerals

Percentage of Accessory Minerals

The diagrams on the left show the

percentage ratio of black to white
grains.
The values below are the terms given
to the % of accessory minerals in a
sample.

ABUNDANT 15-20%
MODERATELY
10-15%
ABUNDANT
MINOR 5-10%

RARE 1-5%

TRACE <1%
 Classification of Carbonate Rocks According to Depositional Texture
Durham’s Classification

MUDSTONE
Original Components Not Bound Less than 10%
Together During Deposition grains
Contains Mud
Depositional Texture Recognisable

mud supported WACKESTONE

(particles More than 10%
of clay and grains
fine silt) PACKSTONE
More than 10%
mud
GRAINSTONE
Grain
Less than 10% mud
supported
BOUNDSTONE
Original components were bound together during
deposition

CRYSTALLINE CARBONATE
Recognisable
Texture Not
Depositional

Modified after Durham, 1960

Flow chart to determine the limestone type

Cutting Descriptions depending on Rock type

The following lists for each rock type contain standard terms that are used when describing
sedimentary rocks.

Argillaceous
1) Rock Type – Shale, Clay, Marl
2) Colour
Black Olive White Dark
Blue Orange Yellow Varicoloured
Brown Pink Pale Mottled
Grey Purple Light Dusky
Green Red Medium
3) Hardness

Plastic Brittle
Soft Poorly Compacted
Firm Moderately Compacted
Hard Well Compacted

4) Texture
Amorphous Micro Blocky Sub Fissile
Blocky Fisslie Splintery
Dispersive Sub Blocky Papery

5) Major Characteristics
Calcareous Sandy
Carbonaceous Pyritic
Dolomitic Silty
Fossiliferous Sulfureous
Glauconitic Micaceous

6) Sedimentary Features

Waxy Rough
Earthy Gritty
Laminated Smooth
Banded

7) Accessories and Fossils

FOSSILS MINERALS
Algae Calcite Biotite
Mollusca Silica Chert
Echinoderms Dolomite Feldspar
Foraminifera Glauconite Lignite
Bryozoa Mica Muscovite
Ostracods Pyrite Olivine
Gypsum Sulphur
Silt Sand
Carbonates
1) Rock Type – Limestone, Chalk, Dolomite, Marl
2) Colour
Black Pink
Buff Tan
Brown White
Grey Transparent
Green Translucent
3) Texture

Waxy Earthy Vuggy

Nacreous (Pearl Lustre) Sucrosic Stylolitic
Vitreous Amorphous Chalky

4) Crystal Size
1.000 – 2.000 mm Very Coarse
Crystalline
0.500 – 1.00 mm Coarse Crystalline
0.250 – 0.500 mm Medium Crystalline
0.125 – 0.250 mm Fine Crystalline
0.063 – 0.125 mm Very Fine Crystalline
0.004 – 0.063 mm Microcrystalline
< 0.004 mm Cryptocrystalline
5) Crystal Shape
Euhedral
Sub Euhedral
Anhedral
Fibrous
Scaly

6) Hardness

Soft Firm
Friable Hard
Indurable Brittle
7) Fossil and Accessories

FOSSILS MINERALS SEDIMENT

Algae Calcite Argillaceous
Mollusca Silica Carbonaceous
Echinoderms Dolomite Siliceous
Foraminifera Glauconite Coal-lignite Inclusions
Bryozoa Mica Dolomitic
Oolites Pyrite
Gypsum
 8) Porosity

Excellent Good Porosity Fair Porosity Poor Porosity No Porosity

Porosity
Intercrystalline Intergranular Pin-point Fracture Tight
Vuggy
(interconnecting)

Siliceous
1) Rock Type – Siltstone, Sandstone, Sand, Chert

2) Colour
Amber Milky Clear
Black Pink Light
Blue Red Transparent
Brown Smokey Translucent
Grey White
Green Yellow

3) Texture
1.000 – 2.000 mm Very Coarse
0.500 – 1.00 mm Coarse
0.250 – 0.500 mm Medium
0.125 – 0.250 mm Fine
0.063 – 0.125 mm Very Fine
0.002 – 0.063 mm Silt
< 0.002 mm Shale-clay
Microcrystalline Chert
Roundness

VERY SUB SUB WELL

ANGULAR ROUNDED
ANGULAR ANGULAR ROUNDED ROUNDED
Sphericity

VERY ELONGATED SLIGHTLY SLIGHTLY SPHERICAL VERY

ELONGATED ELONGATED SPHERICAL SPHERICAL

Sorting

VERY POORLY MODERATELY VERY WELL

WELL SORTED
SORTED SORTED SORTED

4) Cement and/or Matrix

TYPE CEMENTATION
Anhydritic Unconsolidated
Calcareous Poorly Cemented
Dolomitic Moderately Cemented
Gypsiferous Well Cemented
Pyritic Quartzitic
Siliceous

5) Induration - Hardness
Poorly Indurated Loose
Moderately Indurated Friable
Well Indurated Moderately Hard
Hard
Very Hard

6) Accessories
Biotite Glauconite Olivine Siderite
Chert Lignite Pyrite Shale
Feldspar Muscovite Sulphur Fossils

7) Porosity
None – Grains packed tightly together
Poor Intergranular Porosity – pores are not connected
Fair Intragranular Porosity – Pores present within grains
Good Intergranular Porosity – Some pores between grains are connected
Excellent Intergranular Porosity – All pores are connected
Sulplates

1) Rock Type – Gypsum, Anhydrite

2) Colour
Clear
Buff
Gray
Tan

3) Grain or Crystal Size

1.000 – 2.000 mm Very Coarse
0.500 – 1.00 mm Coarse
0.250 – 0.500 mm Medium
0.125 – 0.250 mm Fine
0.063 – 0.125 mm Very Fine
0.002 – 0.063 mm Silt
< 0.002 mm Amorphous

4) Accessories and Inclusions

Anhydrite
Clay
Carbonaceous materials
Dolomite
Glauconite
Gypsum

5) Transparency
Transparent
Translucent
Opaque

6) Hardness
Gypsum Anhydrite
Soft Poorly Indurated
Moderatley Indurated
Well Indurated

7) Porosity
Gypsum – None Anhydrite – Fractures (secondary porosity)
Oil Shows – Procedure and Description

Evaluation of oil shows in cuttings includes the description of odour, staining, bleeding,
fluorescence, leach tests and residues.

ODOUR

The smell should be described in the range of faint, fair to strong, as this will normally
distinguish between condensates, light oils and heavy oils.

OIL STAINING & BLEEDING

Typically, if bleeding is seen in drilled cuttings it is an indication of a tight formation since the
hydrocarbons have been retained. Good permeability would result in most hydrocarbons being
flushed.

Oil staining is more representative of porosity and oil distribution. Descriptions of the staining
should include colour and distribution.

Heavier oil stains tend to be dark brown, while lighter oil stains are typically light to colourless.
Live, volatile oil will smoke and smell when held in a flame; the flame will usually turn blue.

The amount of oil staining should be characterised in terms of none, rare, common, abundant
etc and the distribution should be described as spotty, patchy, streaky or uniform.

Dead or residual oil is typically characterised by a dark or black asphaltic residue.

The presence of solid hydrocarbons such as tars and waxes should be recorded. These
bituminous deposits may be indicative of residue oil deposits or may be an indication of a
potential source rock.

FLUORESENCE

Crude oils under ultra-violet light will produce a fluorescence glow. The fluorescence can be
assessed in terms of concentration, colour and intensity, which can be used to evaluate oil type
and production potential. However, there are limitations to this process due to colour
perception of the geologists, other materials also fluoresce, and only a small proportion of the
fluorescence produced my the UV light is seen by the naked eye.

OIL SHOWS PROCEDURE

1. Check sample staining while still wet under a microscope. Stain will range from light brown
through to dark brown and black for asphaltic residue. Describe the distribution of the
stain, spotty, streaky, patchy or uniform and the amount of the staining.

2. Next observe the FLUORESCENCE, noting the intensity and brightness. Always keep the
previous sample for comparison. As the logging unit is hot/dry, hydrocarbons quickly
evaporate so check for fluorescence as soon as possible. The depth of colour and its
intensity/brightness should be note – dull yellow, bright yellow etc…

3. Next the sample is cut with a strong solvent i.e. trichloroethane or Propanol. This solvent
will leach out any hydrocarbons in the rock. The cut is an indication of the permeability of
the rock.
 Cuts can be DIFFUSE or STREAMING depending on porosity and permeability. The speed
of the cut is also noted as well as the colour of the cut. Colour will range as follows:
PALE BLUE
BLUE/WHITE TO PALE WHITE
MILKY WHITE
YELLOW WHITE

If there is little or no cut then a crush cut can be performed. This is when a sample is
crushed slight before adding the solvent. A crush cut will indicate a rock with low
permeability.
A crush cut is described as a normal cut but it must be noted that a crush cut was
performed.

NB. If performing a cut on chalk, the sample must be DRY before attempting the cut, as
wet chalk will always produce a weak cut due to poor permeability and surface tension.

4. A Natural cut is the colour of the solvent (in natural light) immediately after cutting. This
colour will range from slight discolouration to dark brown.

5. After the solvent has evaporated a residual ring is left. The fluorescence of the residue is
noted plus its colour in natural light.

Characteristics of Oil Shows

NO OIL SHOW LIGHT OIL HEAVY OIL
STAINING N/A Light brown, spotty, Dark brown, uniform
streaky, patchy sometimes patchy
FLUORESENCE N/A Dull to pale yellow Bright yellow, sometimes
gold
CUT:
TYPE N/A Diffuse, sometimes Streaming, Blooming, flash
blooming, occasional
streaming
SPEED N/A Slow - moderate Fast, instant
COLOUR N/A Pale blue to pale white Milky white to yellow white
NATURAL CUT N/A Slight discolouration, light Medium to dark brown
to medium brown
UV RESIDUE N/A Dull to pale yellow Deep yellow to gold
NATURAL N/A Light to medium brown Medium to dark brown
RESIDUE
Chemical Tests

HCl Effervescence

A quick test can be made with 10% hydrochloric acid to distinguish between calcite and dolomite.
Separate the cuttings from the sample tray and place in a porcelain spot tray. Add a few drops of
acid to the sample and view the results: -

Calcite: Immediate and violent effervescence, completely dissolving the sample.

Dolomite: Delayed and slow effervescence, increasing on heating the sample.

Mixture: Intermediate reaction.

HCl Oil Reaction

If oil is present, large bubbles will form on a cutting when it is immersed in dilute HCl.

Swelling

Significant swelling or flaking in water is characteristic of montmorillonite or smectite clays and

distinguishes them from kaolinite and illite clays.

On adding distilled water to a clay, the swelling can be described as follows:

Non swelling No break up

Hygroturgid Random swelling
Hygroclastic Swelling into irregular pieces
Hygrofissile Swelling into flakes (Flaking)
Cryptofissile Swelling into flakes after adding dilute HCl

Swelling clays will also tend to be soft and sticky (although oil-based and inhibitive mud systems
will prevent swelling) making sample washing and sample description very difficult.

Sulphate test – Gypsum and Anhydrite

To determine the presence of gypsum or anhydrite use the following procedure:

Crush 2g of washed, dried sample and place in a test tube.

Add 5ml of dilute 10% HCl acid.
Heat
Filter off residue and place in a clean test tube.
Add approximately 10 drops of Barium Chloride (BaCl2)

If a white precipitate forms, then the sample is indeed a sulphate – either gypsum or anhydrite.

To distinguish between the two, it should be noted that gypsum is not so common in the
subsurface, therefore, the sample will typically be anhydrite. Also anhydrite is commonly
associated with dolomite.
However, to confirm the distinction use the following procedure:

Heat the same residue until evaporations begins

Leave for 15mins

If the sample is gypsum, fine fibrous crystals will form.

Chloride Test

To confirm the presence of salt or Halite (NaCl) the following test can be used:

Crush 2g of washed, dried sample and place in a test tube.

Heat in distilled water and filter off the residue
Place the residue in a clean test tube
Add 10 drops of Silver Nitrate (AgNO3)

If a white precipitate forms then chlorides are present.

Alizarin Red

This is another test to distinguish between calcite and dolomite.

This can simply be dropped on to the cuttings – if calcite is present it will turn a deep red colour
while everything else remains uncoloured.

Cement Test

After drilling through casing shoes at the start of a new hole section, it is useful to confirm the
presence of cement.

As it is alkaline, this can be done by adding phenolphthalein (pH indicator) after washing the
sample. If the “cuttings” turn bright purple then they are cement.
Standard Abbreviations

& and bas basalt

@ at basc basaltic
aa as above bcms becomes
abt abundant bcm becoming
abv above bd bed
acic acicular – needle like bdd bedded
aft after bds beds
aglm agglomerate bdg bedding
alch allochem Belm Belemnites
Alg Algae BENT BENTONITE
alt altered Bent Bentonite
altg altering bentic bentonitic
amb amber bu buff
amor Amorphous bioclst bioclast
amt amount biot biotite
amtg amounting bioturb bioturbated
ang angular bitu bitumen
ANDS ANDESITE bitsus bituminous
ands andesite bl blue
andsic andesitic bloom blooming
anhed anhedral bleed bleeding
anhy anhydrite bldr boulder
ANHY ANHYDRITE bldrs boulders
anhyic anhydritic blk black
anthra Anthracite – coal w/ high carbon blky blocky
content
anthraic anthracitic bnd band
aph Aphanitic – texture of igneous bnds bands
rock w/ microcrystalline groundmass
app appear bndd banded
appnc appearance boudg boudinage
apps appears brhg branching
apr apparent BREC BRECCIA
aprox approximate brec breccia
aproxly approximately brect brecciated
arg argillaceous bri bright
argl Argillite – metamorphosed brit brittle
argillaceous rock
ark arkose bril brilliant
arkic arkosic brd bored
arn arenite brn brown
arnic arenitic Bry Bryzoa
asph asphalt – tar, bitumen bulb bulbous
asphic asphaltic bur burrow
assoc associated burd burrowed
bar barite crs coarse
BAS BASALT crsly coarsely
calc Calcite / calcareous conct contact
carb carbonaceous cvg caving
CARB CARBONATES cvgs cavings
catcl cataclastic DAC DACITE
cbl cobble dac dacite
Ceph Cephalopod dd dead
CGL CONGLOMERATE deb debris
cgl conglomerate decr decrease
chal Chalcedony – microcrystalline decrg decreasing
form of silca
chk chalk disagg disaggregated
chky chalky dissem disseminated
chlor chlorite dio diorite
CHT CHERT DIO DIORITE
cht chert dess desiccation
clst clast diff diffused
cln clean / cleaner dk dark
clr clear dkr darker
clus cluster dns dense
clay clay DOL DOLOMITE
CLYST CLAYSTONE DOLRT DOLERITE
clyst claystone Dol Dolomite
cmt cement dol dolomite
cmtd cemented dolic dolomitic
cmts cements dolst dolostone
conc concentric dtrl detrital
col colour dtrls detrius
cold coloured DUN DUNITE
cons consolidated dun dunite
coq Coquina – carbonate rock made Ech Echinoid
up of sorted debris ie shells
Cor Coral epi epidote
Crin Crinoid elg elongate
crinal crinal erdd eroded
crm cream est estimated
crpxln cryptocrystalline euhed euhedral
ctd coated excel excellent
ctg coating f fine
fly finely glauic glauconitic
fab fabric glob globular
fau fauna grn green
fe iron gneiss gneiss
ferr ferruginous gred grained
fest ironstone grit gritty
fib fibre gns grains
fibs fibrous gn grain
fis fissile gnst grainstone
fl fill gran granular
fled filled Grap Graptolite
feld feldspar grd grade
Feldic feldspathic grds grades
flk flake grdg grading
flks flakes grnl granular
flky flaky grnt granite
flor fluorescence GRNT GRANITE
fls flesh grntws granite wash
flt fault GRNTWS GRANITE WASH
fltd faulted gsy greasy
fltg floating gvl gravel
fnt faint gy grey
fntly faintly GYP GYPSUM
Foram Foraminifera Gyp Gypsum
foll foliated gyp gypsum
fos fossil gywk greywacke
foss fossiliferous hd hard
fair fair hem hemitite
frm firm hemc hemititic
frac fracture hex hexagonal
fracs fractures hi high
fracd fractured hornbl hornblende
frag fragment hrtl horizontal
frags fragments horz horizon
fri friable hvy heavy
frmwk framework h/c hydrocarbon
frost frosted ig igneous
Fsh:sc fish scales i/p in part
g good imbd imbedded
gab gabbro immed immediate
GAB GABBRO imp impression
Gast Gastropod incl inclusion
gen general incls inclusions
gl glass incld included
gly glassy IG IGNEOUS
glau glauconite Ig Igneous
incr increase lmpy lumpy
incrd increased lmy limy
incrg increasing loc local
ind Indurated - hardening locly locally
indctg indicating los live oil show
indst indistinct lrg large
inf infered lrgLy largely
infl infill lrgr larger
infld infilled lst limestone
inst instant LST LIMESTONE
intbdd interbedded lse loose
intbds interbeds lstr lustre
intbd interbed lt light
intcl interclast ltly lightly
intclic interclastic ltr lighter
intcls interclasts lthic lithic
intfrag interfragmental m medium
intgran intergranular magn magnetite
intgwn intergrown mar maroon
intlam interlaminated mas massive
intpt interpretation mat material
intr intrusive med medium
intstl interstitial meta metamorphic
intv interval META METAMORPHIC
intxln intercrystalline mic micro
ireg irregular mics micaceous
irid iridescent micmica micromicaceous
kao kaolin miclt microlite
kaol kaolinite micr micrite
kaoic kaolinitic micric micritic
l lower micxl microcrystalline
lam laminae mlky milky
lamd laminated mnr minor
lams laminations minrl mineral
lav lavender min minimum
lchd leached mnrlzd mineralised
lchg leaching mod moderate
lns lense modly moderately
len lenticular Mol Mollusca
lnss lenses mot mottled
lig lignite mrlst marlstone
lith lithographic MRLST MARLSTONE
lithar litharenite mrly marly
lmn limonite msm metasomatic
LMN LIMONITE mtrx matrix
lmnic limonitic mdst mudstone
MDST MUDSTONE plty platy
musc muscovite poikt poikilotopic
mylon mylonitic pol polish
n/s no shows plod polished
ns no shows por porosity
n.s.o.c no stain or cut pors porous
nod nodular porph porphyry
nods nodules porphic porphyritic
num numerous pos possible
o oil posly possibly
occ occasional p-p pinpoint
occly occasionally pred predominant
och ochre predly predominantly
onc oncolites pres preserve
ool oolites presd preserved
oolic oolitic prphy porphyry
op opaque psdo pseudo
org organic pt part
orng orange ptly partly
orth orthoclase ptchy patchy
Ost Ostracods ptg parting
ovgth overgrowths ptgs partings
ox oxidized purp purple
p poor pyr pyrite
parll parallel pyric pyritic
pbl pebble pyrz pyritized
pbls pebbles pyrox pyroxene
ply poorly pyrbit pyrobitumen
pel pellet qtz quartz
pels pellets qtzs quartzose
per peridotite qtzaren quartz arenite
PER PERIDOTITE qtzt quartzite
perm permeability quest questionable
pet petroleum rad radiate
petf petroliferous radg radiating
phen phenocrysts rd rounded
phos phosphate rdd rounded
phosic phosphatic reac reaction
pit pitted rpld replaced
pk pink rplg replacing
pkst packstone rplmt replacement
plag plagioclase resd residue
plas plastic resdl residual
Plcy Pelecyopods rexl recrystallize
pl plant rexld Recrystallized
rexlz recrystallization
ribn ribbon sil silica
rhmb rhomb sils siliceous
rhmbic rhombic silfd silicified
rmn remains sim similar
rmnt remnant sks slickensides
rmnts remants sksd slickensided
rr rare sl slight
rrly rarely slly slightly
rsns resinous sln solution
eay earthy slky silky
rug rugose slt silt
s&p salt and pepper slty silty
SA SALT sltst siltstone
sa salt SLTST SILTSTONE
sa-c salt cast sm smooth
sul sulphur sol solitary
sat saturated soln solution
sb sub Solen Solenopora
sbang sub angular spec speck
sbhed subhedral specs specks
sbrd sub round specd speckled
sc scales spg sponge
Scaph Scaphopod spgs sponges
scat scattered spgy spongy
sch schist sph spherules
SCH SCHIST sphal sphalerite
schs schistose spic spicule
sd sand spics spicules
sdy sandy spicr spicular
sec secondary spl sample
sed sediment spls samples
seds sediments splty splintery
sedy sedimentary spr spore
sel selenite sprs spores
SERP SERPENTINE spty spotty
serp serpentine sptd spotted
serpic serpenitic srt sorted
sft soft srtg sorting
sh shale srts sorts
SH SHALE ss sandstone
shad shadow SS SANDSTONE
shy shaly Stach Stachyodes
SID SIDERITE stmg streaming
sid siderite stn Stain
sidic sideritic stnd stained
stns stains
stng staining vis visible
str streaky vf very fine
strs streaks vf-f very fine to fine
strg stringer vcol varicoloured
strgs stringers ves vesicles
stri striated vesr vesicular
Strom Stromatoporoid vgt variegated
Stroms stromatoporoids vit vitreous
Stromat Stromatolite vn vein
struc structure vns veins
strucs structures vng veining
styl styolite VOLC VOLCANICS
stylic styolitic vol volcanic
suc sucrosic vps very poor samples
sug sugary vert vertical
sup supported vrvd varved
surf surface vug vuggy
Syring Syringnopora vuglr vugular
spy sparry w well
sz size wh white
- to wi with
tab tabular wkst wackestone
Tent Tenticulites wk weak
tex texture wthrd weathered
Tham Thamnopora wtr water
thk thick wvy wavy
thn thin wxy waxy
thru throughout xbd cross-bed
tns tension xbdg cross-bedding
tr trace xbdd cross-bedded
trs traces xls crystals
trip tripolitic xln crystalline
trnsl translucent xlam cross-laminated
trnsp transparent yel yellow
tt tight zeo zeolite
ttly tightly zn zone
tub tubular zns zones
TUF TUFF zng zoning
tuf tuffaceous
u upper
uncons unconsolidated
unident unidentifiable
undif undifferentiated
up upper
v very
vari variable