DRL/Services

Imaging. Analysis. Modeling.

End-to-end services for clients who need to understand the rocks behind their operations. Multi-scale 3D imaging, advanced image analysis, and image-based modeling and simulation, delivered as project engagements for mining, oil & gas, and materials science.

Multi-Scale Imaging

Correlative microscopy.

We provide multi-scale imaging of rock, mineral, and porous material samples. We design imaging workflows tailored to the specific characterization questions and sample types, and deliver calibrated, processed image datasets ready for analysis.

Nano-scale

Micro-CT/-XRM

Non-destructive 3D imaging (tomography) of centimeter-sized samples at up to about 40 nm/voxel resolution.

Nano-scale

SEM with EDS

High-resolution surface analysis with elemental (mineral) mapping at up to about 1 nm/px resolution.

Nano-/micro-scale

SEM (mosaic) map

Large-area surface mosaic mapping at SEM resolution.

Nano-scale

FIB-SEM nanotomography

3D imaging of micrometer-sized volumes through automated serial-sectioning (slice-n-view) at up to about 5-10 nm/voxel resolution.

Angstrom-scale

S/TEM with EDS

Atomic-scale 2D/3D imaging of micrometer-sized samples (requiring FIB lift-out sample prep) at up to 0.1 nm resolution.

Visualization of a 3D digital rock model reconstructed from tomography image datasets using DRL Studio.
Digital Rock Physics

Advanced image analysis and 3D modeling.

All image processing and 3D modeling is performed using DRL Studio, our in-house digital rock physics software. We deliver segmented 3D pore-and-mineral models, with custom analyses scoped to your application.

Examples of what we extract

  • Porosity and effective (connected) porosity
  • Pore-network statistics, connectivity, and tortuosity
  • Pore and grain size distributions
  • Permeability and relative permeability
  • Mercury intrusion capillary pressure (MICP)
  • Formation factor, conductivity, and effective diffusivity

Among other modeled and simulated petrophysical properties.

Complementary Capability

Sample preparation.

Complementary support for our imaging workflows. We handle plug and sample preparation for imaging (including resin embedding for friable materials), multi-step mechanical polishing and ion-milling for SEM and FIB-SEM imaging, carbon coating, and TEM sample preparation via FIB-SEM lift-out procedure.

Engagements are structured per project. Deliverables range from a single sample's petrophysical report to multi-sample comparative studies and ongoing image-based modeling support.

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