SE534606C2 - Device and method for sample analysis in exploration - Google Patents

Description

534 606 In order to obtain a more comprehensive and faster analysis than with a visual inspection, instruments have been developed that can perform a scanning analysis along a sample, so-called scanning, at the drilling site. Such an instrument, which uses X-ray fluorescence detector technology, so-called XRF technology, is sold by, among others, the company Thermo Scientific under the name NITON XRF Analyzer. The instrument is portable and made to be held in the hand during scanning. The analysis with this type of instrument is certainly better than with a visual inspection, but the accuracy suffers because the instrument is hand-held.

Furthermore, Finnish patent no. 120164 generally describes equipment and a method for analyzing drill cores, which should enable analyses closer to the drill sites. The patent description does not go into detail about the design of the scanning equipment or how the scanning or documentation is done, but it is nevertheless clear that expert maintenance of this equipment is required, which maintenance is normally carried out by external personnel. This is experienced as a problem in exploration. The results from the test drillings constitute sensitive information and the prospector therefore does not want to share this information with external actors.

Summary of the invention and its advantages.

According to the invention, the above-mentioned problem is solved with a device for analyzing samples taken during exploration of natural resources such as ore, oil and gas, which device comprises a receiver for at least one sample and an analysis unit for scanning the sample. The analysis unit is arranged for contact-free scanning of the sample and the analysis unit and the receiver with the sample are movably arranged relative to each other.

Furthermore, the relative position between the analysis unit and the sample is adjustable by means of an electronic unit and at least one positioning means controlled by the electronic unit. The device is provided with measuring means for determining the relative position between the analysis unit and the receiver and a sample located at the receiver, whereby the electronic unit is arranged to control the positioning means, based on output data from the position measuring means, so that the desired relative position between the analysis unit and the receiver with the sample, i.e. the desired, optimal scanning position, is established and maintained during scarming. The invention enables the creation of a mobile, manageable device, easily movable into the field, which in turn enables a direct analysis of material from the bedrock on or near an area where exploration is carried out or where the material is stored. The invention provides an automated, carefully documented analysis of drill cores already in the field, which analysis does not require external expertise. With the help of this invention, the time for the analysis of drill cores and drill cuttings can be significantly shortened. Instead of having to wait a number of months or weeks, analysis results can be obtained shortly after the drill core or drill cuttings have been raised to ground level. This brings with it great advantages compared to other known methods; in particular, the time savings are valuable. One of the advantages is that drilling can then be quickly controlled based on the drilling results. A further advantage is that the invention enables and uses a non-destructive analysis of the drill cores or drill cuttings. In traditional analyses, the samples are prepared before analysis is carried out. This is therefore not needed when analyzing with the help of the present invention, which contributes to both time savings and cost reduction. Thus, the invention enables a non-destructive analysis, and thus other important information from the drill cores and drill cuttings can be retained and later retrieved, for example the microstructure of the surface.

In one embodiment of the invention, the position measuring means is of a type that measures without contact. This allows for rapid and secure position control in direct dependence on how the outer surface of the sample varies in appearance and position.

In a further embodiment, the position measuring means is arranged together with the analysis unit. This allows the relative position between the analysis unit and the position measuring means to be fixed and does not need to be calculated separately.

In another embodiment, the receiver for the sample is movably arranged by means of a first positioning means for movement in a first joint, X-joint, and the analysis unit is movably arranged by means of a second and a third positioning means for movement of the analysis unit in a second and a third joint, Y-joint and Z-joint, respectively. This is a construction which, in addition to a path defined by a range of motion of the analysis unit and a path defined by a range of motion of the receiver with its sample, creates a space that is usable for auxiliary equipment such as the electronics unit and other assemblies.

The device can also be designed to receive several, elongated samples, arranged essentially parallel to each other in a magazine which is located on the receiver with the samples extending in the Y-direction. In this case, the electronic unit is advantageously arranged so that when changing samples for scanning, the first positioning means is controllable in a predetermined, stepwise manner in the X-direction without control of output data from the position measuring means. The step corresponds essentially to the mutual distance between the parallel samples.

In one embodiment of the device, the device is provided with a marking device which is arranged to mark the points on the sample that have been scanned. This provides a valuable supplement to the measured values that have been scanned.

In conjunction with the device, a magazine, a box for drill cores, is also used according to the invention. The magazine is for this purpose equipped with at least one compartment for receiving a sample, and in the compartment are advantageously arranged means for determining the position of the sample in the compartment.

With a device according to the invention and advantageously boxes according to the invention, an automated, well-documented and permanently secured analysis of drill cores and drill cuttings can be obtained already in the field, without external personnel.

The invention also includes a method for analyzing samples taken during exploration of natural resources, wherein an analysis device comprising a receiver for one or more samples and an analysis unit for scarming the sample or samples is used.

The method comprises several steps, where at least one sample is placed in a receiver, the analysis unit scans the sample(s) to be analyzed while the analysis unit and the receiver with the sample(s) move relative to each other, the relative movement between the receiver with the sample(s) and the analysis unit is controlled by means of an electronic unit which in turn controls a positioning means of the analysis device, the relative position between the analysis unit and the receiver or between the analysis unit and the sample(s) in the receiver is determined by a position measuring means of the analysis device and the desired relative position between the receiver with the sample(s) and the analysis unit is held by the electronic unit which, guided by output data from the position measuring means, controls the positioning means. With this method, quality-assured measurement results are obtained which form the basis for the evaluation of any deposits at the drilling site.

Brief description of drawings.

The invention will be described and explained in more detail below in connection with exemplary embodiments, which are shown in the accompanying drawings, where Fig. 1 schematically shows a device according to the invention, Fig. 2 schematically shows the principle of scanning used in the device according to the invention, Fig. 3 shows in more detail the principle for measuring several drill cores serially, Fig. 4 schematically shows a search process for measuring an optimal scanning position, Fig. 5 shows in principle variants of how boxes for drill cores can be arranged to determine the position of the drill cores located in a box relative to the box with good accuracy and Fig. 6 shows a more detailed example of a device according to the invention.

Description of exemplary embodiments.

Figure 1 shows that a device according to the invention includes a housing or casing 1 which contains all the essential components belonging to the device. The housing 1 is shown in the figure only schematically with four indicated walls but is arranged so that it meets certain requirements which will be stated below. The housing has a truss (for the sake of clarity not shown in the figure) which is arranged to carry the components housed in the housing. The entire device is designed as a mobile unit, capable of being transported to a drilling site in order to be able to carry out the analysis work in the field.

The device further includes a receiver, a platform 2, intended to receive a box 3 for storing drill samples or drill cores (not shown). The box, which is included in the invention, will be described in more detail with a number of exemplary embodiments later.

The platform 2 is in turn arranged on linear guides 4, which control the displacement of the platform in a one-dimensional direction, X-direction, and which for this purpose cooperates with a positioning means, a first servomotor unit of known type (not shown). The servomotor unit is electric and is controllable forward/backward with respect to the output drive means. It may be provided with position sensors with respect to the drive means. The first servomotor unit is arranged to be able to displace the platform 2 in the desired direction on the guides via control electronics.

In the figure and in the ordinary position of use, a scanning unit 5 is arranged above the box, which has a schematically shown scanner 6, preferably of the XRF type, built into it for evaluating the properties of the drill cores. The scanning unit 5 is arranged so that it and thus the scanning area of the scanner 6 is movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the displacement direction of the plate 2, in the Y-direction, by means of an assembly 7 which in the figure is shown with a drive wheel 9 cooperating with a rack 8, which in turn is arranged on an output shaft of a second servomotor unit of known type (not shown). The assembly 7 runs during its movement along a guide 10.

The assembly 7 further contains a third servomotor unit of known type (not shown) for adjusting the position of the scanning unit 5 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the directions X and Y, i.e. in the Z direction, in the figure upwards or downwards.

When evaluating Nitons XRF Analyzer, it has been shown that unwanted variations in the analysis results are due, among other things, to the distance to the measurement object becoming uncertain and the impact surface, which gives rise to the analysis result, not being well determined. To remedy this problem, a means for non-contact distance measurement is provided at the scanning unit 5. The distance measurement means is designed to measure the distance between the scanning unit 5 and the platform 2 or objects present on the platform, i.e. drill samples, and will be described in more detail below. With the help of the servo motor units, the distance measurement means and the control electronics, the scarming unit 5 and the platform 2 with the box 3 and the sample cores located in the box can be brought to assume the desired, optimal scanning position relative to each other in order to avoid unwanted variations in the measured values.

In Fig. 2, it is shown, cleared of surrounding components, with three pairs of arrows how the scanning unit 5 with the scarm 6 included therein is movable in three essentially orthogonal directions relative to the platform 2 with the box 3 located on the platform, intended for drill cores.

Fig. 3 schematically shows a box 3 with four compartments 11a-d, each for a drill core 12a-d.

Above the drill core 12d on the right in the figure, the scanning unit 5 with its scanner 6 is shown. During scanning, the scanning unit 5 contains means 13 for measuring the distance to the surface to be scanned. The distance measuring equipment can be, for example, of the type sold by Selcom AB under the name Optocator and which uses a contactless triangulation method.

It has thus proven to be important for the analysis result that the scan unit always has an optimal and well-defined position in relation to the measurement object, a drill core. This is achieved by the invention in such a way that a central electronic unit (not shown) interacts with the distance measuring equipment 13 and controls the servo motor units for the position of the platform in the X-direction and the position of the scanner unit in the Y- and Z-directions so that the position of the scanning unit 5 is optimal for scanning the object, a drill core, with the scanner 6.

Fig. 4 illustrates how a measuring point 14 for the distance measuring equipment during a movement in the X-direction of the platform and thus a box located on the platform with compartment separating walls 15 for drill samples 16 is movable in the X-direction over a dotted path around portions of the mantle surface of the round drill cores shown in the figure. By suitable programming of the electronic unit, the servo motor units can be controlled so that the platform with its drill cores 16 takes up such a position relative to the scan that the measuring point 534 606 of the scanner is optimized to the highest part of a drill core, i.e. the part located closest to the scanner. Thereby, a movement of the scanning unit 5, during scanning, either continuously or in a sampling manner, takes place in the Y-direction. At the same time, the distance in the Z-direction should be optimized for the best scanning sensitivity, which is why the scanning unit is caused to adjust itself in the Z-direction during scarming by controlling the third servomotor unit. During the movement in the Y-direction, the distance to the drill core is measured continuously and the electronic unit is arranged to continuously control the current servo unit so that the optimal distance between the scanner and the drill core is maintained, even if the position of the drill core in the box or the shape of the drill core gives rise to height changes in the longitudinal direction of the drill core. The electronic unit is programmed so that it can recognize the passage of a wall 15 to a compartment in the box 3 by detecting the measured curve shape of the distance measurement equipment and distinguish this from a maximum point of a drill core. In addition, the distance measuring equipment is advantageously arranged so that it can continuously read a portion of the surface of the drill core on both sides of the measuring point so that in the event of lateral deviations in the position of the highest point of the drill core relative to the box, the electronic unit can give signals for a corresponding correction of the platform's position in the X-direction via the current servo unit for the guides 4. This can be achieved by oscillating the measuring point. After scarming a drill core, the scarmer unit 5 returns to its starting position and a movement in the X-direction is taken during distance measurement and passage of the compartment wall as above until the next laterally located drill core's highest point is found and the scanning movement is repeated, etc. In the event of a larger movement in the X-direction, e.g. when changing the measuring object, it is appropriate that the scanning unit is made to maintain a safety distance to the drill core and the walls of the box so that no fatal collision occurs.

The electronic unit can also be arranged so that when measuring a plurality of objects that are essentially geometrically similar and arranged in parallel in the compartments of a box, it can be programmed to control the servo unit for the platform to stepwise, independently of the distance measuring equipment, adjust the platform and the box related to the platform to positions where the highest point/line/generator of the cores is located essentially correctly for scanning each individual object. Fine-tuning of the optimal position with the help of the distance measurement can then begin.

Fig. 5 schematically shows four variants of the interior design of the compartments for drill cores in a box 4. The purpose of the interior design is to keep the drill cores as far as possible in a predetermined position, well aligned in the XYZ coordinate system. This makes it possible to more quickly find the optimal position for the scanner relative to the respective drill core.

In the compartment shown marked A, the bottom part of the compartment is provided with an upwardly facing, V-shaped surface 17 which centers the inserted drill core in the compartment. In the compartment shown marked B, the sides of the compartment are provided with a pair of centering blocks 18, which can be easily adjusted for optimal centering and tolerance acceptance. In the compartment shown marked C, the compartment is provided on one side with a pressure plate 20 prestressed by a spring 19 which positions the drill sample at the opposite side wall 21 of the compartment and in the compartment shown marked D, a malleable medium 22 has been placed in the bottom of the compartment which can consist of, for example, sand or a piece of foam plastic material or the like. 534 606 In Fig. 6, a partial construction of a second example of a device according to the invention is shown, which example is shown without walls. In the following, reference will be made to "up" and "down", whereby the corresponding meaning is meant in the figure and also in the normal use position. The device includes a truss with a bottom frame 24, side supports 25 and a top frame 26. In the volume defined by the truss, there is a substantially U-shaped beam 27 which is installed in the upper part of the truss with the mouth downwards. The legs of the beam have inward-facing edges at their lower edges, one of which 23 is designed as a rack on the upper side. In the U-beam 27, the upper part of a scanning unit 28 is installed. The upper part of the scanning unit 28 is provided with wheels (not shown) on both sides, of which at least one wheel is a gear wheel which is adapted to the rack and cooperates with it, while the other wheels can roll on top of the inward-facing edges of the U-beam. With the help of the gear wheel and a fourth servo motor unit (not shown) connected to it, as well as the other wheels, the scanning unit 28, controlled by a central electronic unit, can be moved along the U-beam in the longitudinal direction of the truss, i.e. in the Y-direction.

The scarming unit is provided with a housing 31 which is attached to a blank 30 via a bracket 29. In the turret there is a fifth servomotor unit (not visible) with a linearly reciprocating, vertically arranged displacement member. At this displacement member the bracket 29 is arranged, and thus the housing 31, controlled by the electronics unit, can be displaced up and down on the blank, in the Z-direction of the truss. From the housing 31 of the scanning unit 28 an X-ray source 32 extends down towards a box 33, intended for drill cores (not shown) to be scarmed. In order to detect the reflected radiation from the drill samples, which the X-ray radiation from the source 32 gives rise to, the scanning unit has a detector 34 arranged on two rods 35 extending from the housing 31. The scanning unit also has a contactless distance meter (not visible) arranged to measure the distance down towards the box 33 and the samples that are intended to be in the compartment 36 of the box 33. The distance meter is connected to the electronics unit which, with the aid of output data in an output signal from the distance meter, controls the servo motor unit arranged in the cavity 30 so that the position of the scarming unit in height becomes predetermined optimal in relation to the measurement objects, i.e. the drill cores, in accordance with what has been described above. The optimal distance is determined by the measurement range and properties of the scanner.

The box 33 is placed on top of a platform 37 (largely obscured by the box 33), which is provided with a control lever 38 at its left end in the figure. With the help of the lever, the platform can be pulled out or pushed in through a hatch 39 from or to a scanning end position for the box 33 with drill samples (not shown) loaded on the platform. For this purpose, the platform is slidably mounted in the Y-direction on runners 40, 41 and 42. The runners 40 and 42 are in turn arranged on their own slide rail 43, while the runner 41 is provided with a through hole with an internal thread made therein, which is arranged to cooperate with a rotatably arranged threaded rod extending through the hole, a screw 44. The screw 44 is connected to a sixth servomotor unit 44a which is controlled by the electronics unit to move the runner 41 and thereby the platform 37 resting on the runners 40-42 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the U-beam 27, i.e. in the X-direction, by rotating the screw 44 in one direction or the other.

The figure also shows that the device includes a space, a box 45, which contains space for, among other things, the electronics unit and a data storage unit. Furthermore, an air conditioning system is included, symbolically shown with a ventilation unit 46. 534 606 The figure shows that the box 45 and the ventilation unit 46 are located so that the platform 37 with the box 33 containing drill samples is partially insertable under the box and the air conditioning unit, while the scanning unit 28, when moving along the U-beam 27, can pass alongside the same for scanning in the Y-direction along the entire length of the box 33.

The platform 37 with the box 33 is displaceable in the X-direction so that the scanner unit 28 can, by stepwise displacement of the platform 37, scan all compartments of the box with samples present therein through repeated movements in the Y-direction.

At the left end, connections 47 are schematically shown for, for example, electrical power, heating, cooling and telemetry.

With the packing of the components described in more detail in the example above, the space in the housing is optimally utilized and the device according to the invention can be constructed so flexibly that it can be easily transported into the field, to the drilling site, to carry out automatic analyses there. In other words, the device is mobile. Typical dimensions for a device according to the invention can be cza 2x1xl meters.

The result of the analysis is stored in a secure database in the data storage unit interacting with the electronics unit, which is designed to be accessible only by an authorized person. The data stored includes traces of the basic material and compositions found during the analysis of the scarming unit, as well as the exact position of the corresponding measuring point on the drill core and which drill core it is. The position is given by sensors interacting with the servo units, as well as by the accuracy of the location of the box 3 on the platform 2 and the well-defined location of the drill cores in their respective box compartments.

The house in which the device according to the invention is installed is weatherproof and provided with auxiliary units (not shown) which can regulate the climate and environment inside the house in a known manner.

This is to ensure that the equipment functions optimally.

The device according to the invention also advantageously includes a marking unit (not shown) which is arranged to follow the scanner and, during or after measurement, mark by means of a colored line or corresponding to the measurement line that the scanner has followed, advantageously the start and end points of the measurement distance. The marking unit can also be of such a type that it can be used to identify the drill core and/or the box with drill samples.

This provides very good, complementary information to the results in the database.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings. For example, the device can be arranged so that the platform can receive more than one box at a time. It is also possible to analyze drill cuttings instead of drill cores.

The drill cuttings are then conveniently placed in boxes with corresponding compartments arranged in the order in which the cuttings were removed from the drill hole.

The platform does not have to be a complete platform in the strict sense, but can consist of a framework that can receive the box of drill samples in a well-defined manner in a stable manner.

The position of the measuring point/measuring line can also be obtained by position sensors that are arranged to sense the position of the scanning unit without interacting with the servo units. 534 606 The directions of movement X, Y and Z do not have to be orthogonal, although the position calculations will then be simpler.

In the above, analysis of drill cores has been described, but it will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that drill cuttings can also be analyzed with a device according to the invention.

The device and method are not limited to above ground but can also be used in, for example, mines.

For other purposes, the scarming unit can be of a type other than XRF, e.g. with a laser as the radiation source.

It is also possible that the scanner unit, when finished scanning a drill core, does not return to its starting position but scans the next core in the other direction. This is then taken into account in the storage of data.

Claims (10)

534 B06 ID Patent Claims 1. Device for analyzing samples taken during exploration of natural resources such as ore, oil and gas, which device comprises a receiver (2,37) for at least one sample (12a-d) and an analysis unit (5,28) for scanning the sample, wherein the analysis unit is arranged for contact-free scanning of the sample and wherein the analysis unit and the receiver with the sample are movably arranged relative to each other, characterized in that the receiver for the sample is movably arranged by means of a first positioning means for movement in a first direction, X-direction, and that the analysis unit is movably arranged by means of a second and a third positioning means for movement of the analysis means in a second and a third direction, Y-direction and Z-direction, respectively, that the relative position between the analysis unit (5,28) and the sample (12a-d) is adjustable by means of an electronic unit and the positioning means controlled by the electronic unit (44a) and that the device is provided with measuring means (13) for determining the relative position between the analysis unit (5,28) and the receiver (2,37) and a sample located at the receiver, whereby the electronic unit is arranged to, with the guidance of output data from the position measuring means (13), control the positioning means so that the desired relative position between the analysis unit and the receiver with the sample, i.e. the desired, optimal scarming position, where the scanner's measuring point is optimized to the highest part of a sample, located closest to the scanner, is maintained during scanning. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the position measuring means is arranged to continuously read a portion of the sample surface on both sides of the measuring point in order to provide the electronics unit with signals for corresponding correction of the platform's position in the X-direction via the relevant positioning means in the event of lateral deviations in the position of the highest point of the drill core relative to the receiver. 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the position measuring means is of a type that measures without contact. 4. The device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the position measuring means is arranged together with the analysis unit. 5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device is enclosed in a housing (1), characterized in that the device inside the housing, next to a path defined by a movement range of the analysis unit and a path defined by a movement direction of the receiver with its sample, is provided with a space (45) that is usable for auxiliary equipment such as the electronics unit and a climate control unit. 534 605 ll 6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein several elongated samples (12a-d) are arranged substantially parallel to each other in a magazine (3,33) located on the receiver (2,37) with the samples extending in the Y direction, characterized in that the electronic unit is arranged to control the first positioning means in predetermined steps in the X direction when changing samples for scanning without controlling output data from the position measuring means, wherein the step corresponds substantially to the mutual distance between the parallel samples. 7. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electronic unit is arranged to interact with a data storage unit. 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the device is provided with a marking equipment that is arranged to mark the points on the sample that have been scanned and stored in the data storage unit present in the device. 9. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the receiver is provided with compartments for several samples, characterized in that in the compartments of the receiver are provided means (17-22) for holding the samples in a well-aligned position in the XYZ coordinate system. 10. Method for analyzing samples taken during exploration of natural resources, such as ore, oil and gas, with an analysis device comprising a receiver for one or more samples and an analysis unit for scanning the sample or samples comprising the method steps of placing at least one sample in a receiver, the sample or samples to be analyzed being scanned by the analysis unit while the analysis unit and the receiver with the sample or samples move relative to each other, characterized in that the relative movement between the receiver with the sample or samples and the analysis unit is controlled by means of a positioning means controlled by an electronic unit of the analysis device, the relative position between the analysis unit and the receiver or between the analysis unit and the sample or samples in the receiver is determined by a position measuring means of the analysis device, the desired relative position between the receiver with the sample or samples and the analysis unit is held by the electronic unit which, guided by output data from the position measuring means, controls the positioning means.