Kirk Petrophysics™ offer the manufacture of high quality thin sections routinely prepared from core chips, sidewall cores or conventional core analysis plugs using 3” x 1” glass slides. Larger glass slides (3"x1.5" or 2") are used to mount larger core samples or SCAL plug trims. It is possible to prepare thin sections from core and plug samples of unconsolidated material.

Samples are initially vacuum-impregnated with blue-dyed epoxy resin to assist in the recognition of porosity. A combined Alizarin Red S/potassium ferricyanide stain can be applied in order to distinguish calcite from dolomite cements and to recognize ferroan carbonate varieties. A sodium cobaltinitrite stain may be used to stain and identify K-feldspar grains.

Kirk Petrophysics™ specialise in high volume, rapid turnaround. A “hot shot” service can be provided, and a superfast wellsite thin section preparation facility using a specificallydeveloped technique allows for real time petrographic or biostratigraphic analysis.

In addition to sedimentary rocks, thin sections of ornamental stones and of archaeological materials can also be provided.