EVALUATING THE ADVANTAGES, LIMITATIONS, AND PITFALLS OF HANDHELD X-RAY FLUORESCENCE SPECTROMETRY AND "GONIOMETER-LESS" X-RAY DIFFRACTION IN DRILL CORE-BASED STRATIGRAPHIC STUDIES

Drill core-based stratigraphic studies increasingly integrate geochemical and mineralogical results generated through handheld x-ray fluorescence (XRF) and portable/benchtop-based, "goniometer-less" x-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques, respectively. Whereas these analytical techniques often provide usable (qualitative) data, the quality and limitations of results are seldom rigorously evaluated. Because these types of data are now commonplace in discussions of stratigraphy and chemostratigraphy, in particular in the oil and gas industry, a robust evaluation of data quality and the ultimate interpretations derived from the data in the context of their analytical limitations is in order. The purpose of this contribution is to provide a stronger backdrop for 1) initiating facies-scale chemostratigraphic and mineralogical studies of drill core, 2) evaluating the level of accuracy, precision, and reproducibility of chemostratigraphic and rapidly-acquired XRD data, and 3) understanding some of the limitations and pitfalls of integrating chemostratigraphic results and interpretations into stratigraphic and well log studies.