Automated Thin Section Analysis for Carbonate Using High-Resolution Petrographic Images

A workflow based on carbonate thin-section image analysis was developed to quantify carbonate rock components using four images taken at different angles and polarization conditions to maximize information and decrease the estimation uncertainty. The workflow estimates porosity in a bimodal pore system using pore-matrix edges to detect pores that can’t be fully resolved in the image. The results are validated with point-count thin-section analysis. The difference in values is due to the limited field of view obtained by the image and image resolution limitations.

The novelty of this work is the workflow of acquiring and registering the images. In addition, the concept of the pore-edge surface that some petrographers will identify as calcite cement or other minerals.