Khalid AlQubaisi
Mud Logging SME and PE Specialist
Aramco
Khalid Al-Qubaisi is the Mud Logging Subject Matter Expert at Aramco. He holds a Bachelor Degree of Science from KFUPM in Petroleum Engineering. Khalid has 20 years of experience in the Oil & Gas industry. He has contributed to the industry with substantial number of publications. Khalid won, recently, an Excellence Award for Sustainability due to his rule and contribution in Minerals Exploration. He is, also, an instructor at Aramco’s Upstream Professional Development Center delivering Mud Logging courses. Khalid is currently working with Saudi Aramco’s Reservoir Description Division as a Specialist in Petrophysics and Surface Logging.
Participates in
TECHNICAL PROGRAMME | Energy Fuels and Molecules
The growing demand for lithium, driven by the global energy transition, highlights the need for efficient exploration methods, particularly for sediment-hosted lithium deposits suitable for Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE). Traditional analytical techniques such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) face limitations in detecting lithium, especially under field conditions. In this approach, we demonstrate the application of handheld LaserInduced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for rapid, on-site lithium analysis in sedimentary drill cuttings.
Methods, Procedures, Process:
In this approach, handheld Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) was used to analyze lithium in sedimentary drill cuttings. Cuttings were dried, homogenized, and pressed into powder pellets to improve measurement consistency. The LIBS measurements were conducted using a Z300 SciAps® instrument following a
structured raster protocol. Each pellet was analyzed across five spatially distributed zones, with each zone consisting of a 3×3 matrix of laser shots, resulting in 45 individual measurements per sample.
Results, Observations, Conclusions:
The LIBS calibration model demonstrated a strong correlation (R² > 0.9), particularly in the low-concentration range relevant to sediment-hosted lithium systems. Pellet homogenization combined with laser raster averaging significantly reduced local heterogeneity and improved measurement reproducibility. The approach yielded
repeatability better than 10%, even in the low-concentration range (<10 ppm). The calibration model was developed using over 40 samples, with each data point representing the average of five independent LIBS
measurements. The method achieved a limit of detection (LOD) of below 2 ppm and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of approximately 5 ppm, enabling the reliable identification of subtle lithium enrichments during early-stage exploration. When integrated with XRD and XRF data, the LIBS results facilitated geologically informed
interpretations of lithium enrichment. Notably, lithium showed positive associations with aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), and rubidium (Rb), which are commonly linked to lithium-bearing clays such as smectite, illite, and hectorite. This supports the potential of LIBS not only for elemental detection but also for mineralogical screening during early exploration phases.
Novelty/Significance/Additive Information:
Handheld LIBS presents a robust and efficient solution for real-time lithium detection in sedimentary formations. It complements traditional tools by overcoming the limitations of XRD and XRF for lithium analysis, while enabling immediate feedback during drilling.
Co-author/s:
Khalid AlQubaisi, Mud Logging SME and PE Specialist, Saudi Aramco.
