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Quantifying rock wettability at the mineral scale is critical for understanding multiphase flow behavior in carbonate reservoirs. Traditionally, this requires detailed mineralogical surface characterization using scanning electron microscopy coupled with mineral liberation analysis (SEM/MLA), combined with contact angle measurements performed on the same mineral phases. While effective, this workflow imposes significant sample preparation constraints, including epoxy embedding, coating, and subsequent resin removal, all of which may alter the original rock surface and introduce chemical artefacts that can impact wettability measurements.
In this work, an improved rock imaging and analysis workflow based on micro X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) mapping using a Bruker M4 Tornado system is applied to mineral-resolved wettability studies of carbonate reservoir rocks. Previous studies demonstrated the influence of surface mineralogy on oil–brine contact angle measurements by correlating SEM/MLA mineral maps with localized wettability data. Here, it is shown how micro-XRF enables direct elemental imaging of rock surfaces in their native, uncoated and unembedded state, eliminating the need for epoxy resins and conductive coatings.
High-resolution elemental maps obtained by micro-XRF were used to identify and spatially locate mineral phases of interest directly on the rock surfaces. These same locations were then transferred to a contact angle measurement setup, allowing oil–brine contact angles to be measured precisely on pre-characterized mineral phases without modifying the surface chemistry. This approach avoids epoxy-related artefacts, such as chlorine contamination and surface alteration during resin removal, leading to more representative wettability measurements.
The proposed workflow significantly simplifies sample preparation, preserves the integrity of the rock surface, and strengthens the link between imaging-derived mineral information and fluid–rock interaction data. Beyond wettability studies, this methodology illustrates the broader potential of micro-XRF as a powerful, non-destructive rock imaging tool for surface-sensitive experiments that require assessing mineralogy, chemistry and fluid interactions.

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