What ROCKTYPE LTD does

Rocktype Ltd is a UK-based automated mineralogy consultancy founded in 2013 by Dr Jenny Omma (Geological Director) and Dr Henrik Omma (Managing Director) and headquartered at the Oxford Science Park. The firm delivers high-volume QEMSCAN and SEM-based petrographic analysis (QS Cuttings, QS Rock, Coresticks, QS Mining, QS High Res, SEM Nano) and consulting services for data integration, primarily to enterprise clients in oil and gas, mining, and carbon capture and storage (CCS). Its core technology is the QEMSCAN automated mineralogy platform developed by FEI (now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific), supplemented by in-house sample preparation and high-pressure resin impregnation workflows that enable precise pore-space identification.

The company operates a sales-led B2B model with direct engagement of geological teams, project geologists and academic coordinators, supported by downloadable PDF resources, case studies and a content-led website. Pricing is quote-based, project-based and structured around per-sample minimums, with multi-year contracts and capacity to scan thousands of samples per project. Customers cited publicly include Arctic Mineral Resources, CASP and GLEX AS, spanning mining exploration in Norway, academic CCS research, and emerging subsurface hydrogen and deep-sea mineral applications. In 2024 Rocktype merged its operations into Stratum Reservoir, continuing to operate as part of the Stratum Reservoir Group while retaining its Oxford-based mineralogy brand and service portfolio.

Name

ROCKTYPE LTD

Legal name

Rocktype Ltd

Website

https://rocktype.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rocktype is an Oxford-based consultancy that provides high-volume QEMSCAN automated mineralogy, SEM imaging and consulting services to enterprise clients in oil and gas, mining, and carbon capture and storage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mineralogy and Petrographic Analysis Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Mining (213), Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114)

SIC

Metal Mining (1000)

akta.pro primary industry

Mineral Exploration & Geoscience Services (Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry, Resource Modeling) (IMAKAKAA)

Keywords

• Automated mineralogy
• QEMSCAN analysis
• SEM imaging
• Drill cuttings analysis
• Petrographic consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Automated Mineralogy Services: Rocktype generates revenue through providing high-volume automated mineralogy scanning services including QS Cuttings, QS Rock, Coresticks, QS Mining, QS High Res, and SEM Nano. Services are priced per sample with minimum requirements (10g of whole rock per sample, 10g dry or 50g wet cuttings). The company also provides consulting services for data analysis and integration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Rocktype provides high-volume automated mineralogy services using FEI's QEMSCAN platform and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) imaging, delivered from its Oxford laboratory to enterprise clients in the energy, mining, and carbon capture and storage sectors. The service portfolio covers drill cuttings scanning, core plug and outcrop analysis, full-core section scanning (Coresticks), mining reserve and tailings analysis, high-resolution textural studies, nano-scale SEM imaging, and consulting for integration of mineralogical data with petrophysical and reservoir models.

Product overview

Rocktype is a mineralogy consultancy offering a portfolio of automated mineralogy services built around QEMSCAN technology. The service lineup includes QS Cuttings (high-volume drill cuttings scanning), QS Rock (core and outcrop analysis), Coresticks (full-core section scanning), QS Mining (mining sector applications), QS High Res (high-resolution mineral grain analysis), SEM Nano (micron-scale electron imaging), and Consulting services for data integration. Services are applied across three main industry verticals: Oil and Gas (subsurface workflows, reservoir quality assessment), Mining (prospecting through production), and Carbon Capture and Storage (reservoir suitability assessment and sequestration analytics).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• QS Cuttings
• QS Rock
• Coresticks
• QS Mining
• QS High Res
• SEM Nano
• Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• High-resolution petrographic data for accurate rock analysis
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Stratum ReservoirflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024In 2024, Rocktype merged its operations with Stratum Reservoir. Rocktype continues to develop and expand automated mineralogy services within the Stratum Reservoir Group. The merger positions Rocktype as part of a larger reservoir services organization, enhancing capabilities and market reach in the energy sector.
• FEI (now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific)coreTechnology or IntegrationFEI developed the QEMSCAN automated mineralogy platform, described as the most powerful mineralogical measuring tool available. Rocktype uses QEMSCAN as the core technology for all automated mineralogy services. FEI and Rocktype have a long-standing technology partnership with FEI executives publicly endorsing the relationship: 'Our partnership with Rocktype is an important step in further developing use cases and technologies that will ultimately drive economic drilling, completions and recovery decisions' - Rudy Kellner, VP of FEI's Industry Group.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SGS: Global testing, inspection and certification company offering mineralogical analysis and geometallurgy services to the mining sector. Overlapping capability to Rocktype's QS Mining offering, but as one service line within a vast testing portfolio.
• Bureau Veritas Minerals: Mining-focused arm of Bureau Veritas providing mineral analysis, geometallurgy, and laboratory services. Comparable automated mineralogy work for the mining vertical but embedded within a much larger TIC business.
• Intertek: Global TIC group with mineral and metallurgical testing services (including mineralogy and QEMSCAN-equivalent work) supporting mining and exploration clients. Direct overlap in automated mineralogy, but with broader service breadth.
• ALS Global: Major commercial testing and inspection group providing mineralogical and geochemical analysis services (including QEMSCAN/WDS) to mining and exploration clients globally. Comparable automated mineralogy capability delivered at significantly larger scale.
• Core Laboratories: Global provider of core and reservoir analysis services to the oil & gas industry, including routine and special core analysis. Operates at materially greater scale than Rocktype with similar subsurface characterization offerings, but as part of a much broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• Bruker: Manufacturer and service provider of X-ray and electron microscopy instrumentation (including TIMA automated mineralogy), competing with QEMSCAN-based workflows. Adjacent competitor via alternative automated mineralogy technology.

Direct peers

• Activation Laboratories (Actlabs): Specialist analytical laboratory offering automated mineralogy (QEMSCAN/TIMA), geochemistry, and metallurgy services for mining and exploration clients. Closest niche-comparable competitor in commercial automated mineralogy services.
• Geotek: UK-based specialist in automated core scanning and high-resolution petrophysical analysis using techniques such as XRF, XCT, and SEM-EDS. Closest direct comparable to Rocktype in the automated high-resolution mineralogy/core analysis niche.
• Stratum Reservoir: Parent reservoir services group that Rocktype merged into in 2024. Offers integrated reservoir characterization, geological, and petrophysical services to the energy sector — directly overlapping with Rocktype's subsurface workflows and now commercially intertwined.

Others

• CASP (Cambridge Arctic Shelf Programme): Academic/not-for-profit geological research organization that is both a Rocktype customer and an adjacent player using QEMSCAN-type data for sediment provenance and reservoir studies. Comparable use cases but operates as a research body rather than a commercial lab.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/rocktypeltd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rocktype

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ROCKTYPE LTD