Rock Sample Data and Research
The Oil and Gas Activities Act via Section 29 of the Drilling and Production Regulation (B.C. Reg. 249/2011) (DPR) specifies requirements for petroleum exploration companies to submit drill cuttings and core from wells drilled in the province to the BC Oil and Gas Commission (Commission). Core and cuttings at the facility are managed in accordance with Part 6 of the DPR which allows for core examination and temporary removals for testing. Drill cuttings and core samples are directed to the Core Research Facility, defined by the DPR as the facility for the storage and examination of well samples and cores.
The Core Research Facility archives and provides public access to inspect and examine petroleum well cores and drill cutting samples. The key services provided are core/drill cuttings examination and core removal (retrieving the core from the warehouse for shipping) to private laboratories.
Many groups benefit from access to cores and drill cuttings, including:
- Oil and gas exploration companies.
- Academic institutions.
- General public.
- Other natural-resource-oriented groups.
Public access to the rock sample archived within the Core Research Facility is an important component in the Province's continued commitment to natural resource science and helps to foster continued responsible oil and gas industry development.
Contact Information: Core Facility Supervisor
Email:corelab@bcogc.ca
Tel:250-794-5313 or 250-794-5200
Mailing Address
Core Research Facility
BAG 2
Fort St. John, BC
V1J 2B0
Visiting the Core Research Facility
Viewing Core / Cuttings and Reserving Tables at the Core Research Facility
Facilities include:
- Examination tables with a sliding table tray for microscope, examination tools, and note taking.
- Confidential examination areas can be reserved by company staff to view and examine confidential core.
Cores may be viewed at the Core Facility in Fort St. John, B.C. Use the Core Examination Application Form to request a visit. Clients will need two weeks minimum notice when reserving for examination tables. Please provide notice (5 business days) when cancelling core examination requests.
Drill cuttings may be viewed at the Core Facility, but please note that they cannot be removed. They can only be examined in-house.
Drill cuttings may also be viewed at the Core Research Centre in Alberta. For convenience to industry clients, the Commission provides the Research Centre drill cuttings for most wells drilled in British Columbia.
Core Removal and Sampling for Offsite Analysis
With Commission approval, cores and samples may be removed from the well site or the Core Facility to third party locations (e.g. an analysis laboratory). To request removing core or samples for analysis at an external laboratory, use the Core Removal and Sampling Application Form.
Please provide notice (5 business days) when cancelling core removal requests.
Please note: Drill cuttings cannot be removed from the Core Facility, they can only be examined in house.
Shipping New Core and New Drill Cuttings to the Facility
A Notice of Shipment of New Core Samples Form or Notice of Shipment of New Drill Cutting Samples Form needs to be used when new core and new drill cuttings are submitted from the well site or laboratory to the Core Facility.
Please note: You do not need to submit this notice if returning core or samples which were previously archived at the Core Facility.
Facility Tour Requests
Facility tours can be arranged to accommodate geologists, corporations, the general public, and educational groups from elementary school to university level. Tour requests are by reservation only and must be pre-approved by the onsite Core Facility Supervisor (there are no unscheduled drop-ins).
For further information on the core facility and the reservation of facilities, contact the Core Facility Supervisor.
Core Research Facility Documentation
Guidelines
The Core Testing Standard outlines the Commission’s standards for testing core from the Charlie Lake Core Storage Facility.
| Version Date | Effective Date | Update |
|---|---|---|
February 2015 | March 2015 | Removed the reference to mailing two copies of the core report to submit core reports according to the guidelines in the Well Data Submission Requirements Manual. |
Forms
The Core Examination Application Form is used to request examination of core samples when at the Core Facility.
| Version Date | Effective Date | Update |
|---|---|---|
March 2017 | May 2017 | Updated Block C: Core Lab fees. |
The Core Removal and Sampling Application Form is used to apply for removal of cores or samples to an offsite laboratory for analysis.
| Version Date | Effective Date | Update |
|---|---|---|
June 2017 | July 2017 | Various edits were made to this form. Users are encouraged to review in full. |
The Notice of New Shipment of New Core Samples Form is used to ship new core samples from well site or new core samples from an analysis lab to the Core Facility.
NOTE: You do not need to submit this notice if returning core or samples which were previously archived at the Core Facility.
| Version Date | Effective Date | Update |
|---|---|---|
November 2014 | December 2014 | This document has been reformatted. No new information is required. |
The Notice of Shipment of Drill Cutting Samples Form is used to ship new drill cutting samples from well site or new drill cutting samples from an analysis lab to the Core Facility.
NOTE: You do not need to submit this notice if returning core or samples which were previously archived at the Core Facility.
| Version Date | Effective Date | Update |
|---|---|---|
November 2014 | December 2014 | This document has been reformatted. No new information is required. |
