Drillcore libraries
The department stores drillcore from industry to facilitate resource exploration and research.
Drillcore storage facilities are located at:
- WB Clarke Geoscience Centre Londonderry drillcore library,
947-953 Londonderry Road, Londonderry, NSW 2753. - EC Andrews Drillcore Facility
42-56 Pinnacle Place, Broken Hill, NSW 2880. - Gunnedah, Gulgong and Yerrinbool. These are coal drillcore libraries.
The National Virtual Core Library at the WB Clarke Geoscience Centre, uses spectroscopic drillcore scanning technology to acquire information on rock, ore and alteration minerals in exploration drillcore. The technology is also applied to selected cores from petroleum and geosequestration wells to obtain petrological data.
Title holders must preserve any drillcore obtained by exploration or mining that remains after sampling. If a title holder intends to dispose of any drillcore, cuttings or samples during the life of an active title, e.g. when a title or authority is planned to be relinquished, the company must offer all such material to the Geological Survey of NSW for archiving at one of the government's drillcore libraries.
The mineral and coal industry invests millions of dollars in exploration drilling every year making a significant contribution to the state's economy.
Drilling is undertaken during mineral exploration to:
- investigate rocks in a prospective area
- directly sample possible ore-bearing material
- establish stratigraphic sequences in 3D
These samples are an important scientific and economic resource. They would be very expensive and, in some cases, impossible to re-acquire as the stored drillcore can contain materials that have been subsequently mined out or are otherwise unavailable.
Drillcore acceptance, disposal and access - policy and procedures
- Drillcore acceptance, disposal and access - policy and procedures (PDF, 1.79 MB) (including annexes)
- Annex 1 - Core offer sheet (DOCX, 82.17 KB)
- Annex 3 - Hazardous materials management plans and procedures (PDF, 1.07 MB)
- Annex 4 - Guidelines for acceptable drillcore trays, chip samples and specifications for pallets and stacking (PDF, 247.19 KB)
- Annex 5 - Drillcore inspection sheet (DOCX, 65.4 KB)
- Annex 6 - Drillcore library sampling sheet (DOCX, 67.81 KB)
Coal and petroleum core and sample offers can be submitted via email to corelibrary.admin@geoscience.nsw.gov.au and a department officer will be in touch to confirm drillhole details required.
For further information
WB Clarke Geoscience Centre
Phone: +61 (0)2 4777 7800
Email: corelibrary.admin@geoscience.nsw.gov.au
Office: 947-953 Londonderry Road, Londonderry, NSW 2753
EC Andrews Drill Core Facility
Phone: +61 (0)8 8087 5143
Postal: 42-56 Pinnacles Place, Broken Hill, NSW 2880
Office: 42-56 Pinnacles Place, Broken Hill, NSW 2880