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Drill Core and Cuttings
Exploration drilling is a costly technique that retrieves solid cores or
chip samples of rock from beneath the earth’s surface. The cores or chips
represent a permanent record of the subsurface geology and yield valuable
data for those involved in mineral and hydrocarbon exploration. Among other
features, drill cores or chip samples are used to: estimate the size and
grade of mineral deposits or hydrocarbon resources at a given site; provide
rock material for metallurgical and petrophysical studies; and obtain
information about the type and orientation of subsurface bedrock.
Objective
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is responsible for the
Government’s Drill Core and Cuttings Storage Program, as outlined in the
Drill Core and Materials Storage Facility Policy. The program’s key
objective is to encourage mineral and hydrocarbon exploration in New
Brunswick.
Activities
Under the Drill Core and Cuttings Storage Program, the GSB:
- operates core storage facilities at Sussex, Fredericton, and Madran;
and
- maintains a database of core, bore hole cuttings, and related
samples obtained from New Brunswick exploration and mining activities.
Core Storage Procedures
Storage Facilities
The use of the three storage facilities is free of
charge and equipment is available upon request. Users of the facilities
are required to familiarize themselves with safety requirements as given
in attachment B of the drill core and materials storage facility
policy . For directions, please check
location maps.
Core Storage Database
The Department maintains a collection of drill core submitted in
accordance with the Mining Act. The collection is stored as follows:
- Madran - approximately 500,000 metres of core from deposits in
northern New Brunswick, above Latitude 46°30'
- Fredericton - in excess of 34,000 metres of core, from the Maritimes
and Fundy basins (since 1908)
- Sussex - approximately 140,000 metres of core from deposits in
southern New Brunswick, below Latitude 46°30'
Please check the
Core Storage Database if you wish to access available information on
diamond drill holes in New Brunswick.
Borehole Database
The Department of Natural Resources maintains a collection of all cores
and samples taken from wells drilled under the
Oil and Gas Act
for the purpose of oil and natural gas exploration, bituminous shale
exploration, and underground storage exploration or development in New
Brunswick. Currently, in excess of 34,000 metres of core and cuttings
representing 240,000 metres are stored at the facility in
Fredericton. Please check the
Policy for submission procedures and storage guidelines, and for
viewing and sampling requirements. All submissions must be done using
the
Drill Core and Well Cuttings Submission form .
Please check the
Borehole Database if you wish to access available information on oil
and natural gas wells in New Brunswick.
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