S4104 - Core analysis including incidental field operations

Operational Details
Core analysis is basically undertaken in a laboratory facility. Core samples are received from oil and gas exploration employers for the purpose of testing a formation to determine its potential.

Coring includes using diamond cutter heads. They are used to cut through formations that are part of the Pre-Cambrian shield or other rock formations beneath the earth. Employers doing the actual coring use a drill stem with a cutter head on the bottom which drills into the formation and then is capable of removing a sample of the material in a core barrel which is a tubular device from 8 to 18 meters long.

After retrieval, the coring company, oil or gas well company forwards the sample to a laboratory that specializes in geologically analyzing core samples for the resource industry. Geological analysts conduct tests on rock, mineral or metal samples and perform chemical and physical laboratory tests to confirm the presence of hydrocarbons. Other expertise in the laboratory includes engineering and metallurgy, and these disciplines specify material selection, metal treatments or corrosive material remedies. They may also evaluate groundwater content and circulation in a report and advise how it might be handled.

While this is primarily a service to the oil and gas industry, these laboratories may also conduct research for the mining and other resource industries that have a need for deep soil and rock analysis.

SIC Codes
000000786 - Core analysis