Committee for the Preservation of Samples & Cores

Reports, Minutes

Committee for the Preservation of Samples & Cores Meeting Minutes (click on date to see the minutes):

COMMITTEE OF PRESERVATION OF CORES AND SAMPLES
Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2000
 

The primary objective of the committee over the past year has been to publicize the value of core and samples and the risk for permanent loss of core collections to the petroleum geoscience community.  This builds on prior years? efforts to survey existing repositories and support American Geological Survey?s (AGI) efforts to increase public access to cores and information on preserved cores.  In the coming year, the committee will expand its efforts to publicize the importance of core preservation to a broader audience including petroleum engineering, mining and paleontology professionals.  The committee will also seek ways to assist existing repositories in preserving and cataloguing core and sample material. 

UPDATED MISSION STATEMENT

The committee expanded its mission statement to include data attributable to core and samples as well as the rock material.  The following revised mission statement was sent it to the AAPG Executive Committee February, 2000:

The mission of the AAPG Committee on Preservation of Samples and Cores is to promote collection, preservation, and utilization of samples and cores as well as those data directly attributable to this rock material to include core analysis, sample descriptions, and stratigraphic assignment.  Specifically inclusive would be photographs, petrographic data and descriptions, photomicrographs, porosity, permeability and other rock data, all of which could be digitized and stored in compact storage facilities.  A priority is placed on identifying established repositories and constructing automated linkages between potential users and the data listings of these archives.  The committee will encourage and support both the AAPG membership and any other individual or appropriate organization in accomplishing this mission.

SURVEY OF RELIANCE ON CORE FOR AAPG BULLETIN ARTICLES

Marv Carlson, Bob Hulse, and Doug Patchen surveyed two groups of AAPG Bulletin articles, recent (1996-99) and before the oil price collapse in the mid-1980s, and 1999 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Eastern Section presentations.  They found that 38% of AAPG Bulletin articles published in 1979-1981 depended on core.  The importance of core preservation was compounded by the fact that 70% of core was from company or government repositories.  In the period 1996-1998, the proportion of core-related articles increased slightly to 42%, showing that core dependence increased even as petroleum geology became more computer based.  SPE presentations were much less dependent on cores;14% depended on core, including quarry cores and core analysis data.  This data formed the basis for a display at the National Meeting in New Orleans.

PUBLICATIONS ON CORE PRESERVATION

The committee has encouraged and contributed to the development of two articles on the need for core repositories. One written by Scott Montgomery was published in the November 15, 1999, issue of the Oil and Gas Journal.   The second is expected to be published in the July Explorer.

DISPLAY AT NEW ORLEANS NATIONAL MEETING

A table display highlighting the importance of core preservation to the work of geologists and providing a brochure on the location and websites of public repositories received a large number of visitors at the exhibition at the New Orleans meeting.  Similar exhibits are planned for many of the upcoming AAPG section meetings.

COMMITTEE WEB PAGES

As part of the standard web pages we have instituted for our committee, we are providing information about core issues, e.g. Scott Montgomery?s article, and a ?hotlink? to the AGI directory of geoscience data repositories.

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL STUDY ON THE PRESERVATION OF GEOSCIENCE DATA AND COLLECTIONS

The National Research Council Board on Earth Sciences and Resources plans a study of issues and options for geoscience data preservation, including the roles of public and private sectors.  A report and recommendations will be produced.  The study is supported by government agencies including the Department of Energy, US Geological Survey, and National Science Foundation and by organizations including the American Geological Institute, Petrotechnical Open Software Corporation (POSC), Smithsonian Institution, Geological Society of America, and the Paleontology Society.  This committee has submitted a proposal to the Executive Committee requesting AAPG funding of this study.

POLICY STATEMENT

The 1998 resolution in support of the National Geoscience Data Repository System prepared by this committee is the basis for a draft Policy Statement on the ?Preservation of Geological and Geophysical Data? prepared by the Government Affairs Committee for consideration by the Executive Committee.  Core and Sample Preservation Committee supports broad distribution of the final policy statement to both government and industry decision makers.

Respectfully submitted,
Edith C.  Allison, Chair

June 22, 2000