Well Sample and Core Library

The Kentucky Geological Survey was designated by the State legislature in 1960 as the official repository for oil and gas drilling records and well samples (KRS:353). In addition to collecting rock cores and well cuttings to comply with this mandate, the Survey has also made a concerted effort to collect valuable cores and samples from other exploratory efforts, including those from coal and industrial minerals. By maintaining a repository for cores and samples, KGS provides an extremely valuable service to the Commonwealth. Persons engaged in the exploration for and development of Kentucky's mineral resources must have detailed knowledge about the rock strata in which the deposits occur, as well as information about associated deposits. For rock strata that lie beneath the earth's surface, this knowledge can be gained only from drill cores and well cuttings. Cores and well samples also provide essential information for a better understanding of our ground-water resources and related environmental problems.

The cost of obtaining well samples and cores is extremely high, and it is grossly inefficient and expensive to drill new holes each time new information is needed. Therefore, a repository that archives the results of previous exploration and makes this valuable information available to the public is the only reasonable solution. The Repository now contains cuttings and cores from more than 20 million feet of exploratory drilling from over 22,400 locations. These samples represent an estimated initial expenditure of approximately $535 million. New material representing hundreds of thousands of feet of drilling are added to the Repository annually.

Map showing how to get to the Sample Repository (in pdf format)