January 15, 1998

The samples consist of 938 feet of core from seven wells and cuttings representing 310,740 feet of drilling from 63 other wells. Core samples are solid cylinders of the rock through which the operators drill. Cuttings are rock chips collected every 10 feet while drilling the well. The samples come from wells located in nine Utah counties. San Juan was represented with 24 wells; Uintah, with 20; Duchesne, with 16; Millard, with five; and Box Elder, Carbon, Daggett, Emery, and Kane with one each.

The samples were donated to the UGS's Core Sample Library. The facility was established in 1951 to house samples from oil-producing formations in the state; representative coal samples from producing coal mines; and miscellaneous samples of metallic minerals, industrial rocks and minerals, tar sands, oil shale, geothermal wells, and surface stratigraphic sections. A new Library is currently being constructed to accommodate more samples.

"The Sample Library is being used more and more often for educational and research endeavors such as core workshops for oil company training sessions, geologic program short courses, college thesis work, and sample evaluations for UGS/industry cooperative projects," said Lee Allison, UGS director and state geologist. "The new Sample Library will continue those roles while moving more aggressively to acquire important new samples and find and cultivate more customers."