While this may not be King Tut’s tomb or an 18th-century Spanish ship at the bottom of the ocean, but in some ways, the AER’s Core Research Centre (CRC) is close. Over the past year, AER employees at the CRC have uncovered two unlikely treasures —one of which is a sea creature. Indiana Jones once stated, “X never, ever marks the spot.” This is true of recent discoveries made at the CRC in Calgary, where the AER stores more than 1.8 million boxes of core samples from wells drilled in Alberta, dating back to 1925.
What is a Core Sample?
A core sample is a cylindrical section of rock or sediment taken from the ground to study the underground environment. These samples provide valuable insights into geological formations, helping scientists and engineers understand subsurface conditions.
Canned Core
Every day is an adventure at the CRC—a 200,000 square foot facility near the University of Calgary that holds boxes of core samples, along with 22 million drill-cutting samples and 345,000 paper copies of daily drilling reports from over 417,000 wells.
Recently, AER employee Lukus Wagstaff, a CRC Compliance and Operations Technologist, made an interesting discovery. While opening some boxes from the late ‘50s, he found that an operator had used motor oil cans to store drilling samples.
“I’ve seen a lot of preservation techniques, but this one was unique,” said Lukus. “The core is from a Texaco test hole drilled in February 1959. There was a Texaco refinery in Edmonton at the time, so my thought is that’s where they got the unfilled oilcans and then used a can sealer to preserve core onsite.”
Lukus added, “These are from the oldest and earliest test holes drilled in what was then called the ‘Tar Field’ north of Fort McMurray. There were three wells drilled and cored in 1959, and then there was a pause for almost 15 years. Coring programs picked up in the late ‘70s and ‘80s and continued until 2014.”
Fossil from the Deep
Within nearly 85 million metres of packed earth stored at the CRC, you’re bound to come across a fossil or two.
Ashley Moisson, CRC Customer Service and Operations Manager, shared that a hidden treasure—a fossil of an Albertonia Cupidinia—was noticed and identified by Dr. John-Paul Zonneveld from the University of Alberta earlier this year. This species of fish swam and grazed the marine waters that covered much of Alberta long ago.
“JP [Dr. John-Paul Zonneveld] found this incredible fossil while examining some core,” shared Ashley. “It was an exciting moment. The sample was cut in just the right place for the details to be revealed, and he knew right away what he was seeing. You can see the rays of the dorsal fin and the fish’s scales.”
This core slab is from the Montney Formation near Grande Prairie and dates back to the Triassic Smithian Stage, making the fossil approximately 249.7 to 247.2 million years old.
There’s a lot of history stored at the CRC, whether in the knowledgeable staff or the millions of boxes. You never know when you’ll come across a true gem.
