Resinated Core Sample from Dunlin Field (3m)

AssociatedAssociated with Fairfield Energy

AssociatedAssociated with Shell UK Exploration And Production (The Hague, Netherlands, founded 1907)

Date1973-1998

Object NameCore Sample

MediumSandstone

ClassificationsNorth Sea Oil and Gas Industries

AcquisitionPresented in 2018 by Fairfield Energy.

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDMS095559.17

Keywords

Oil And Gas Industry

About MePart of a set of slices from drilling cores from the Dunlin Field in the North Sea. The main reservoir of hydrocarbons was located over 3000 metres below the sea bed.

From initial identification of a possible oil or gas reservoir and before any of the hydrocarbons come ashore requires a huge investment up to £29,000,000 per well. It takes a large team of specialists and numerous boreholes to be drilled into the sea bed to give any idea of the likely extent of any reserve.

After the geophysicists have remotely located a likely reservoir it is then the turn of the drillers. It is only by physically drilling down through the bedrock and retrieving samples that it's possible to confirm the likely size, type and quality of any reserves.
To do this a hollow drill bit is used and a column of rock drilled out and brought to the surface. These cores are then carefully cut into slices like these here and examined to determine the character of the geology and nature of any hydrocarbons it might contain. It also help peolpe to understand the geology that is around any possible hydrocarbon reservoir and tell them where and how they should drill.