TOPEKA — Expansion of the Kansas Geological Survey’s drill core library will support analysis of oil and gas reservoir properties, hydrogen and carbon storage and identification of critical minerals.
Construction is to begin in early 2025 on a 5,500-square-foot addition to KGS’ facility on the Lawrence campus of the University of Kansas. The project will triple the amount of storage for rock samples collected from drilling and double laboratory space for scientists and engineers analyzing the material.
“This core library and lab extension will fundamentally change the way we work,” said Jay Kalbas, KGS director and state geologist. “It will allow us to access, process and study materials far more efficiently than ever before and house highly specialized core analysis equipment in one central location.”
Core cylinders of rock are usually 2 inches to 4 inches in diameter and can be hundreds or thousands of feet long. Each provides a window into the subsurface so geologists gain an understanding of how natural resources — oil and natural gas, groundwater and minerals — are distributed and move underground.
Scientists analyze rock layers in core form to determine their age, material property and the environment in which they formed.
KGS operates one of the largest public core depositories in the United States, with more than 73,000 boxes of rock, but current facilities stand at 80% capacity, said Nikki Potter, KGS associate director
“Other state geological surveys have had to dispose of core because they don’t have the space to store it, and core is very expensive to replace. Collecting 2,000 feet of core can cost half a million dollars,” Potter said.
Funding for the building came me from a one-time state appropriation of $3.8 million. Construction should be completed by the end of 2025.
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