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Sampling and Field Services

IGL Core Handling Technicians are experts at core handling and preservation. We have through our predecessor, the PTS Labs, over thirty years over thirty years experience handling soils, soft-sediments and unconsolidated materials.

Our clients benefit from the superior level of professionalism, technical ability and performance provided. We have retrieved cores from all over the United States and world using our reliable custom equipment. This experience when combined with effective preservation and handling methods gives our clients the ability to obtain the most representative core and site materials for analyses.The main goal of most coring and field sampling programs is to obtain representative undisturbed samples. Our staff can assist you in meeting this goal. Our trained and experienced technicians are 40 Hour OSHA compliant, safe and very efficient. Allowing a IGL technician to handle and preserve your core while providing record keeping frees up your site engineer or geologist for other duties. Our technicians and core preservation specialists follow core handling and preservation procedures detailed in API RP 40. We can also conduct a core program following ASTM methodology specifically designed to provide undisturbed cores.If the core is being submitted to a laboratory for physical properties or mobility parameters analysis, we recommend that the laboratory be contacted in advance to discuss test program and required core size. Often a compromise must be met between what the laboratory requires and what is practical in the field. Generally 2" diameter by 6" long sleeves are suitable for most basic tests; horizontal or vertical permeability, TOC, density, grain size, porosity and pore fluid saturations. If larger diameter continuous cores are available, then a more detailed lithological and petrophysical data profile can be generated. IGL can design a custom core preservation program meeting your site-specific requirements.

Core Preservation

Digital Imaging and Archiving are designed to protect some of the most important assets of a company - its engineering data and photographic records. Digital images Appropriate core handling procedures are essential to define depth allocation, maintain core integrity, and preserve core properties. IGL provides our clients with experienced technicians who utilize reliable, custom equipment and provide the most effective core preservation methods. Our technicians are particularly proficient at preserving core obtained by continuous coring or split-spoon methods. The three most useful core preservation techniques for these types of core are freezing with liquid nitrogen or dry ice and chilling the core. IGL technicians are experts at all methods. Core preservation using liquid nitrogen is the fastest way to freeze core and preserve fluid saturations. This technique is used most often when core pore fluid saturations are the most critical parameter required. This method can be used to preserve volatile and semi-volatile hydrocarbons during transport to the laboratory and to keep fluids from migrating in high-permeance materials. Core preservation using dry ice is the second fastest way to freeze core and preserve fluid saturations. This technique is used when fluid saturations and physical properties are of equal importance. The method is used to preserve volatile and semi-volatile hydrocarbons during transport to the laboratory and to keep fluids from migrating in high-permeance materials. The longer freeze time results in little alteration of core physical properties from frost heaving. Core preservation by chilling preserves core physical properties. The method may also be suitable for fluid saturation measurements if the core consists of fine-grained sediments. Please refer to our “Recommended Core Handling/Preservation Field Procedures” for additional information.

Core Storage

Our facilities also provide secure long term storage or archiving of core at either frozen or ambient conditions. We maintain secure repositories for projects and litigation; clear audit trails are maintained for each sample.

IGL provides the following Core Preservation, Sampling and Core Storage services:

  • On-Site Staffing & Preservation
  • Dry Ice Core Preservation
  • Liquid Nitrogen Core Preservation
  • Chilled Core Preservation
  • Spilt Spoon Core Handling
  • Continuous Core Handling
  • Core Cut/Recovery Log
  • Detailed Record Keeping
  • Secure Core Storage
  • Frozen Core Storage Facilities
  • Archive Repository
  • Site Fluids Sampling & Transport