The National Geological Repository (NGR) is a gateway to our shared subsurface. It is the UK most comprehensive collection of geological materials, consisting of over 16 million specimens and assembled over 200 years. The collection acts as both an evidence base of previous scientific endeavours and a resource for new and future research. 

The economic analysis shows that the NGR saves major energy and infrastructure projects significant costs through access and re-use of pre-drilled rock core:

• £1.5 billion in avoided drilling and analysis costs for major energy and infrastructure projects over the last 20 years
• Up to 36 times return on investment based on costs of maintaining the facility
• Time-savings of around three years per infrastructure project through access to legacy core samples
  

These returns are underpinned by the high costs of drilling new boreholes. It can cost more to drill an onshore borehole than run the NGR for a year and this can rise by a factor of 20 for offshore drilling.

Located at BGS headquarters in Keyworth, the NGR is home to the UK largest core storage and examination facility. Of particular value to industry and infrastructure projects are over 600 km of pre-drilled core from around the UK, which provide considerable cost and time-saving benefits.

“The BGS’ core facility (the National Geological Repository) is invaluable in enabling researchers to use legacy geological materials and data for new purposes in the transition to low-carbon energy.�

Gary Hampson, Professor of Sedimentary Geology, Imperial College London

“These cores were acquired at significant expense (often multiple hundreds of thousands of pounds per core) from offshore wells, specifically targeting areas of fundamental uncertainty in subsurface geology. Their preservation offers substantial economic and environmental value, as the cost of re-sampling or drilling new cores is prohibitively high. Moreover, the carbon footprint associated with new drilling can be significantly reduced by utilising these existing core samples for further research and decision-making, aligning with sustainability and Net Zero ambitions.�

Nick Terrell, Industry Co-Chair, Subsurface Task Force

The facility is trusted by government, regulators and industry to enable faster, better-informed decisions and is poised to enable UK clean energy infrastructure projects, including geothermal and carbon capture and storage.

As well as quantifying the impact of the NGR, the report also highlights a series of constraints that could limit the facility ability to deliver increased public value in future. Expansion will be required to accommodate further core acquisitions. This is vital as many present-day drilling operations are occurring in areas with potential for net zero technologies or mineral prospectivity, meaning the opportunity to re-use the core is high. Further potential lies in digitising the collection, as only a fraction of the physical holdings has been digitised to date, limiting the facility ability to deliver comprehensive remote access.

51ÁÔÆæ is exploring investment opportunities to secure and enhance the NGR long-term future and national value.

The rocks of the were deposited between 200 and 250 million years ago in the Triassic Period, at the same time as the first dinosaurs walked on land. This rock underlies much of central and southern England as well as several offshore areas, and is the bedrock on which many urban areas and their infrastructure are built.

Core scanning and analysis of a 240 m-long and 100 mm-diameter rock core by the Core Scanning Facility (CSF) at BGS headquarters in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, will further our geological understanding of the rocks beneath our feet. It will provide new data that feeds into more robust geological models, which will highlight the effectiveness and environmental sustainability of ground-source heat pump technology. This will help to accelerate the energy transition away from fossil fuels, scientists say .

The core was collected and scanned as part of ongoing installation work for a geothermal ground-source heat pump system at the Keyworth site.

Core scanning is a relatively rapid and non-destructive method to gather a large amount of data to maximise the value of core drilled and, together with conventional core characterisation practices, increases our understanding of rock properties and behaviour that will inform subsurface processes.

Magret Damaschke, CSF manager at BGS.

Geothermal energy naturally occurs under the ground and is available to us 24/7 across the UK, but this energy is not currently sufficiently utilised to meet our net zero 2050 targets.

As part of our ongoing geothermal heat pump project, a detailed characterisation of the Mercia Mudstone has been undertaken, using advanced technologies including core scanning and thermal conductivity analysis; this data will provide us with a better understanding of what lies beneath our feet and how much renewable heat could be sustainably extracted.

This information is especially valuable as the Mercia Mudstone can be found underlying much of the UK, so the data gathered will be relevant to a large number of planned geothermal installations and other geoenergy technologies, and could hold the secrets to accelerating the green energy transition.

David Boon, BGS Senior Geothermal Geologist.

Work began on BGS £1.8 million, Government-funded heat decarbonisation project in February 2024. Installation of the ground-source heat pump system, involving 28 boreholes and five heat pumps, continues on-site and is due to be completed in early 2025.

When finished, the project will provide up to 300 kW of clean heating power to two existing buildings and will constitute a ‘living laboratory’, with state-of-the-art fibre-optic sensors deployed in the heat extraction boreholes and buildings. The technology will provide data in real time to help increase the public understanding of ground-source heat pumps and how they can be an effective solution for heating both new and existing buildings in the UK.

The results of the core analysis will be released via the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC)Environmental Data Service National Geoscience Data Centre. More information is available via .

The project is majority funded by NERC with a further contribution from the Government Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS). PSDS is run by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and is delivered by Salix Finance. The heat pump project is being delivered with partners Cenergist, Welltherm Drilling Ltd and Pick Everard.

Further information

For more information, please contact 51ÁÔÆæ press (bgspress@bgs.ac.uk) or call 07790 607 010.

The (CSF) at BGS has successfully completed the largest computed tomography (CT) core scanning project at this facility to date. Approximately 400 m of core from the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 389: project was scanned through the rotating X-ray CT (RXCT) core scanner to produce a three-dimensional X-ray image of the core.

IODP is an international marine research programme that explores Earth history and structure that has been recorded in sea-floor sediments and rocks, and monitors sub-seafloor environments. Expedition 389 focuses on the submerged fossil reefs off the coast of Hawai’i where changes in sea level and global climate are preserved in a greatly expanded and near-continuous fossil coral record covering the last half a million years.

The core samples from the expedition were transported in large, refrigerated containers and kept at 4°C. A coordinated operation involving BGS’s estates, goods-in and Core Store teams, in addition to a telehandler and forklifts, were deployed on arrival to unload the core and move the stillages prior to being scanned.

The CSF staff and 21 volunteers worked 24/7, covering two shifts over the course of a two month-period. The team successfully delivered a unique dataset that will be used for years to come. Core was scanned at a resolution of 93 µm for high-priority core and 186 µm for the rest. The priority order was set out by the offshore science party and was based on core condition and scientific importance.

Seeing the core scanner run non-stop for 516 hours without any downtime is truly astonishing. This highlights the importance of regular maintenance activities and functionality and safety tests of the machinery we host at BGS.

Magret Damaschke,51ÁÔÆæ Core Scanning Facility Manager.

CT produces large amounts of data (both raw and reconstructed), with terabytes of data being generated every couple of days. Data management was therefore at the forefront of core-scanning workflows. This helped the team to avoid overloading transfer and archiving of data drives, which could result in bottlenecks when handling such a large dataset.

This CT dataset provides the scientists with a three-dimensional X-ray image of the core. The resultant CT imagery was used by the IODP onshore science party in Bremen to gain detailed insight into the inner structure of the core collected during the Hawai’ian Drowned Reefs expedition. It provided the opportunity to make an informed decision where to split the core to preserve coral structures and growth patterns for future scientific analysis. In addition, CT scans can be used to generate downhole radiodensity profiles to identify potential lithological or facies changes. Specialised CT image segmentation tools allow coral species and populations to be characterised, as well as basalt porosity analysis to be performed.

The onshore science party found the CT data to be incredibly useful during sampling and commented that the images were far more informative and detailed than anticipated. Post-sampling, scientists have already discovered more coral species ‘hiding’ within the cores, which were not visible during core description.

Dr Hannah Grant, BGS Marine Geoscientist and expedition project manager.

Many thanks again for all your team’s hard work with the X389 samples. The CT scan data is already proving to be incredibly valuable. One of my colleagues just sent me an image of a particular coral genus that is not supposed to be in Hawai’i! It only revealed itself after examination of the CT scan data.

Jody Webster, co-chief scientist on IODP Expedition 389.

We are delighted to announce that construction has been completed on the Cheshire Observatory, the final part of the UK Geoenergy Observatories network. The facility is now open for research activities.

The Observatory, located in the University of Chester Thornton Science Park, provides scientists with at-scale test facilities that can be used to optimise and de-risk subsurface energy storage systems and geothermal heat in an aquifer setting.

Research at the Observatories will help unlock the potential of geothermal energy to decarbonise the heating and cooling of homes and businesses, which together account for over a quarter of UK CO₂ emissions.

The Observatory is part of the UK Geoenergy Observatories network, a £31 million investment from the UK Government to deliver essential new data from the subsurface to build knowledge on clean energy. The network also includes an observatory in Glasgow, a data portal and a core scanning facility.

The Cheshire Observatory is available to the whole of the UK science community for research, innovation and training activities. Research studies funded through any source are welcome, including outside 51ÁÔÆæ and industry-led research. To find out more about the UK Geoenergy Observatories, visit or contact ukgeosenquiries@bgs.ac.uk.

First and foremost, I’m Patrick and studying chemistry, geography and maths at A Level. For a week in July 2023, I was on work experience at BGS. I’ve had a passion for geology since I was brought to the Keyworth site for BGS open days, and I’m now intending to pursue a career in the subject.

The theme for week followed the journey of a borehole through BGS, which led to engaging with many areas and activities, including:

• a tour of the National Geological Repository (aka the Core Store)
• an introduction to 3D scanning of fossils with Simon Harris, the collections conservation and digitisation manager
• digital borehole logging and some 3D modelling with Steve Thorpe, a geospatial data specialist    
• meetings with members of communications team — Lee, Penny, Jade and Michael
• chatting with PhD student Ellis Hammond about his research on new digital tools to help speed up the redevelopment of brownfield land
• an introduction to the Core Scanning Facility and digital borehole data with petrophysicist Mark Fellgett

The borehole journey through BGS starts with sinking a borehole into the ground using specialised rock coring equipment. Borehole depths can range from 5 to 5000 m into the ground, each one providing unique insights into the world beneath our feet. A special drill bit is used to collect a core of the rock, which is then extracted, packaged up and transported back to the National Geological Repository at BGS Keyworth, where it registered.

The rock core is logged during a visual inspection of the different rock layers present in the sample. Many of the borehole logs and cores at BGS are from before the age of computers, handwritten on paper from as early as the mid-1800s. These older, handwritten logs are currently being converted into digital logs, with further scans being taken of the paper copies. They can then be input into software to build 3D models of the subsurface or used to create large-scale maps of the geology below our feet.

The core is then scanned, photographed and tested to gather data on its properties. For example, gamma rays can be used to test the density of a rock, P-waves can be used to measure the porosity, and X-rays, infrared spectroscopy and some chemical tests develop a picture of the rock properties.

Borehole data is being used to inform the transition to net zero. BGS researches the properties of rocks and the subsurface environment to work out if they can be used to store large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from industry and power generation. This area of applied research is called carbon capture and storage (CCS) and the technology is a means of reducing the amount of CO₂ that is released into the atmosphere.

CCS is the process of injecting CO­₂ under high pressure (so it is more like a liquid than a gas) into porous sedimentary rocks in areas such as old oil or gas fields, which are then filled with salty water. Boreholes are key in deciding which areas are suitable for CCS, as they allow scientists to work out which rocks can store CO₂, how much CO­₂ they can hold and whether it is likely to escape in the future. 

Boreholes are also used to access geothermal energy present underground, for example using the water from abandoned mines. This water can store plenty of heat, depending on a range of factors. The water is pumped up to the surface where the heat can be extracted and used to provide a sustainable heat source. This reduces the need for CO₂-producing fossil-fuel power plants.

All in all, my week at BGS has been valuable in demonstrating the fascinating research that occurs here, and the broad range of skills that people need to conduct it. It has given me plenty of motivation to aim for a career in geology. nassive thank you to Dr Darren Beriro for organising my visit and to Steve Thorpe and Mark Fellgett for looking after me on a day-to-day basis.

Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWACC) councillors have unanimously approved BGS’s planning application to site a UK Geoenergy Observatory at Ince Marshes in the north of the county.

The decision will see some 50 boreholes drilled down to 1200 m around a 12 km² area, enabling scientists to gain the clearest picture yet of the underground environment.

The boreholes will be installed with some £2.5 million worth of scientific sensors, which will observe in unprecedented detail how the underground system works. The sensors will generate millions of terabytes of data on the chemical, physical and biological properties of the rocks over a 15-year period, providing the nation with the knowledge it needs to unlock new clean, green, low-carbon energy technologies.

The UK main funder in environmental science, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), has commissioned the £31 million UK Geoenergy Observatories to keep the UK at the cutting edge of geoscience and energy innovation and to provide the important knowledge needed to move the UK towards a low-carbon economy. The BGS, the UK principal provider of impartial geological evidence since 1835, will operate the observatories on behalf of the whole of the UK and the geoscience community.

More and more of the solutions to decarbonising our energy supply will need to come from beneath our feet. Ensuring we take forward these solutions in a sustainable way means understanding more about the system. Second by second, minute by minute, day by day, we’ll be measuring the pulse of the Earth in a way that the scientific community simply hasn’t been able to do until now.

The UK Geoenergy Observatory in Cheshire will be a world first in its ability to observe the underground environment so closely and consistently. What we learn in Cheshire should provide a breakthrough in our understanding of how the whole underground system works.

Prof Mike Stephenson, BGS Chief Scientist.

The study will involve the drilling of 50 boreholes from between 50 and 1200 m deep across the 12 km² study area. They will contain a network of 1800 seismic sensors and 5 km of fibre-optic cable that can measure earth tremors 1000 weaker than you can feel. They will allow thousands of water samples to be taken over the next 15 years from between 50 and 400 m below the surface. Some 8 km of borehole drilling will generate 3000 m of rock core, which will be taken back to the BGS national core scanning facility for laboratory analysis. All the data will be made free and open via a publicly owned website.

The UK Geoenergy Observatory at Ince Marshes will make Cheshire home to the best-characterised rock mass in the world, providing a world-class environmental baseline for the geological environment.

The Cheshire site will be one of two observatories in the UK. The other is being drilled in Glasgow and comprises 12 boreholes over a 4 km² area. The Glasgow observatory will allow the UK earth science community to probe whether warm water within the UK disused mine workings can generate a geothermal heat source that could become a sustainable part of the energy mix.

NERC investments will equip the UK with a unique capability to investigate geological processes at depth. It will enable world-leading research, which will ensure that the best possible geological evidence is available to underpin decisions and regulatory controls around the management of the environment and its natural resources, as government, industry, regulators and academia look at how the underground might be used to power the future.

Prof Duncan Wingham, NERC Executive Chair.

NERC consulted with the UK geoscience community in 2015 to determine what new evidence would be required. Professor of geological engineering at the University of Strathclyde, Professor Zoe Shipton, chaired the group of independent scientists who worked with NERC to write the research agenda for the UK Geoenergy Observatories.

Delivering the science depends on learning from research in a location typical of the demands people put on their environment. The UK Geoenergy Observatories will enable scientists to answer a range of geoscience questions relating to techniques such as storing carbon, utilising rocks as a battery store for solar, wind and tidal energy, geothermal energy, and shale gas. The observatories will build up a really good picture of natural conditions in a variety of rock types and how they respond to change, and apply this new understanding throughout the UK.

Prof Zoe Shipton, professor of geological engineering at the University of Strathclyde.

The UK Geoenergy Observatories will ensure that we continue to lead the way in environmental impact monitoring. It will improve our understanding of the connections and pathways and therefore identify what else we need to monitor from an environmental point of view. It will become a world-class showcase for how monitoring should be done.

Prof Mike Kendall, professor of geophysics at the University of Bristol.

The £31 million investment is part of the UK Government £6 billion Plan for Growth in Science and Innovation. The UK Geoenergy Observatories will help to ensure that the UK continues to lead the world in research, innovation, regulation and engineering in geoscience.

Our Chester team has been working to bring this important investment to the Cheshire Science Corridor for the last three years. Investment in the science corridor is vital for the continuation of Cheshire and the north-west world-class standing and capability in science and engineering.

David Grove, director at technical advisor Ramboll, which is project managing the planning, engineering and construction of the facility.

The proposal is an opportunity for Cheshire to provide a game-changing research facility, which will help to underpin future policy making and inform decisions on future energy mix in the UK.

Mike Hopkins, planning director at JLL, who have worked alongside Ramboll managing the planning application.

The Cheshire Science Corridor — with Thornton Science Park at its heart — is rapidly becoming recognised as leading the UK clean-growth agenda. Building upon our record for delivering world-leading innovation, our academic expertise and the presence of an industrial cluster demonstrating its commitment to decarbonisation, this exciting initiative will bring the world best academics in geoscience and a £20 million investment to Ince Marshes to inform the future of clean energy security for the UK and further afield.

Prof Joe Howe, executive director of Thornton Energy Research Institute at the University of Chester Thornton Science Park.

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