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Business Requirement

South Australian petroleum and mineral tenement operators are required by legislation to submit drill core, cuttings and other geological sample material to the South Australia Drill Core Library for archiving and access to customers confidentiality periods set by regulation.

Relevant regulations governing submission of cores, cuttings and geological sample material are:

• Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Regulations Section 48
• Under Section 15AJ of the Mining Act 1971

• Mining Regulations 2020 - regulation 16(4)

The South Australia Drill Reference Core Library provides:

1. Long term or permanent storage (depending on relevant legislation) of cores, cuttings and sample material.
2. Customer services to geoscientists and others requiring access to cores and samples to view and log material as well as removing samples for analysis. Sample returns also require management and storage.

This requires a combination of on call services to manage temporary storage for drill core, cuttings, and sample material prior to it being permanently stored. Access is required for geoscientists and technical staff from the resources industry, academia, and other government agencies.

It is a requirement that the successful tenderer will have a strong understanding of drill core library best practice and processes for both Petroleum and Mineral Drillcore, cuttings and samples and is able demonstrate a strong customer service focus. As such, chosen candidates will be asked to apply for the panel of preferred suppliers.

The limited staff numbers of the Department for Energy and Mining requires that a third party prepare core for submission to the core library as per the Mining Act 1971 and the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Act 2000. This includes cataloguing, bagging, tagging the cuttings. preparing and cutting drill core for sample analysis and pallet preparation to archival storage standards.

Skilled staff to provide logistical management for pallet movement, control and supply to specialist geological equipment, programs for the drill core library and other government incentives.

Staff need qualifications or knowledge of

• Preparation of drill core and cutting material for submission to the State Government to meet regulatory requirements and archival standards.
• Requirements for petroleum and geothermal energy sample material are defined in the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Regulations 2013 Section 48 - Well Samples and guidelines:
  • Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Regulations 2013 (legislation.sa.gov.au)
• Requirements for mineral sample material are defined in Minerals Regulatory Guidelines;
  • MG18 Drill core and geological sample submission
  • MG13-Mineral exploration reporting
• Preparation and Transport of Drill core material to the library.
• Repair trays and package material as required to ensure safe secure transport to the library.
• Ensure all required legislative documents are provided with delivery.
• Assessment and license to handle hazardous goods as required (i.e., Radiation pursuant to section 28 of the Radiation Protection and Control Act 1982).
• Sample preparation and document administration prior to laboratory analysis and drill core material submission.
• Geological service support and logistical management in the field for both the petroleum and mineral industries.
• Geological service support for core library duties - core cutting, cataloguing and inspection preparation/sampling process, management of sample returns.

Storage capabilities

• Drill core handling, packaging, and shipment.
• Correct bag and tag of cuttings-cataloguing, pallet preparation and associated data prior to delivery.
• Secure and confidential storage as required
• At least one with storage location licensed to store radioactive substances pursuant to section 28 and 29 of the Radiation Protection and Control Act 1982

Deliverables and Outcomes

• Drill core material storage - from company relinquishment to core library delivery.
• Drill core material - sample preparation, cataloguing and document administration to archival standard.
• Support labour for core library duties and other analyses technologies as they develop in the future.
• Cutting and sampling drill cores when required in accordance with the inspection sampling guidelines,
• Technical expertise - to undertake analysis (i.e., Magnetic Susceptibility, Specific Gravity, XRF and other non-destructive analysis techniques and capture and record results)
• Expertise - to undertake digital imagery of Geological Drill Core and Geological samples
• Safe handling of heavy and hazardous material in compliance with Australian Standards and relevant WHS and EPA requirements as required.
• Confidential and secure service of business-critical material submitted by industry and government.
• Demonstrate understanding and experience of petroleum and mining industry operations and practice.
• Ensure the integrity of the South Australia Drill Core Reference Library’s catalogue and achieve archival requirements.
• Skilled Labour support and logistical management of drill core material and geological samples in the decant of storage facilities as required – (i.e., Thebarton Precinct – Arkaroola)