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 PTS technician to handle and preserve your core and provide 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. Technicians can also conduct wellsite sampling for rapid turnaround analyses often required for well completion activities. PTS can design a custom core preservation program meeting your site-specific requirements.

If the core is being submitted to a laboratory for physical properties or mobility parameters analysis, it is recommended that the laboratory be contacted in advance to discuss the 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 a 2" diameter by 6" long sleeve is suitable for most basic tests; horizontal and vertical permeability, TOC, density, grain size, porosity and pore fluid saturations. If larger diameter/continuous coring equipment is available, then a more detailed lithological and petrophysical data profile can be generated.

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Core Preservation
Appropriate core handling procedures are essential to define depth allocation, maintain core integrity, and preserve core properties. PTS provides their 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. PTS 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. For core handling and shipping information please see our Technical Papers page.

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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, and clear audit trails are maintained for each sample.

Ambient core storage facilities

PTS Laboratories 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