AGS_Information:

    Metadata_ID: 8333

    Metadata_Parent_ID: 2

    Metadata_Create_Date: 2023-08-30

    Metadata_Create_Time: 03:12:52 PM

    Metadata_Last_Update_Date: 2026-09-23

    Metadata_Last_Update_Time: 02:19:47 PM

    Custodian: Calla Knudson

    Online_Linkage: N:\InfoStore\Data\Published\DIG_2026_0017

    Feature_Class_Name:

    Physical_Location:

    Recommended_Action: Keep as is

    Reason_For_Keeping:

    Business_Resumption_Plan_Record_Category: Important

    Record_Retention_Category: Official

    Contact_For_Contents: Calla Knudson

    Contact_For_Distribution: Sheila Stewart

    Contact_For_Metadata: Sheila Stewart

  Identification_Information:

    Citation:

      Citation_Information:

        Originator: Alberta Geological Survey

        Publication_Date: 2026

        Title: List of Selected Oil and Gas Cores with High-Resolution Photographs from the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in Alberta (tabular data, tab-delimited format)

        Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: tabular digital data

        Series_Information:

          Series_Name: Digital Data

          Issue_Identification: DIG 2026-0017

        Publication_Information:

          Publication_Place: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

          Publisher: Alberta Geological Survey

        Public_URL: https://ags.aer.ca/publications/all-publications/dig-2026-0017

    Description:

      Abstract: In November 2021, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) / Alberta Geological Survey (AGS) contracted DigitCore Library Inc. to acquire high-resolution photographs of 156 drillcores, totaling 10 660 m from the AER Core Research Centre (CRC) in Calgary.

For each of the 156 cores photographed in this project, the vendor delivered individual JPEG images for each core sleeve and combined JPEG files annotated with core and box numbers, top and bottom core indicators, and depth markers.

This digital data release includes a list of the photographed cores with associated metadata, including geospatial locations, interval depths, core lengths, approximate geological units intersected, and target commodities. The core photographs are available to view and download through the AGS Alberta Interactive Minerals Map (https://ags.aer.ca/publications/all-publications/iam-001) and the AGS Core Data Interactive Map (https://ags.aer.ca/publications/all-publications/iam-014).

The cores selected for this project are geospatially distributed throughout the province, within the Alberta portion of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. These drillcores intersect a variety of lithologies and stratigraphic intervals from the following geological units: Belloy Formation, Bluesky Formation, Cadotte Member, Cambrian strata, Cardium Formation, Charlie Lake Formation, Chinchaga Formation, Clearwater Formation, Contact Rapids Formation, Cooking Lake Formation, Debolt Formation, Duvernay Formation, Elk Point Group, Ellerslie Member, Exshaw Formation, Fernie Formation, Fish Scales Formation, Fort Vermilion Formation, Gething Formation, Gilwood Member, Ireton Formation, Joli Fou Formation, Keg River Formation, Kiskatinaw Formation, Leduc Formation, Loon River Formation, Mannville Group, McMurray Formation, Montney Formation, Muskeg Formation, Nisku Formation, Ostracod Beds, Paddy Member, Peace River Formation, Prairie Evaporite, Precambrian basement, Slave Point Formation, Stoddart Group, Swan Hills Formation, Wabamun Group, Wabiskaw Member, Waterways Formation, Watt Mountain Formation, Winterburn Group, Woodbend Group, and sediment above bedrock.

The cores analyzed in this project were drilled during previous exploration projects to target a variety of commodities and intervals of interest, including minerals, pore space, and hydrocarbons. It should be noted that the target commodities listed indicate potential and are not necessarily economic.

The core photographs available for download or viewing through the Alberta Interactive Minerals Map and Core Data Interactive Map were published as received from the vendor. This publication should not be taken as a promotion or endorsement of the vendor.

A previous version of this dataset was released through the AGS Core Data Interactive Map (IAM 014) in 2022. The Alberta Geological Survey has since updated the metadata and core photo files for 9 of the 156 cores to correct identified inconsistencies and improve data accuracy. Please see the Erratum document included with the zip file for more details.

This work was completed under the Mineral Grant provided by the Government of Alberta on June 22, 2021.

      Purpose: To publish a list of photographed core intervals of which the photographs are available for download through the AGS Alberta Interactive Minerals Map.

      Supplemental_Information: Language: In English;

    Time_Period_of_Content:

      Time Period Information:

        Single Date/Time:

          Calendar_Date: 2021

    Currentness_Reference: Time period during which cores were scanned.

  Status:

    Progress: Complete

    Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: Unknown

  Spatial Domain:

    Bounding Coordinates:

      West_Bounding_Coordinate: -119.968076

      East_Bounding_Coordinate: -110.009958

      North_Bounding_Coordinate: 59.732238

      South_Bounding_Coordinate: 49.090167

  Keywords:

    Theme:

      Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category

      Theme_Keyword: belloy formation

      Theme_Keyword: bluesky formation

      Theme_Keyword: cadotte member

      Theme_Keyword: cambrian

      Theme_Keyword: cardium formation

      Theme_Keyword: charlie lake formation

      Theme_Keyword: clearwater formation

      Theme_Keyword: contact rapids formation

      Theme_Keyword: cooking lake formation

      Theme_Keyword: core

      Theme_Keyword: debolt formation

      Theme_Keyword: duvernay formation

      Theme_Keyword: elk point group

      Theme_Keyword: ellerslie member

      Theme_Keyword: exshaw formation

      Theme_Keyword: fernie formation

      Theme_Keyword: fish scales formation

      Theme_Keyword: fort vermilion formation

      Theme_Keyword: geology

      Theme_Keyword: gething formation

      Theme_Keyword: gilwood member

      Theme_Keyword: ireton formation

      Theme_Keyword: joli fou formation

      Theme_Keyword: keg river formation

      Theme_Keyword: kiskatinaw formation

      Theme_Keyword: leduc formation

      Theme_Keyword: loon river formation

      Theme_Keyword: mannville group

      Theme_Keyword: mcmurray formation

      Theme_Keyword: montney formation

      Theme_Keyword: nisku formation

      Theme_Keyword: ostracod beds

      Theme_Keyword: paddy member

      Theme_Keyword: peace river formation

      Theme_Keyword: photography

      Theme_Keyword: prairie evaporite

      Theme_Keyword: precambrian

      Theme_Keyword: sediment

      Theme_Keyword: slave point formation

      Theme_Keyword: stoddart group

      Theme_Keyword: swan hills formation

      Theme_Keyword: wabamun group

      Theme_Keyword: wabiskaw member

      Theme_Keyword: waterways formation

      Theme_Keyword: watt mountain formation

      Theme_Keyword: western canada sedimentary basin

      Theme_Keyword: winterburn group

      Theme_Keyword: woodbend group

    Place:

      Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category

      Place_Keyword: 72e

      Place_Keyword: 72l

      Place_Keyword: 72m

      Place_Keyword: 73d

      Place_Keyword: 73e

      Place_Keyword: 73l

      Place_Keyword: 73m

      Place_Keyword: 74d

      Place_Keyword: 74e

      Place_Keyword: 74l

      Place_Keyword: 74m

      Place_Keyword: 82g

      Place_Keyword: 82h

      Place_Keyword: 82i

      Place_Keyword: 82j

      Place_Keyword: 82n

      Place_Keyword: 82o

      Place_Keyword: 82p

      Place_Keyword: 83a

      Place_Keyword: 83b

      Place_Keyword: 83c

      Place_Keyword: 83d

      Place_Keyword: 83e

      Place_Keyword: 83f

      Place_Keyword: 83g

      Place_Keyword: 83h

      Place_Keyword: 83i

      Place_Keyword: 83j

      Place_Keyword: 83k

      Place_Keyword: 83l

      Place_Keyword: 83m

      Place_Keyword: 83n

      Place_Keyword: 83o

      Place_Keyword: 83p

      Place_Keyword: 84a

      Place_Keyword: 84b

      Place_Keyword: 84c

      Place_Keyword: 84d

      Place_Keyword: 84e

      Place_Keyword: 84f

      Place_Keyword: 84g

      Place_Keyword: 84h

      Place_Keyword: 84i

      Place_Keyword: 84j

      Place_Keyword: 84k

      Place_Keyword: 84l

      Place_Keyword: 84m

      Place_Keyword: 84n

      Place_Keyword: 84o

      Place_Keyword: 84p

      Place_Keyword: alberta

      Place_Keyword: canada

  Access_Constraints: Public

  Use_Constraints: Acknowledgement of the Alberta Energy Regulator / Alberta Geological Survey as the originator/source of this information is required as described in the Open Government License - Alberta.

  Point_of_Contact:

    Contact_Information:

      Contact_Organization_Primary:

        Contact_Organization: Alberta Geological Survey

        Contact_Person: AGS Information Manager

      Contact_Position: AGS Information Manager

      Contact_Address:

        Address_Type: mailing and physical

        Address: Alberta Energy Regulator

        Address: 2nd Floor, Twin Atria Building

        Address: 4999-98 Avenue NW

        City: Edmonton

        State_or_Province: Alberta

        Postal_Code: T6B 2X3

        Country: Canada

      Contact_Voice_Telephone: (780) 638-4491

      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (780) 422-1459

      Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: AGS-Info@aer.ca

      Hours_of_Service: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

  Cross_Reference:

    Citation_Information:

      Originator: Alberta Energy Regulator

      Originator: Alberta Geological Survey

      Publication_Date: 2026

      Title: Alberta Interactive Minerals Map

      Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: view

      Series_Information:

        Series_Name: Interactive App and Map

        Issue_Identification: IAM 001

      Publication_Information:

        Publication_Place: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

        Publisher: Alberta Geological Survey

      Public_URL: https://ags.aer.ca/publications/all-publications/iam-001

  Cross_Reference:

    Citation_Information:

      Originator: Alberta Energy Regulator

      Originator: Alberta Geological Survey

      Publication_Date: 2023

      Title: Core Data Interactive Map

      Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form:

      Series_Information:

        Series_Name: Interactive App and Map

        Issue_Identification: IAM 014

      Publication_Information:

        Publication_Place: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

        Publisher: Alberta Geological Survey

      Public_URL: https://ags.aer.ca/publications/all-publications/iam-014

Data_Quality_Information:

  Attribute_Accuracy:

    Attribute_Accuracy_Report: The values in the Geo_unit field were derived from the Geological Framework of Alberta (GFA) surface(s) intersected by the cored interval. The values in the Commodity field were assigned by AGS staff. A previous version of this dataset was released through the AGS Core Data Interactive Map (IAM 014) in 2022. The Alberta Geological Survey has since updated the metadata and core photo files for 9 of the 156 cores to correct identified inconsistencies and improve data accuracy. Please see the Erratum document included with the zip file for more details.

  Logical_Consistency_Report: Each of the core locations on the AGS Core Data Interactive Map (IAM 014) is linked to a zip folder with the naming convention "_CorePhotos.zip" (e.g., "100083506203W600_CorePhotos.zip".)

The zip folder for each core contains a text file with a list of the files in that zip folder ("FileName_List.txt"), and two subfolders of RGB images (high resolution, natural colour photographs), in two different formats:

(1) The subfolder with the naming convention "_JPEG" contains masked images of the core, annotated with the well name, core number(s), box numbers, depth markers, and scale. Each JPEG file is named according to the convention "__-.jpg" (e.g., "100083506203W600_01_2310.00-2312.34.jpg").

(2) The subfolder named "STRIPPHOTOS-BOX" contains cropped, unannotated photos of each core sleeve, named according to the convention "_-_-.jpg" (e.g., "100040209206W500_1-03_1319.27-1320.37m.jpg").

  Completeness_Report: This Digital Data publication includes a descriptive abstract, an erratum ("Erratum.txt"), and a list of the cores photographed by DigitCore Library Inc. for the AGS in 2021. The core list is available in the text file "Core_List.txt". The core photographs are available for download from the AGS Alberta Interactive Minerals Map (https://ags.aer.ca/publications/all-publications/iam-001) and the AGS Core Data Interactive Map (https://ags.aer.ca/publications/all-publications/iam-014).

The AER/AGS currently holds ~1.5 million boxes of core at the Core Research Centre (CRC) in Calgary. The 156 cores photographed for this project are a small subset of the total core holdings and are not necessarily representative of the entire collection.

  Positional_Accuracy:

    Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:

   Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report: The cores in the AER/AGS core inventory were drilled by multiple different operators over a time period spanning several decades, with significant variability of surveying methods and standards. Horizontal positional accuracy is dependent on surveying methods and standards at the time of drilling.

Geospatial locations for the oil and gas wells are surface-hole latitude and longitude coordinates retrieved from the AER corporate database. These coordinates are reported to the AER by industry and their accuracy, while variable, may be quite high, on the order of millimetres.

    Vertical_Positional_Accuracy:

   Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Report: All depth values are measured along the length of the well/drillhole; the reference point varies according to type.

Depths in oil and gas wells are measured relative to the kelly bushing (KB). The height of the KB above the ground surface depends on the size of the drilling rig and could be as high as 4 metres (13 feet).

The cores in the AER/AGS core inventory were drilled by multiple different operators over a time period spanning several decades, and so some variation in the measurement and reporting of core depths is expected. The core depth measurement error is estimated to be approximately +/- 1 metre (3.3 feet).

It is possible that some of these drillholes are deviated. Vertical positional accuracy in deviated drillholes is a combination of depth measurement accuracy and the angle of deviation from vertical of the drillhole path.

  Data_Quality_Information: After the conclusion of the project, additional quality checks found minor errors in the original dataset and metadata that have since been corrected by the AGS. Details are available in the text file "Erratum.txt", included in the publication zip file.

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Detailed_Description:

Entity_Type:

Entity_Type_Label: DIG 2026-0017

Entity_Type_Definition: This dataset contains metadata for core photographs taken by DigitCore Library Inc. in 2021.The cores selected for this project are geospatially distributed throughout Alberta and are stored at the Core Research Centre in Calgary, AB

Entity_Type_Definition_Source: Alberta Geological Survey

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: UWI

Attribute_Definition_Source: Alberta Geological Survey

Attribute_Definition: Unique identifier assigned by the AER to a licensed wellbore.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Well_ID

Attribute_Definition_Source: Alberta Geological Survey

Attribute_Definition: Unique well identifier based on Dominion Land Survey System location, formatted as LL-SS-TTT-RRWM where: L = legal

subdivision or quarter section, S = section, T = township, R = range, W = west of, M = meridian; assigned by the AER.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Lat_NAD83

Attribute_Definition_Source: Alberta Geological Survey

Attribute_Definition: Latitude of drillhole location, North American Datum 1983, decimal degrees north.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Long_NAD83

Attribute_Definition_Source: Alberta Geological Survey

Attribute_Definition: Longitude of drillhole location, North American Datum 1983, decimal degrees east.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: T_dpth_m

Attribute_Definition_Source: Alberta Geological Survey

Attribute_Definition: Top depth, in metres, of the cored and photographed interval.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: B_dpth_m

Attribute_Definition_Source: Alberta Geological Survey

Attribute_Definition: Bottom depth, in metres, of the cored and photographed interval.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Length_m

Attribute_Definition_Source: Alberta Geological Survey

Attribute_Definition: Length, in metres, of the cored and photographed interval.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Geo_unit

Attribute_Definition_Source: Alberta Geological Survey

Attribute_Definition: Geological units represented in the core. Derived from the Geological Framework of Alberta (GFA) surface(s) intersected by the cored interval.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Commodity

Attribute_Definition_Source: Alberta Geological Survey

Attribute_Definition: Possible commodities present in core, as assigned by AGS staff.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Publisher

Attribute_Definition_Source: Alberta Geological Survey

Attribute_Definition: Organization that published the photos.

  Distribution_Information:

    Distributor:

      Contact_Information:

        Contact_Organization_Primary:

          Contact_Organization: Alberta Geological Survey

          Contact_Person: AGS Information Manager

        Contact_Position: AGS Information Manager

        Contact_Address:

          Address_Type: mailing and physical

          Address: Alberta Energy Regulator

          Address: 2nd Floor, Twin Atria Building

          Address: 4999-98 Avenue NW

          City: Edmonton

          State_or_Province: Alberta

          Postal_Code: T6B 2X3

          Country: Canada

        Contact_Voice_Telephone: (780) 638-4491

        Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (780) 422-1459

        Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: AGS-Info@aer.ca

        Hours_of_Service: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Distribution_Liability: The Alberta Energy Regulator / Alberta Geological Survey (AER/AGS) licenses this information under the Open Government License - Alberta. Any references to proprietary software in our documentation, and/or any use of proprietary data formats in our releases, do not constitute endorsement by the AER/AGS of any manufacturer's product.

  Metadata_Reference_Information:

    Metadata_Date: 20260923

    Metadata_Contact:

      Contact_Information:

        Contact_Organization_Primary:

          Contact_Organization: Alberta Geological Survey

          Contact_Person: AGS Information Manager

        Contact_Position: AGS Information Manager

        Contact_Address:

          Address_Type: mailing and physical

          Address: Alberta Energy Regulator

          Address: 2nd Floor, Twin Atria Building

          Address: 4999-98 Avenue NW

          City: Edmonton

          State_or_Province: Alberta

          Postal_Code: T6B 2X3

          Country: Canada

        Contact_Voice_Telephone: (780) 638-4491

        Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (780) 422-1459

        Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: AGS-Info@aer.ca

        Hours_of_Service: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

    Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata

    Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

    Metadata_Time_Convention: local time

    Metadata_Access_Constraints: none

    Metadata_Use_Constraints: none