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 "<BHID>_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 "<WELL NAME>_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 "<BHID>_<image #>_<top depth>-<bottom depth>.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 "<BHID>_<core #>-<box #>_<top depth>-<bottom depth>.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
