PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The federal and Western Australian state governments will invest an additional A$2.5-million to expand the Perth core library, in Carlisle.

The expansion would create extra viewing space for geologists to examine drill core, as well as a conference room. The area housing a sophisticated rapid spectroscopic logging and imaging system known as a HyLogger core scanner would also be extended.

HyLogger information was being processed to create a growing online core library that was accessible worldwide.

The latest funding was in addition to the A$4.8-million set aside in last year’s state budget to enlarge the library’s warehouse for drill core samples by about 50%, or 3 500 m².

Australian Industry and Science Minister Ian Macfarlane said the federal government appreciated the importance of the library and had, therefore, committed funds through the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator.

“The Perth core library already boasts more than 400 km of core and will store two-thirds of all Commonwealth-managed petroleum core derived from offshore drilling.

”This world-class facility has helped identify major potential shale gas deposits and is in constant use by companies and prospectors working to find the mines and petroleum fields of tomorrow.”

State Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Marmion said the core library archived state and Commonwealth drill samples that were crucial to new exploration research.

“The core library storage area is filling up rapidly, thanks to increased exploration activity generated by the state government’s Exploration Incentive Scheme, so it is gratifying to be able to get this project under way.”

Macfarlane said the library was one of the most important resources in Australia for petroleum companies to do precompetitive analysis before going to the considerable expense of drilling.

“When the work is finished, the core library is expected to satisfy the combined needs of the state and Commonwealth for the next 20 years,” he said.

Concept plans have been prepared for the core library project, with construction expected to start later this year and be finished by the end of 2016.