G23AP00208

Project Title: McKean County Geophysical Wireline Well Logs and Core Storage Expansion, FY2023

Period of Performance: 5/22/2023 through 5/21/2024

Priority 1 - Preservation of McKean County Geophysical Wireline Well Logs

Include a plain language description award purpose.

The Pennsylvania Geological Survey proposes to preserve and increase access to a collection of geophysical wireline well logs from McKean County, Pennsylvania.

Activities to be performed:

Approximately 300 unique paper well logs from 240 oil and gas wells, donated without copyright restrictions, will be scanned and added to a cloud-based data repository for online and public access. The proposed activities will be performed by geology students participating in a summer internship program under the direct supervision of a Pennsylvania Geological Survey senior geoscientist.

Deliverables and expected outcomes:

Well information will be included in the National Index of Borehole Information. Collection records describing the preserved data will be submitted to the Registry of Scientific Collections. Borehole information extracted from the paper well logs will further understanding of the subsurface stratigraphy of the northern portion of Pennsylvania's Appalachian Plateaus Physiographic Province.

Intended beneficiaries:

This project will increase access to stratigraphic information for government agencies, energy companies, academic institutions, and the general public.

Priority 2 - Expansion of Core Storage Facility

Include a plain language description award purpose.

The Pennsylvania Geological Survey proposes to expand the physical storage of their existing rock sample library to accommodate an influx of donated core samples.

Activities to be performed:

Eleven new shelving units will be erected in the primary storage facility in Middletown, Pennsylvania, and 60 new wooden pallets will be purchased. Project staff will inventory, photograph, and palletize over 1,600 recently donated core boxes, thus adding to a publicly accessible geologic archive.

Deliverables and expected outcomes:

By placing the donated core on shelved pallets in the rock sample library, the core boxes will be accessible to researchers wishing to examine and sample the core for scientific study.

Intended beneficiaries:

This project will increase access to subsurface geology information for government agencies, energy companies, academic institutions, and the general public.

Subrecipient activities:

The project proposal includes the purchase of 60 new wooden pallets from Pennsylvania Correctional Industries, a self-sustaining bureau of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.

Pennsylvania Department Of Conservation & Natural Resources

15.814 - National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation

USGS Office of Acquisitions and Grants [DOI - USGS]

Pennsylvania United States

State-Wide

2023 National Geological & Geophysical Data Preservation Program (G23AS00011)

Infrastructure $28,874 (100%) percent this Project Grant was funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Act.
Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 05/21/24 to 08/19/24 and the total obligations have decreased from $58,948 to $58,523.