Mineral Core Research Facility
Encyclopedia
The Mineral Core Research Facility (MCRF) is run by the Alberta Geological Survey
(AGS) and assists the Alberta government's Department of Energy
in administering the Metallic and Industrial Minerals Regulations of the Mines and Minerals Act for the Province of Alberta
. Under these regulations, the Crown collects mineral core and rock samples from companies working on mineral permits and makes these materials publicly available for use by prospectors, mineral exploration companies and academia for mineral exploration and research purposes.
The MCRF is a large warehouse complex for core storage with two viewing/display areas and a visitors office. The of the facility is 1235 square metres plus 310 square metres on the mezzanine, located in the Capital Industrial Park of Edmonton, Alberta. The MCRF contains more than 58,572 metres of mineral core and 17,000 rock samples, primarily from the exposed Canadian Shield
in northeast Alberta
.
Alberta Geological Survey was contracted to prepare a facility to store and manage the core and to select core and samples on behalf of the Alberta Energy. The original facility was called the Mineral Exploration Core and Sample Storage. In the early 1980s, a research component was added to the function and the facility named was changed to the Mineral Core Research Facility (MCRF).
In 1995, the activity ceased as a contracted function and became an integrated activity of the Mineral Agreements Branch and AGS.
and rock samples are collected by AGS geologists and exploration companies and sent to the MCRF. The core is catalogued, stored and available for logging or sampling by the public, industry or scientific community.
Alberta Geological Survey
Alberta Geological Survey is part of the Energy Resources Conservation Board, a provincial agency of the Government of Alberta. Alberta Geological Survey provides geological information and expertise to government, industry and the public about Alberta’s Earth resources and geological processes for...
(AGS) and assists the Alberta government's Department of Energy
Ministry of Energy (Alberta)
The Ministry of Energy is a Cabinet-level agency of the government of the Canadian province of Alberta responsible for coordinating policy relating to the development of mineral and energy resources. It is also responsible for assessing and collecting non-renewable resource royalties, freehold...
in administering the Metallic and Industrial Minerals Regulations of the Mines and Minerals Act for the Province of Alberta
Executive Council of Alberta
The Executive Council of Alberta is the cabinet of that Canadian province.Almost always made up of members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, the Cabinet is similar in structure and role to the Cabinet of Canada while being smaller in size...
. Under these regulations, the Crown collects mineral core and rock samples from companies working on mineral permits and makes these materials publicly available for use by prospectors, mineral exploration companies and academia for mineral exploration and research purposes.
The MCRF is a large warehouse complex for core storage with two viewing/display areas and a visitors office. The of the facility is 1235 square metres plus 310 square metres on the mezzanine, located in the Capital Industrial Park of Edmonton, Alberta. The MCRF contains more than 58,572 metres of mineral core and 17,000 rock samples, primarily from the exposed Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
in northeast Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
.
History
A diamond drillcore selection and storage program was started by the Alberta Energy and Natural Resources Department in 1979. The submission of core drilled during exploration for metallic or industrial minerals is required by the Metallic and Industrial Mineral Regulations, as part of the exploration approval process.Alberta Geological Survey was contracted to prepare a facility to store and manage the core and to select core and samples on behalf of the Alberta Energy. The original facility was called the Mineral Exploration Core and Sample Storage. In the early 1980s, a research component was added to the function and the facility named was changed to the Mineral Core Research Facility (MCRF).
In 1995, the activity ceased as a contracted function and became an integrated activity of the Mineral Agreements Branch and AGS.
Activities
Mineral coreCore sample
A core sample is a cylindrical section of a naturally occurring substance. Most core samples are obtained by drilling with special drills into the substance, for example sediment or rock, with a hollow steel tube called a core drill. The hole made for the core sample is called the "core hole". A...
and rock samples are collected by AGS geologists and exploration companies and sent to the MCRF. The core is catalogued, stored and available for logging or sampling by the public, industry or scientific community.