Geochemical Analyses of Well Cores from Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve

Geochemical data from Phase I, II, and III analyses of well cores in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPRA). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. Navy conducted geological and geophysical surveys, with data archived on microfilm reels. The dataset represents historical surveying efforts beginning in the early 1900s, with a last update recorded in 1978.

Use Cases

• Analyze geochemical signatures from well cores to assess historical petroleum potential in the NPRA.
• Correlate geochemical analysis phases (I, II, III) with specific drilling campaigns and survey years.
• Map geochemical sample locations to understand spatial distribution of analyzed well cores across the North Slope.
• Study temporal trends in exploration geochemistry from early 1900s surveys through to 1970s data collection.

Strengths

• Covers multiple phases (I, II, III) of systematic geochemical analysis.
• Provides historical data from early 1900s through 1978, capturing decades of exploration.

Limitations

• Data is stored on legacy microfilm reels, requiring digitization for modern analysis.
• The last update was in 1978, making the data temporally stale for current resource assessment.
• Specific sample counts, column names, and analytical parameters are not provided in the description.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. Navy.

Collection Method

Geological and geophysical surveys and drilling for petroleum potential appraisal; geochemical analyses of well cores.

Time Range

Early 1900s through 1978.

Freshness

Last updated 1978-12-31; historical archive with no stated update frequency.

Geography

National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA), North Slope, Alaska, USA.