Modernising the National Drill Core Archive
The Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) is set to invest in the National Drill Core Archive in Loppi in the coming years. The plan is to add storage capacity and modernise the current facilities.
The GTK’s National Drill Core Archive receives drill cores (rock cores) from ore prospecting, mining, and rock engineering activities in accordance with the Finnish Mining Act. Over the decades, the archive has accumulated more than 3.6 million metres of core samples from Finnish bedrock. GTK’s core duties include the accumulation, refining, and distribution of geological information.
The National Drill Core Archive serves the mining and rock engineering industries in particular. Ore prospecting companies operating in Finland use the archive’s services for initial information gathering. Currently, ore prospecting focuses on critical raw materials such as cobalt and lithium. The samples can also be used to investigate if a region’s bedrock is suitable for construction. The archive’s services are also used by researchers from universities and research institutes.
The archive also plays a vital role in meeting future needs for minerals and metals that are not yet known at the time of drilling.
Currently, the archive includes ten warehouses, sample analysis and handling facilities, and a building for accommodation. Some of the warehouses are in poor condition, with indoor air problems.
“Demand for the archive’s services has grown in recent years, and we’re reaching the limit of our current capacity. The new facilities will allow us to continue to serve our customers in the long term. By modernising facilities and digitising samples, we can add more data, develop our services, and improve our occupational health and safety,” says Asko Käpyaho, Head of the Mineral Economy Solutions unit.
The development of the National Drill Core Archive started with project planning in cooperation with Senate Properties. According to the current preliminary plan, the modernised facilities will be available some time in 2025.
Further information
Web page of the National Drill Core Archive
Asko Käpyaho, Head of Unit, asko.kapyaho@gtk.fi, +358 29 503 2327
Mikko Savolainen, Team Manager, mikko.savolainen@gtk.fi, +358 29 503 0694
Olli Breilin, Director of Operative Units, olli.breilin@gtk.fi, +358 29 503 5200
