{"id":101593,"date":"2023-06-15T08:41:11","date_gmt":"2023-06-15T08:41:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/?p=101593"},"modified":"2024-03-05T11:47:15","modified_gmt":"2024-03-05T11:47:15","slug":"a-new-open-dataset-to-benefit-onshore-geoscience-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/news\/a-new-open-dataset-to-benefit-onshore-geoscience-research\/","title":{"rendered":"A new open dataset to benefit onshore geoscience research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has authorised the release of all the well data for onshore hydrocarbon boreholes held by BGS in the National Geoscience Data Centre (NGDC). Unlike borehole data from the North Sea, which has been available free of charge for some time, the data relating to these onshore boreholes was previously only available via data release agents. It is now available free of charge to industry, academics and the public via the BGS Geoindex<\/a>, providing a new, free resource that will add to the knowledge necessary to meet net zero objectives.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is the data significant?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Few boreholes have been drilled to these depths (over 1 km) onshore in the UK and are almost exclusively a consequence of oil, gas or coal exploration. The oil and gas wells deeply penetrate the crust under the UK mainland and are geographically widespread across the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike coal wells, the oil and gas drilling data is better structured and better conforms to global standards of deep geological and deep geophysical data collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the direct knowledge and samples that BGS has access to about the deep geology of the UK are based upon this data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is the data being released?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Data from these deep hydrocarbon wells forms the best dataset to understand the geology of the deep UK subsurface. Widening access to the dataset could enhance the knowledge needed to meet net zero objectives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n