Mineral Core Research Facility
The Facility
The facility is part of a large warehouse complex with a high head area for
core storage, two viewing/display areas and a visitors office. The area is
1235 square metres plus 310 square metres on the mezzanine. The MCRF contains
more than 55,751 metres of mineral
core and 17,000 rock samples, primarily from the exposed Canadian Shield
in northeast Alberta.
The Mineral Core Research Facility is located in
the Capital Industrial Park, 4504 Eleniak Rd. (63 Ave), Edmonton, Alberta.
Role and Mandate
The Alberta Geological Survey (AGS) 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.
Activities at the MCRF
Mineral core and rock samples are selected by an AGS geologist and exploration companies are directed to send these materials to the MCRF in Edmonton. The core is catalogued, stored and is available for logging or sampling by the public, industry or the scientific community.Access to core is by appointment only. To book an appointment to log, view or sample the mineral core or rock samples, contact AGS at (780) 466-1779. Mineral Assessment reports may be viewed or purchased from the Information Sales office.
Who Uses the Mineral Core and Rock Samples?
Mineral exploration companies and prospectors account for about half the users requesting to see and sample the core. Federal and provincial geologists account for another third of the users and are the primary users of the rock samples. Graduate students and university staff request access to both core and rock samples every year and materials have even made it onto Canadian television programs.
History and Background
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. The AGS was contracted to prepare a facility to store and manage the core and to select core and samples on behalf of the Department. The original facility was called the MESS (Mineral Exploration Core and Sample Storage). In the early 1980s, a research component was added to the function and the facility came to be called the Mineral Core Research Facility (MCRF). When the AGS was transferred to Alberta Energy in 1995, the activity ceased as a contracted function and became an integrated activity of the Mineral Agreements Branch and the AGS. In 1996, the AGS moved to Alberta Energy and Utilities Board where it continues to deliver the basic functions described in the Regulations.
Mineral Assessment Reports
Assessment reports are the record of geological, geochemical, geophysical and other exploration work completed on mineral claims (exploration permits). They provide an essential source of data for prospectors and geologists. Assessment reports are useful to subsequent property holders because they provide information that can be used to advance the prospect, rather than duplicating work already done by a previous mineral rights holder.
Due to regulations, assessment reports remain confidential for one year after submission. AGS has 675 assessment reports on file, dating from 1949 to 2002. All non-confidential reports are available for viewing, and copies may be ordered from our information sales office.
- Rock Sample
Map Areas - Mineral Core
Location Map
Last modified: September 5, 2006