Florida Geologic Sample Collections Facility

The Florida Geologic Sample Collections Facility (formerly known as the Florida Geological Survey Repository) contains more than 20,000 sets of samples from exploration, water and oil wells. Most boreholes are represented by drill cuttings; however, approximately 1,800 wells are represented by continuous core or core samples (a total of approximately 430,000 feet are within the Sample Collections Facility). The deepest continuous core from ground surface housed in the facility is 2,957 feet. The facility occupies 12,000 square feet, with approximately 45,000 cubic feet of shelf space. The most recent expansion was completed in April 2016, increasing sample storage space by almost 10,000 cubic feet. 

In 2017, federal grant G17AS00020 was awarded through the USGS National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program (NGGDPP) to the FGS to complete the inventory of the Sample Collections Facility. Our facility holdings represent 2,474 miles of drilled wells and has an estimated value of approximately $1.7 billion.

The FGS maintains paper and digital records (including geophysical logs) for the wells represented in the FGS Sample Collections Facility. See the Data and Maps page for details. Additionally, the FGS headquarters houses an extensive array of outcrop samples and mineral specimens in a collection known as the "M-Series." More information can be found on our M-Series collection page. The FGS thin section collection includes more than a thousand petrographic thin sections, sediment grain mounts, and microslides. More information can be found on our Thin Section Collection page.

In early 2021, the FGS completed a Program Evaluation Report reviewing procedures for receiving, processing, and storage for new samples in the Florida Geologic Sample Collections Facility. Appraisal of systems included a review of physical space, existing paper and digital source documents generated within FGS, and employee questionnaire responses. Additionally, a benchmark study of other state repositories was completed to compare approaches that may help improve operations at the FGS Repository. The Program Evaluation Report is available online.

The FGS, U.S. Geological Survey, water management districts, water well drillers and geologic consultants drill new core and cuttings sample sets that are regularly added to our archives. If you are sending samples to the FGS, please fill out and include a copy of our Well Sample Form. If you are conducting an investigation requiring the destructive sampling of FGS well cuttings, cores, core chips or outcrop samples, please see our Sample Collections Facility Sampling Policy for proposal guidelines.

Collection viewing by appointment only