Core Catcher Procedure

Removing the core catcher material is generally done by a designated technician. Every core recovered has a core catcher at the bottom of the core barrel. The core catcher is removed on the rig floor and passed to the designated technician. The technician must extrude all core material from the core catcher and placed in a core liner (guidelines and rules listed below). That 'Section' of core is called the CC (core catcher).
Below are a series of steps to help guide you through the Core Catcher (CC) procedure.

Ensure the core catcher bench is clean before processing the next core catcher.
Receive the core catcher from the rig floor.
Extrude the inserts and core material from the core catcher shoe (Figure 1). Different tools and procedures are used for the APC, XCB and RCB core catchers. Learn these techniques from an experienced technician. The Core Technician on the rig floor can also provide insight into how the core catcher is put together and proper ways to extrude core so not to damage the core catcher shoe. Removing the core from the core catcher can become more difficult as depth of hole increases. When the core material becomes too difficult to remove manually, utilize the Arbor Press (instruction below).
Maintain orientation and order of all material extruded from the catcher. Draw an up arrow on the trays you use to help remember your up direction. For hard rock mark the bottom of each piece with red or blue wax pencil.
Place the core catcher hardware in a bucket for the drill crew to retrieve (after all material is removed).
Once all material is extruded and in order, remove the bottom 5 cm of the material and give to the paleontologist. This is the PAL sample. A PAL sample is taken routinely from every core catcher. The typical length of a PAL sample is 5cm, however, the length of the sample may change if more or less material is required. Check with the Curator to make sure changes are allowed. (Figure 2). Note that for hard rock expeditions (RCB shoes) no PAL sample is taken.
If the length of the core catcher material is less than 8 cm, check with the Curator if all material can be given to the PAL sample; this is called "All to PAL" and should be labeled as such on the D-tube label. By convention, the CC "All to PAL" label is attached to the D-tube containing the last sample.
Select an empty piece of core liner that is longer than the material you have. Ensure that the liner is clean inside. Stuff the material into the liner with as little disturbance as possible. Push all material up to the top of the liner.
Using the ruler, measure the length of the PAL sample from the bottom of the material you have then make a mark on the liner. This will be the total length of the core catcher representing the material taken for the PAL and the material left over. Place the liner in the chain vice and cut off the excess liner. (Figure 3). Any excess space should only be as long as the PAL sample.

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PPE may include: apron or rain coat.

Arbor Press

If the Core Catcher material is difficult to manually push out from the core catcher, use the Arbor Press (see Figures Figure 4 and Figure 5). There are two different jigs that can be used to assist with the pushing. One for APC (Figure 6) and one for XCB (one for lower bit; figures Figure 7). Lubricate the moving parts of the arbor press with Lubriplate, or a mixture of Lubriplate and Marvel Mystery Oil.

Figures

Fig. Figure 1: Extruding core catcher material at the core catcher bench; notice the Paleontologist waiting with white bowl – give PAL sample to paleontologist.