The Wilson M. Laird Core and Sample Library in Grand Forks, North Dakota was established in 1980 and was renovated in 2016. The core library is the brainchild of the building’s namesake, Wilson M. Laird, North Dakota State Geologist from 1941-1969. The library houses one of the finest collections of rock core and drill cuttings in the country and perhaps the world.
The current facility includes three main labs as well as several secondary, smaller lab spaces that are available to visiting professionals. The numerous lab spaces are meant to allow multiple visitors/groups to utilize the core and sample inventory at the same time. In addition to multiple lab spaces, the core library also features conference and break rooms that are also accessible to visitors. The climate-controlled facility consists of 12,000 square feet of laboratories and office space as well as 39,000 square feet of warehouse space. There are three core laboratories on the first floor including one with black light capabilities.
To date, the library sample inventory includes over 485,000 feet (92 miles) of core which primarily consists of the numerous oil and gas-producing sedimentary formations of the Williston Basin. An expansive inventory of drill cuttings (over 50,000 boxes) from oil and gas wells and cores from various mineral test wells are also available. The facility also houses some water-well, coal, and subsurface mineral cores and samples.
Core and cuttings samples are available for viewing/sampling at the core facility. Small core samples may be collected for analysis pending submittal and approval of a Core Sampling Proposal Form. (See Instructions below.)
Contact Us
North Dakota Geological Survey
Wilson M. Laird Core & Sample Library
2835 Campus Rd.
Grand Forks, ND 58202-8156
(701) 777-2231
Email the Core Library
Visitor Parking & Directions
Visitor parking includes two handicap spaces and four general parking spaces.
Other Information
A computerized listing of all or part of the collection in the core and sample library is available online as part of the NDIC Oil and Gas Division Subscription Service.
For more information contact, Richard Suggs at (701) 328-8031.