The National Rock Library, administered by the Colombian Geological Survey, operates in the Guatiguará Technology Park of the Industrial University of Santander (UIS). There, among corridors and specialized laboratories, rock cores known as “cores” extracted from oil, gas, mining, and geothermal exploration wells drilled in different regions of the country are stored and analyzed.
This is a space that provides services to researchers, companies, universities, and anyone who needs reliable information about the country’s geological wealth.
One of the most requested services is the acquisition and design of digital images. In simple terms, this involves photographing the cores with special cameras and lights to preserve a high-quality digital copy. The added value of this service is that the images can be viewed remotely, from anywhere in the world, without the need to be at the Lithotheque, which facilitates access to information and saves time for researchers and corporate groups.
It also offers a longitudinal cutting service, known as “slabbing,” in which the cores are cut lengthwise to leave a flat surface that better reveals their internal structures. This allows for reliable sedimentological descriptions and also provides the basis for clearer and more useful photographic records. Thanks to this procedure, geologists can better understand how rocks were formed and behave at depth.
Sample preservation
To protect geological heritage, the Lithotheque treats its rocks like true treasures. Each core undergoes a verification and preservation process that includes marking it with its depth, applying protective varnish, labeling it, and wrapping it to protect it from dust and moisture. This is one way that samples are stored in optimal conditions, ready to be consulted even years later.
The Lithoteka has state-of-the-art technology such as Core Gamma Ray Spectral recording, which uses modern equipment to measure the natural radiation of cores. This allows minerals such as uranium, thorium, and potassium to be identified, and these results to be compared with records taken directly from wells. In simple terms, it gives rocks a “digital signature” that helps to accurately locate them in their geological context.
Chip and core sampling: small fragments that reveal big answers for those seeking to study specific details. This service consists of meticulous procedures for extracting and packaging chip or core fragments, which are then analyzed in depth to obtain information about the properties of the rocks
Community rooms: research on display
Not everything happens behind closed laboratory doors. The National Mineralogical Museum has private and public rooms where visitors can examine samples directly. In the private rooms, users have access to large tables and equipment such as stereomicroscopes to work comfortably.
The public room also has space to spread out sample boxes and make detailed observations. This makes the Lithotheque an open space for research and learning, accessible to anyone who needs it.
A source of pride for the Guatiguará Technology Park
The presence of the Colombian Geological Survey’s National Rock Library in the Guatiguará Technology Park reinforces the mission of this space: to bring together science, academia, and business. From here, Santander and Colombia offer the country a first-class geoscience service that is accessible to the community.
More than just a rock repository, the Lithotheque is a knowledge center that preserves part of Colombia’s geological memory and makes it available to everyone.
Those who need to request any of the services provided by the National Lithotheque can do so by sending their request to: sgc_litoteca@sgc.gov.co
