We are the only facility in California providing permanent storage and public use of cores, sidewall samples, drill cuttings, outcrop samples, microfaunal slides, foundation borings, and mineral suites. Our collection, started in 1975, is housed in two 6,000 ft2 buildings on the campus of the California State University at Bakersfield (CSUB).
Our catalog lists tens of thousands of core, cuttings, well logs, and paleontology samples that are available for view from the thousands of California oil, gas, water and core wells stored in our collection. This catalog, which is in Microsoft Excel (.XLS) format, is available for download from this website. You may also visit us in person, and you will find us on the west side of Roadrunner Drive, which is reached by entering the south gate of the CSUB campus from Camino Media Drive in Bakersfield.
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You can also email our curator, or call him at (661) 654-2324 for more information.
HISTORY |
| 1975 | Founding of the California Well Sample Repository on July 24, 1975 by Jim Weddle, Ed Sprotte, Jack Coash and Vic Church to save the cores of ~850 Superior Oil Company wells from being destroyed, and to preserve these cores for study by academia and industry. |
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| 1976 | Dedication in March 1976 of a 6,000 ft2 building for the Repository on the campus of Calif. State Univ. at Bakersfield. Lawrence "Jack" Tucker hired on as curator. |
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| 1978 | The first major event at the Repository is a Stevens Core Workshop held on May 12 & 13, 1978 with a subsequent publication. (Click at right to see photos of the event) |
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| 1984 | Funding is obtained for construction of a second 6,000 ft2 building for the Well Sample Repository to be erected behind the original building. |
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| 1988 | To honor Jack Tucker (1920-1987) for his 11 years of service as curator, the front of the Repository is landscaped and a memorial plaque placed bearing Jack's name. Also, curator Larry Knauer begins recruiting senior volunteers to assist at the facility. |
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| 1998 | Jim Weddle, a founding Director and Chairman of the Advisory Committee to the Well Sample Repository, retires after serving for 23 years. |
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| 1999 | The Repository establishes an internet presence with a website at www.wellsample.org. The old website was crude by modern standards, but cutting edge for the time. |
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| 1999 | Dedication on Nov. 17, 1999 of a memorial to founding Director Vic Church in recognition of his years of service to the Well Sample Repository. Vic's memorial, which stands on the southeast side of the Repository, is a 36-inch core from the footing of Friant Dam. |
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| 2019 | Three earthquakes (6.4, 5.4, and 7.1 magnitude) epicentered at China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station in Ridgecrest struck Bakersfield on July 4 and 5 2019 causing some damage to the repository. A Report on the damage and Photos are available. |
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| Today | The California Well Sample Repository today preserves the cores and cuttings from over 8,000 wells, and over 200,000 well logs and files. |
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Clausen, Judy (1975), "Core Repository", Pacific Petroleum Geologist Newsletter, Pacific Section - AAPG, v. 29, n. 10/11/12, p. 6.
Rintoul, Bill (1976), "Oilfields News", The Bakersfield Californian (newspaper), Aug. 19, 1976, p. 22.
Sprotte, E.C. (1977) "California Well Sample Repository", Pacific Petroleum Geologist Newsletter, Pacific Section - AAPG, v. 31, n. 10/11/12, p. 7-8.
Sprotte, E.C. (1980), "California Well Sample Repository", California Geology, California Div. Mines & Geol., Feb. 1980, p. 42-43.
Church, Victor (1984), "Well Sample Repository", Pacific Petroleum Geologist Newsletter, Pacific Section - AAPG, February/March 1984, p. 3.
Knauer, Larry (1987), "Core Repository Gets Helping Hand", Pacific Petroleum Geologist Newsletter, Pacific Section - AAPG, August/September 1987, p. 1-2.
Bazeley, Laura, ed. (1988), "Jack Tucker Memorial (and a Senteur de Boue article)", Pacific Petroleum Geologist Newsletter, Pacific Section - AAPG, 1988, No. 2 & 3 (Feb/March/April/May), p. 6.
Clausen, Judy (1988), "Dirty Deeds - Senior volunteers keep their hands close to the earth", Accent Plus - Vintage Years, The Bakersfield Californian (newspaper), Thursday, Sept. 15, 1988, p. E1 & E6.
Power, Chip (1999) "Monumental - Two-ton rock sample serves as memorial to geologist Victor Church", Bakersfield Californian (newspaper), November 1999.
Power, Chip (2001) - "Career not set in stone: Curator of oil, geology archive leaving job to work as teacher", Bakersfield California (newspaper), Wednesday, September 19, 2001, p. A13 & A14.
Knauer, Larry (2001) - "Russ Robinson retires as curator of the California Well Sample Repository", Pacific Petroleum Newsletter, Pacific Section of American Assoc. of Petrol. Geologists, Sep & Oct 2001, No. 5,p. 12-13.
Jackson, Jennifer (2019) "Building #058 California Well Sample Repository - Earthquake Damage Assessment", Internal Report, California State University at Bakersfield, Safety and Risk Management Deprtment, July 9, 2019, 7 pp.
