Nirex Rock Cores And Core Samples From Deep Boreholes.

During the period from 1989 to 1997, Nirex undertook extensive geological investigations at sites near Sellafield, in Cumbria, and Dounreay, in Caithness, to examine whether or not they were suitable locations for a deep repository for radioactive waste. At Sellafield, thirty deep boreholes, and a further thirty-five shallow boreholes, were drilled. The majority of the deep boreholes were drilled to obtain continuous core and some 18.7km of rock core arose from the investigations. Two deep boreholes were drilled at Dounreay, totalling 2,286 metres of drilling. Again, much of the drilling was to obtain continuous core. In most of the boreholes a suite of data acquisition techniques were used, including: continuous coring, geophysical wireline logging, hydraulic testing, sampling and analysis of groundwaters. Mineralogical data were acquired by detailed core observation, petrographic analysis, fluid inclusion analysis and stable and radiogenic isotope studies. Testing on samples from the rock cores was undertaken to determine petrological, mineralogical, hydrogeological, geophysical and geotechnical parameters. The ownership of NIREX (Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive) was transferred from the nuclear industry to the UK Government departments DEFRA and DTI in April 2005, and then to the UK's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) in November 2006.

在1989年至1997年期间，Nirex（英国核工业放射性废物执行机构）在坎布里亚郡的塞尔菲尔德和凯恩斯的道恩雷地区进行了广泛的地质调查，以评估这些地区是否适合建设深部放射性废物库。在塞尔菲尔德，钻探了三十个深孔和另外三十五个浅孔。大多数深孔的钻探旨在获取连续岩心，调查过程中共获得了约18.7公里的岩心。在道恩雷地区，同样钻探了两个深孔，总钻探长度达到2,286米。在此过程中，大部分钻探工作同样旨在获取连续岩心。在大多数钻孔中，使用了包括连续取心、地球物理电缆测井、水力测试、地下水采样与分析等一系列数据采集技术。通过详细的岩心观察、岩相学分析、流体包裹体分析和稳定同位素及放射成因同位素研究，获取了矿物学数据。对岩心样品的测试旨在确定岩石学、矿物学、水文地质学、地球物理学和岩土工程参数。NIREX的所有权于2005年4月从核工业转移至英国政府部门的DEFRA和DTI，并于2006年11月进一步转移至英国的核设施退役管理机构NDA。