METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENABLING AT SURFACE CORE ORIENTATION DATA TRANSFER

A method 100 of enabling at surface orientation data transfer from a contactless orientation system 11 coupled with an inner core tube 12 to one or more record carriers on or associated with a core sample 14 held in the core tube, the core sample 14 having a longitudinal core axis 16 and a core face 18 accessible from an end of the inner core tube 14, involves three broad steps. A first step is to couple an instrument guide 20 to the end of the core tube 12 from which the core face 18 is accessible so that an axis 26 of the guide is parallel to the core axis 16. A second step is to generate correlation information between a rotational orientation of a known point P on the instrument guide 20 or an instrument 28a supported by the instrument guide 20 about the guide axis 26 and core orientation data known to the contactless orientation system1 1. A third step is to use or otherwise operate the instrument 28a to: act as the record carrier; or generate the record carrier provided with the correlation information enabling orientation of the core sample 14 to its in-situ orientation when released from the core tube 12.