SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RECOVERING AND PROTECTING SIDEWALL CORE SAMPLES IN UNCONSOLIDATED FORMATIONS

Systems and methods presented herein include sidewall coring tools used to return core samples of rock from a sidewall of a wellbore as part of a data collection exercise for exploration and production of hydrocarbons. In particular, the systems and methods presented herein perform sidewall coring of a subterranean formation using a combination of rotary and percussive coring. More specifically, the systems and methods presented herein rotate a coring cylinder of a sidewall coring tool back and forth less than a full rotation while pushing the coring cylinder of the sidewall coring tool against a bore wall of a wellbore, and push the coring cylinder of the sidewall coring tool into the subterranean formation to enable extraction of a core sample of the subterranean formation.