A core sample handling device

A device for handling core samples during a core sample drilling operation, in use the core sample received in a string of inner tubes within a drill string, the device comprising:

• a clamp configured to either grip a lower or upper inner tube at, or either side, of a joint between the lower inner tube and an adjacent upper inner tube of the string of inner tubes, with the lower tube received in the drill string and with the joint exposed above a top end of the drill string;
• and
• a coupling mechanism configured to:
• engage the upper inner tube and/or the joint;
• and
• operate to uncouple the upper inner tube from the lower inner tube.

A method for drilling and recovering core samples from a formation, the method comprising:

• i) providing a drill rig with a drill string for drilling into a formation to extract a core sample;
• ii) a device for advancing an inner tube into the drill string to be received therein with an upper end of the inner tube exposed above a top end of the drill string;
• iii) the device connects a next inner tube to the upper end of the inner tube received in the drill string to form a string of inner tubes comprising at least an uppermost inner tube and an adjacent second-uppermost inner tube;
• iv) using the device to feed the connected string of inner tubes into the top of the drill string.
• v) drilling into the formation to a depth greater than the length of a single inner tube of the string of inner tubes and less than or equal to a length of the string of inner tubes to receive the core sample within the string of inner tubes;
• vi) recovering the string of inner tubes with core sample received therein (preferably by way of a wireline and overshot system), where by the handling device can optionally unlatch the overshot from the inner tubes prior to subsequent handling) and withdraw the string of inner tubes to expose a lower end of the uppermost inner tube and an upper end of the adjacent second uppermost inner tube coupled thereto above the top end of the drill string with the second upper most inner tube received in the drill string;
• vii) uncoupling and separating the uppermost inner tube from the adjacent second uppermost inner tube with the device to expose a portion of the core sample therebetween and a means for the device to provide a mark on the exposed core sample;
• viii) cutting or breaking the core sample with the device through the exposed portion of the core sample;
• ix) using the device to remove the uppermost inner tube with a corresponding portion of the core sample therein from the drill rig;
• and
• x) using the device to recover the second uppermost inner tube with a corresponding portion of the core sample therein from the drill string and removing from the drill rig.