Story: Fossils

Drill rig

Drill rig

Drill rigs exploring for oil and gas use microfossils to determine what rock they are drilling through. Tiny microfossils such as foraminifera can be used to identify and date different layers of rock, providing crucial information in the search for new sources of petroleum.

Using this item

GNS Science
Reference: CN36369/20
Photograph by Lloyd Homer

Permission of GNS Science must be obtained before any use of this image.

Source: GNS New Zealand

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How to cite this page:

Hamish Campbell, 'Fossils - Uses and collections', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/9054/drill-rig (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Hamish Campbell, published 12 Jun 2006