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Story: Fossils

Drill rig

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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.

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GNS Science

Reference: CN36369/20

by Lloyd Homer

Source: GNS New Zealand

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

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How to cite this page

Hamish Campbell, Fossils – Uses and collections, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/9054/drill-rig (accessed 5 June 2026).

Story by Hamish Campbell, published 2 March 2009.