Coring (bedrock)

A core drill is a drill specifically designed to remove a cylinder of material. The material left inside the drill bit is referred to as the core.
Coring drills are used for many applications, either where the core needs to be preserved (the drilling apparatus used in obtaining a core sample is often referred to as a corer), or where drilling can be done more rapidly since much less material needs to be removed than with a standard bit.
Core drills are used frequently in mineral exploration (for example in the Alberta and Saskatchewan oilsands) where the coring may be several hundred to several thousand feet in length. The core samples are recovered and examined by geologists for mineral percentages and stratigraphic contact points. This gives exploration companies the information necessary to begin or abandon mining operations in a particular area.