About
The USGS Research Drilling Program delivers subsurface scientific data and drilling expertise supporting geologic, hydrologic, and geophysical research nationwide. Working with Federal, State, Tribal, academic, and private partners, RDP supplies the impartial subsurface information used in resource assessment and hazard evaluation.
Science-Driven Data Acquisition
RDP collects geologic and hydrogeologic data to answer defined scientific questions. Drilling plans are developed with the requesting science team, and on-site geologists describe and log material as the hole advances, so the approach can be adjusted when subsurface conditions differ from what was expected.
Full-Service Drilling Support
RDP provides coring, rotary drilling, and monitoring well installation to depths of 5,000 feet, along with borehole geophysical logging, geodetic surveying, and data archiving. Each rig deploys as a self-contained unit, which allows work at sites without local infrastructure. Staging and storage hubs in Nevada, Colorado, and West Virginia support deployment nationwide.
Impartial Science
The USGS has no regulatory or resource-management authority and no stake in how its findings are used. Cores, logs, and measurements are collected under consistent methods and archived in public databases, so results can be examined and reused independently.
Partnership and Cooperation
RDP works across USGS science centers and mission areas and, through reimbursable agreements and shared science activities, with Federal partners, State agencies, Tribal nations, universities, and research consortia. These arrangements give cooperators access to drilling capability and experienced crews that would be costly to maintain independently.
Safety in the Field
Drilling takes place at sites ranging from established facilities to remote backcountry locations. Crews follow site and drilling safety procedures for every hole, and the Lead Driller is responsible for the safe conduct of field operations.
Data Stewardship
Data from every project are compiled and archived in the appropriate repositories, including log databases, the National Water Information System (NWIS), and State and local systems. Project activities are summarized in memos distributed to cooperators when drilling concludes, and the archived record remains available to researchers well beyond the life of the original project.
