Core Laboratories' Brief History
80 YEARS OF INNOVATION
In February 2016 we celebrated Core Laboratories’ 80th anniversary. From the beginning, we have focused on innovation and technology leadership to enhance our clients'
success and drive our growth.
Here are some historical highlights:
1930s
1936
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This Houston base office was the first building Core Lab built.
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Core analysis as a commercial service is introduced to the petroleum industry by Core Laboratories.
The early work of James A. Lewis, Core Lab’s first President, on the determination
of the permeability coefficient of a porous media became a guideline for those involved in controlled oil production.
Core’s second employee, W. L. (Bill) Horner, conceived the summation of fluids method for measuring porosity by adding the oil and water content and void space in a core sample. He also patented the downdraft retort used in oil and water measurements and developed the method of injecting mercury into a sample to determine its
void space.
1940s
1940
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Core Lab opened a full-time Research and Development Department.
Core also began performing highly specialized core analysis tests to produce data that would enhance production from known oil reserves. This was the origin of “special” core analysis.
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Tatum Fowler and George Monkhouse mark samples they "caught" at a well site.
1941
1946
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The first international project involved off-location analysis of core samples from the first commercial oil well in Chile.
John D. Wisenbaker, Core’s president from 1950 to 1984, developed the “quick-freeze” method of preserving cores so that they could be transported to centrally
located laboratories where data could be obtained comparable to data secured when cores were tested immediately at the well site.
The Company introduced drill cuttings analysis and provided the service in mobile “mud logging” vehicles at
the well site.
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One of the first mobile core analysis laboratories.
1950s
1950
1953
1954
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The Engineering and Consulting Department was officially formed, undertaking
a number of assignments in Mexico, the Kuwait/Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone, and
Canada, before signing a long-term agreement in 1955 to be the official consultant
to the Iran Oil Exploration and Producing Company.
1957
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Core introduced the core-gamma surface log, which could detect the exact subsurface interval from which core had been cut by providing data to be correlated
with downhole gamma logs.
Also at this time, R.J. Granberry was refining processes relating to sidewall core analysis. He devised a method of correlating core analysis and wireline data
to determine the minimum resistivity required for production. Further, he developed the concept of “critical water”, which permits determination of the maximum
amount of water that may be present in a formation without producing excessive water.
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Bill Horner (left) headed up the newly formed Engineering and Consulting Department. He is seen here with his eventual successor, Norman Clark.
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Bill Aufricht and Ralph Jenkins conducting one of the early core analysis seminars.
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Core’s introduction of whole core analysis allowed identification of more complex lithologies and enabled the Company to provide clients more detailed
analyses of heterogeneous formation characteristics.
1959
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Bill Aufricht, Frank Reudelhuber, and Ralph Jenkins conducted the first core analysis seminar — in Midland, Texas.
1960s
1965
1966
1967
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With five oil company clients, Core conducted a prestigious research project to produce
a mathematical model and related computer programs for investigating and predicting
the performance of a wide range of hydrocarbon-producing reservoirs under various
conditions. The result was the Company’s first compositional model formulation.
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Bill Aufricht (right) with Sam Slemko in 1968 inspecting the construction of Core’s new Calgary office/lab complex, the Company’s largest at the time.
Canadian operations outgrew this facility and built another in 1982.
1970s
1970
1971
1973
1975
1976
1980s
1981
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Gross revenue exceeded $100,000,000 for the first time, reaching $115,280,000.
Period of hibernation within Western Geophysical Company
1984
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Litton Industries, Inc., bought Core Lab for $190,000,000, or $33 per share.
1987
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In 1986, Core was developing this CT-scanning device for commercial study of internal fractures, filtrate invasion, and distribution of fluids in the pore
spaces of whole cores.
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Core became a division of Western Atlas International, a Litton-Dresser joint venture, which included Core Laboratories, Western Geophysical,
Atlas Wireline, and a number of other integrated oilfield services companies.
1990s
1994
1995
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In the first year of operating independently, Core’s revenue was up 15%, and net income was $8,000,000, compared with a net loss of $529,000 in 1994.
1996
1998
1999
2000s
2000
2005
2007
2008
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10-Years on the NYSE
Revenues Exceed $780,000,000
Market Cap Exceeds $4 billion
Total Shareholder Return Outperformed OSX Index Members Over the Same Time Period
2011
2012
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Reservoir condition testing continues to evolve.
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Global Roll-out of Reservoir Condition Fluids Testing Capabilities with Latest PVT Lab Instrumentation
Announced RSAT™ Laboratory Methodology to Increase Reservoir Recovery Rates by Altering Water-Wet Conditions of Shale Reservoirs
Core Laboratories celebrated a dual listing in May when it was added on The Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange. Core’s European ownership climbed as
high as 20% during the next year, the highest European ownership of any major NYSE-listed oilfield services company.
2013
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15-Years on the NYSE
Revenues exceed $1 billion
Added as a member of the OSX Index
Introduced FLOWPROFILER™ diagnostics to determine hydrocarbon production stage-by-stage
Core Laboratories was honored to be included as one of the fifteen oilfield services companies that comprise the Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index (OSX).
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When David Demshur sounded the gong to
celebrate the second anniversary of Core’s listing
on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange, he
was joined by (front row, from left) Dick Bergmark,
Mark Elvig, Gwen Schreffler, and Monty Davis.
Behind them were three EASE representatives.
2014
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2-year anniversary on Euronext Amsterdam Exchange
Introduced KODIAK™ enhanced perforating system which combines HERO® perforating charge technology with proprietary propellant pellets to
boost the perforating/stimulation event by lowering formation breakdown pressure
2015
2016