Digitisation of the NOD's palynological slides

Palynological slides contain fossil microplankton, pollen and spores extracted from cores and drill cuttings. Operators and consulting laboratories routinely produce palynological slides and deliver them to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate in accordance with Section 29 of the Regulations relating to resource management in the petroleum activities.

Analyses of palynological slides provide important information on several geological factors in exploration and production wells, such as age dating, well correlation, depositional environments and palynofacies.

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate shares palynological slides from released wells with industry and academia to increase the understanding of the subsurface. Access to these data enables more accurate geological interpretation and mapping, and reduces the economic risk of exploration and production.

The Directorate is currently digitising its collection of palynological slides to make the material more accessible and easier to analyse. Over time, the digitisation may also include other types of microscopy‑based geological samples, such as petrographic thin sections and nannoplankton slides.

Through this initiative, biostratigraphers gain a modern digital foundation for interpreting and correlating palynological data, made available through digital slides downloadable from Diskos.​