History of RCSG

The site where the RCSG is located was purchased in 1958 and was owned by the industrieschap Plaspoelpolder and the Province of South Holland until 1959. In 1959 the terrain was sold to the N.V. Den Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij in The Hague.

Sierra building

From 1959 onwards, the site was developed and modified in several phases and housed various laboratories and offices. The current naming of the buildings dates from the period 2003 to 2007 and originates from the “Earth-mountain philosophy”. Here the north arrow orientation of the location is aligned with the north arrow of the earth. In doing so, the location of each building (Andes, Sierra, Rockies, Zagros, etc.) corresponds to a mountain range on Earth.

The RCSG is located in the Sierra building. This Sierra building was newly constructed during this period for technological research on borehole stability and new drilling techniques for oil and gas fields. On Lange Kleiweg, the meters-high “Gabion Wall” was created, in which earth layers can be recognized.

Test drill tower

At the end of 2007 the drilling was started for the current experimental well, for the realization of a test drill tower for testing drilling equipment at great depth. This involved drilling to a depth of 387m. Up to a depth of 117m – mv the soil consists of alternating layers of sand and clay. From a depth of 117m -mv to a depth of approximately 235m -mv the soil consists of a sand pack of very fine sand with a high content of shells. The layer from 235m -mv to the maximum drilled depth of approximately 387m -mv consists of clay.