The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) awarded Lund University (main applicant professor Leif Bjelm) and the co-applicants a grant of 25.8 MSEK, around 4 MUSD in November 2009.

The grant has been used to create an infrastructure for deep core drilling. The Council  states that the infrastructure is a National resource to be managed and operated by the department of Engineering Geology at Lund university, and will primarily be serving Swedish universities and researchers.

Main co-applicants were Uppsala University and Luleå Technical University. Other supporting universities were Stockholm University, Chalmers Technical University, and  the Royal Technical University (KTH). In addition, the application was supported by the former Swedish Deep Drilling Program, now the Swedish Scientific Drilling Program.

Today, an operative organization called Riksriggen (”The National Rig”) is capable of core drilling to 2,500 m (dimension N) with an Atlas Copco CT20C rig, downhole equipment mainly from Baort Longyear consisting of complete core drilling systems for dimensions P, H and D (double- and triple tube), HRQ (V-wall) och NRQ (V-wall), casing advancers (PW-BW), casing cutters, and a supply of drill pipes (PWT, HWT, NW och BW).

We also have blow out preventor, equipment for cementing, fishing tools, a mud system, wireline packers, etc. In addition, a number of wireline logging tools and winches with up to 3,000 m cable are available for downhole measurements.

The rig and the equipment is available for primarily scientific work, but can also be used in commercial projects.

Contact: Jan-Erik Rosberg