The map based index includes outlines for some 8,000 opencast coal prospecting sites dating from the 1940s until the mid 1990s. The index leads to information on the records of some 1 million boreholes (additional to those shown in the Borehole Records layer) drilled during site exploration and also the accompanying plans and other data, all filed in 3,618 boxes. The sites include those that have been drilled and not worked and also those that have been exploited. The original data, hardcopy maps, were received from the Coal Authority in 2001.

This dataset is the complete collection of the British Geological Survey (BGS) held Marine Survey data. The data held includes digital data and analogue records, plus associated physical sample material. Data are stored within the National Geosciences Data Centre (NGDC) and the Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) Data Archive Centre (DAC) for Geology and Geophysics. BGS have collected Marine Survey data since 1966 and have also been provided with a range of third-party data. The data includes geophysical data (seismic reflection, side-scan sonar, multibeam echosounder bathymetry and backscatter, gravity and magnetics) and sample data from boreholes, cores and seabed grabs (logs, geological descriptions, geochemical, particle size analysis and geotechnical data). The majority of surveys are within the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) area. Individual survey data coverage varies, depending on survey type (sampling, geophysics, multibeam or multi-disciplinary) and objectives (regional or local, shallow or deep). These data are applicable to a wide range of uses including environmental, geotechnical, geophysical and geological studies. Data are delivered via the BGS Offshore GeoIndex www.bgs.ac.uk/GeoIndex/offshore.htm. Additional data are available on request enquiries@bgs.ac.uk.