RSWC meaning in oil and gas

Rotary Sidewall Core

Rotary sidewall coring allows numerous core samples to be easily and inexpensively collected in a single run. This method uses a small robotic core bit of approximately 1" in diameter, to drill sideways into the formation. The 2" inch long core is then removed into the main coring tool for retrieval. The process is repeated to collect up to 50 sidewall cores, which can be analyzed using a wide range of petrophysical tests. Since the acquisition process is less damaging than a percussion sidewall core, rotary cores are more appropriate to a wider range of tests, and hence more expensive.