[This metadata record has been superseded, see http://data.bgs.ac.uk/id/dataHolding/13608329]. This layer of the map based index (GeoIndex) providex an index to 17,500 borehole rock samples (drillcore) from the Mineral Reconnaissance Programme (MRP) and related studies. The UK Government's Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) funded BGS to provide baseline information on areas prospective for the occurrence of metallic minerals in Great Britain. This programme, known as the MRP, ran continuously from 1973 to 1997 and covered particular locations across Great Britain. It was designed to stimulate private sector exploration and to encourage the development of Britain's indigenous mineral resources. Under the programme a number of boreholes were drilled to gather information.
