European Petrophysics Consortium (EPC)
The European Petrophysics Consortium (EPC) involves two European universities: University of Leicester (UK); and University of Montpellier (France). The EPC undertakes petrophysics research and combines borehole geophysics, laboratory experiments and geology. The EPC central office is located at the University of Leicester and is responsible for management of the consortium. Leicester represents the EPC within ECORD (European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling) and IODP (International Ocean Discovery Program). EPC is part of the International Scientific Logging Consortium which provides staff for IODP Non-Riser expeditions.
The ECORD Science Operator (ESO) undertakes mission-specific platform (MSP) operations for ECORD on behalf of IODP. ESO is a consortium involving operations (British Geological Survey), curation (University of Bremen), downhole logging and petrophysics (EPC).
MSP expeditions use platforms chosen to fulfil particular scientific objectives and are designed to operate in challenging environments such as ice-covered waters and shallow seas where the other platforms (JOIDES Resolution and the Chikyu) are unable to work.
The EPC team provides high-level scientific and technical support to the IODP and ECORD and is responsible for the acquisition and interpretation of downhole logging data, core petrophysics, data calibration and quality control, and development of associated research programs for ECORD MSP expeditions.