An updated version of the BGS BritPits dataset will be available from 9^th February 2026.

The dataset contains more than 264 000 records of onshore mineral workings located in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The data include active, inactive, dormant and ceased sites and a range of mineral operations, including mines, quarries and onshore oil and gas fields, together with wharfs and rail depots handling mineral products and industrial processes. Each record describes an onshore mineral working in terms of its name, operational status, geographical location, Mineral Planning Authority, operator, geology worked, mineral commodity produced and a range of relevant metadata.

BritPits Version 4 contains 264 549 records, an increase from 262 814 records in Version 3. A total of 2374 records have been updated, including 1735 newly created sites.

To find out more about the content, use cases and access mechanisms for this dataset please visit our BritPits product webpage

BGS has published, an openly available, national-scale, offshore dataset that shows the distribution of previously interpreted Quaternary rock layers in the shallow subsurface of the UK continental shelf.

The BGS Offshore Quaternary 250K dataset is available to download from the BGS website and comprises a compilation of legacy BGS 1:250 000 Quaternary geology map sheets, which were first published in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Large areas of the UK offshore are covered at a scale of 1:250 000. This is the first time these map sheets have been digitised and merged together.

The dataset will help users, particularly those in the offshore renewables sector, to understand the stratigraphy that was mapped historically in a particular area and can be used for reference when preparing site investigations.

Government Geography Profession Conference 2025

In November, BGS attended the Government Geography Profession (GGP) annual conference held at Ordnance Survey, Southampton. The conference brought together a whole host of organisations across the public sector associated with the geography profession. As part of the conference BGS hosted a stand demonstrating some of our data products and giving the opportunity to speak with existing and potential new users of BGS data. Alongside this, geologist Helen Burke gave a presentation on uncovering the ground beneath our feet focusing on the application of BGS Geology. This gave Helen the opportunity to answer questions about geology and our data.

The conference provided many different aspects on sector requirements, challenges and solutions. Topics covered included the use of AI in developing technologies, data needs and solutions associated with local authorities, automating data analysis and workflows, as well as the increased use of Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs) in data creation. More detail about the event can be found on the Gov.uk website.