Facility
Situated at the University of Memphis' Millington satellite campus, approximately 20 miles north of Memphis. The facility covers 220,000 square feet and is set on a 39-acre site. It includes existing office, classroom, laboratories, and housing. Renovations were funded by the Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research (CAESER) at the University of Memphis. There is garage space for equipment such as drill rigs and water trucks. A loading dock for easy transport and logistics.
The core facilities are located in a former naval hospital that was built in 1971 and underwent a major renovation in the mid-1980s. Medical services were discontinued from 1994-1997 as the mission of the base changed from training aircraft mechanics to personnel administration. A portion of the naval base was turned over to the City of Millington in 1999 as part of a military base realignment, which included the future site of the MERC. The building was purchased by the University of Memphis in 2003 through a 30-year forgivable lease. The property must be used for educational purposes for 30 years, which includes classroom teaching, as well as other related uses like research.
The site was used for a number of purposes, but in-person classes cease in 2020. The need for a regional facility to store and manage core and materials extracted via drilling operations was realized in 2022, and space in the space was acquired space shortly after in 2023 by the CAESER. Renovations such as lighting were completed in January 2024 which allowed for the first official accession of physical core into the MERC facility in February, 2024 from a donation by Vecta Oil and Gas, ltd.
