Challenger's first year of operation
The author recently completed a 6-mo. tour of duty with the National Science Foundation-funded Deep Sea Drilling Project. This is a part of his report on the engineering aspects of the first year's operation of this drilling vessel. During the first year of operation, 6 legs consisting of 60 sites and 100 holes have been drilled and cored in water depths ranging from 4,005 ft to 19,654 ft. The totals to date for the legs are: footage penetrated 66,319 ft; footage cored 16,309 ft; and footage of core recovered 10,290 ft. A summary of statistics and results of the individual legs is given. it is concluded that a large drilling vessel, capable of drilling oil wells off shore, can be dynamically positioned for long periods time, both successfully and economically. In order to consistently penetrate the chert and higher formations that have been encountered, new tools must be developed. A list, in the order of their importance, includes: (1) a reentry system using sonic techniques that will permit hole reentry in waters several miles deep; (2) the use of a turbo-corer with a downhole turbine motor to drive the bit; (3) a downhole instrumentation and telemetry system to effectively use the downhole turbine motor; and (4) the development of a retractable bit capable of being wireline retrieved through the drill pipe.
- Research Organization:
- Standard Oil Co. of California, San Francisco
- OSTI ID:
- 5376051
- Journal Information:
- Ocean Ind.; (United States), Vol. 4:12
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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