IODP NanTroSEIZE Stage 1:
Expedition 314: NanTroSEIZE LWD Transect
Weekly Report #3
Date 12/Oct/2007
LWD drilling continued at Hole C0001D, with inclination survey results ranging between 2.7 and 3.5 degree. Drilled to the 976 meter below seafloor (mbsf) and decided to pull out. Scientific target on this hole was achieved and decided to move next drill site because of the dynamic positioning system problem.
A DPS specialist boarded the ship on October 7 and began working on DPS troubleshooting. After pulling out from the hole and rig down of the LWD tools and Drilling assembly, the Chikyu was moved 10 km to Site NT3-01 for positioning and site survey with ROV on October 8. While extensive testing for the DPS was ongoing, additional stands of drill pipe needed for the deep water sites were picked up, a free-fall-funnel was assembled, the ROV main umbilical cable was cut and spliced, and general drill floor maintenance was continued.
Upon return of the LWD logging tools on deck, data were downloaded from the tools. Due to apparent damage during Hole C0001D drilling, density and porosity data and seismic waveform data from the seismic LWD tool could not immediately be retrieved from memory. The tool was sent to the land base to retrieve the data from memory and repair the tool. Two LWD technicians boarded Chikyu to troubleshoot the tool, and determined that this tool also had to be transferred off the ship to land base. Meanwhile, on October 9, the science party received some data including resistivity and gamma imaging and started analyzing the data. Sonic data processing was finished by the data specialist onboard, in consultation with scientists, with results provided to the scientists on October 11. The entire scientific party is now working on the analysis of the logging data from Site C0001.
Continued the preparation for the coring expeditions, maintenance, instrument setup and rearrangements were made. Geo-technical core measurement data were input to J-CORES system, simulation of geochemistry WRC measurements with X-ray CT, and core dry run were also carried out.
Weekly safety drill (helicopter crash and abandon ship drill) was held on October 7.
