Press Releases


June 17, 2011
JAMSTEC

Deep-Sea Drilling Vessel Chikyu
- Repair Status and Operations Schedule -

The Deep Sea Drilling Vessel Chikyu, operated by JAMSTEC, will complete repairs at the Yokohama Dockyard and Machinery (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), and will head out to sea for testing on 18 June 2011. The vessel has been in dry dock since 20 April to repair damage sustained during the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake on 11 March.

One of DV Chikyu's azimuth thrusters suffered damage during large tsunami waves buffeted the vessel in the Hachinohe port, and its replacement is currently being manufactured. The new thruster is expected to be installed by the end of March 2012.

Schedule of operations for Chikyu

18 June - 3 July
Testing at sea (Suruga Bay)
3 July - 10 July
Loading work at Port of Yokohama
10 July - December (tentative)
Commercial operation off the coast of Sri Lanka

*The new thruster is planned to be installed after the Sri Lanka operations.

Contacts:

Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
(For Chikyu)
Yasuo Yamada, Manager
Planning and Coordination Department
Center for Deep Earth Exploration (CDEX)
Hikaru Okutsu, e-mail: press@jamstec.go.jp
Senior Administrative Specialist, Planning Department Press Office