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Teachers
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Expedition 301
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Journal
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7 July 2004
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CHANGING SITES and CORNERS OF THE SHIP
Many people are a bit disappointed because we had to change plans and make the first hole the shallow option. The hole conditions at Hole 1301A prevented us from drilling deep into the oceanic basement. We are setting 10 3/4-inch casing and will leave the hole until we complete Hole 1301B, which is approximately 30 meters to the northeast. I have included pictures of the crew working hard to assemble the reentry cone for the next hole.
I have a few pictures of some new places that I visited while I wasn’t working on my journal or preparing an educational brief for the microbiology laboratory.
Here is a partial update for today given by Adam Klaus, Expedition Project Manager/IODP-USIO Staff Scientist (USA):
“During the early morning hours, we were able to get the casing down within ~20 m of landing. At this point the conditions once again became problematic and we could not lower the casing and had some difficulty raising it. So we have decided that we will retrieve the casing string and remove the 10-3/4-inch casing hanger and the top ~7 pieces of casing. We'll reattach the casing hanger and run back into the hole. We'll install the 10-3/4-inch casing shoe ~11.6 m below the base of the 16-inch and cement it in place. This hole will become the shallow basement hole. Our working scenario has always been that if we had trouble on the first hole, we could turn it into the shallower basement hole. This is also why we wanted to ensure we had two chances to achieve the deep hole.
Once the 10-3/4-inch casing is cemented in place, our next step will be to offset nearby (perhaps very close - ~30 m) and attempt the deep Hole 1301B (see below), before returning to Hole 1301A. When we return to Hole 1301A, the plan will likely be to: (1) drill out the cement and use the bit to check how much hole below remains open; (2) conduct a packer pump/slug hydrologic test, setting it inside the base of 10-3/4-inch casing to test the open hole; and (3) install the CORK with 4-1/2-inch casing sticking a bit out into the open hole below the base of 10-3/4-inch casing.
So, what are we going to do after we set the 10-3/4-inch casing later today???..... Our first step will be to offset the ship ~30 m to N11°E from Hole 1301B (along the seafloor basement trends) and then conduct operations at Hole 1301B. The initial operations will be very similar to these we already have performed here at Hole 1301A: (1) wash in a reentry cone (no need to do another jet-in test); (2) open hole and install 16-inch casing to basement; and (3) open basement and install 10-3/4-inch casing. We would then hope to continue coring deep into basement, log, conduct packer tests, and install the CORK.
Mike, Wayne and others are considering what sorts of things we can do differently to enhance our chances for achieving the deep hole installation/objectives. We'll get an updated schedule of operations from Mike later today and I'll distribute it as soon as I get it. My back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest these drilling operations will last more than 1 week, so it may be quite some time before we get core. We'll likely have a short meeting tomorrow morning to present the current operations plan.”
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 WEATHER REPORT. The weather has been VERY CHILLY. The wind and waves have finally calmed down, as this view from the helipad shows. Unfortunately, it has gotten very cold and cloudy.
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 BARBEQUE. Wednesdays are barbeque days on the ship. On previous expeditions (or “legs” as they were known in the ODP days), the barbeques have been outdoor affairs. During this expedition, it has been so cool out that we have gladly eaten our barbeque meals in the galley. We are hoping for at least a couple of warm outdoor backyard excursions during IODP Expedition 301.
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 “HARD ROCK CAFÉ.” This little niche on top floor of the lab stack has been unofficially nicknamed the “Hard Rock Café” by the regular sailors. It is an ideal place to get away and enjoy some “rocket fuel” (Italian espresso), popcorn, and a movie. Shown in the photo are Anne Bartetzko, Logging Scientist (Germany); Takeshi Tsuji, Logging Scientist (Japan); Adam Klaus, Expedition Project Manager/IODP-USIO Staff Scientist (USA); and Rosalind Coggon, Igneous and Metamorphic Petrologist (United Kingdom).
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 LIBRARY. The JOIDES Resolution has a small but very extensive science library complete with computers, printers, and Internet service. Where are all the books??? They are in all the closed cases along the walls; we don’t want them falling on us during rough weather.
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 “FINAL CASING” FOR HOLE 1301A. We are putting in 10 3/4-inch casing before moving to begin operations at Hole 1301B. We will return after drilling the next hole and, at that time, we will install the CORK that will be sampling geothermal fluids and bacteria from the well for the next several years.
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 SAD DAY!!! The catwalk is empty. Yesterday the lab technicians were working hard to prepare for the core samples that we expected to arrive on deck any day. Unfortunately, the change in the operational plan for the hole means it will be at least a couple of weeks before core samples come onboard. Most of the scientists are very disappointed after getting geared up for this event.
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 NEW REENTRY CONE. The crew is scrambling to get the reentry cone prepared for Hole 1301B. Because reentry cones are very large, they are not put together until they are needed. Until late last night, it appeared that we wouldn’t be on the new location for at least a couple of weeks. How quickly things can change out here!!!
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 PREPPING THE CONE. The crew is assembling the top of the reentry cone. This is usually done directly over the moonpool. However, the rapid change in the operational plan means that the moonpool won’t be ready for the reentry cone until late tonight or tomorrow morning; the drillers still need to retrieve the drill bit and drill pipe from the seafloor.
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 LOGGING PREPARATIONS. These are two segments of the logging tools that will be run down the borehole to determine some of the physical properties of the basement rocks once the cores have been drilled and removed. The one on the left is an electrical resistivity tool (it measures the resistance to electric current of the rocks in the hole). The one on the right has porosity, density, and gamma ray probes in it.
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 JAVIER TO THE RESCUE! Javier Espinosa, Schlumberger Logging Engineer (Mexico), is calibrating the Ultrasonic Borehole Imager (UBI). The UBI records images of the borehole that shows fractures, changes in rock types and orientations of other structural features with respect to magnetic north.
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 ERIC PREPS THE LAB. Last minute preparations are being done in labs all over the labstack. Eric Jackson, Marine Laboratory Specialist (USA), is doing final checks on the microbiology laboratory’s glove box. Since bacteria from deep sea sediments will be killed by oxygen in the air, the air in the glove box is replaced with nitrogen. The scientists can then process their samples in the box and keep the bacteria alive to study later. Eric, an avid surfer, might also be thinking about catching the perfect wave in some obscure beach in the Caribbean, as he has been planning his vacation after the expedition.
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