March 25, 2009
All,
News of today:
Drilling
- We have followed two routes to get access to a tricone for HQ pipes that would potentially allow us to penetrate and subsequently log the entire lake sediment sequence in the crater. First, our people in Pevek have asked the Canadian Kinross company operating close to Pevek whether they have one they can lend or sell us. The Kinross staff is currently checking for that. Second, we are about to purchase one in Magadan (via NEISRI) that can be flown to Bilibino on Monday, with much luck already tomorrow. There, it could be picked up by a helicopter from Pevek (together with the 7 expeditioners there) that, after refueling, could proceed to the Lake and then (with 4 expeditioners there) return to Pevek. This would be an expensive weekend trip, but we think could be worth the effort.
- Also for the 5 bits needed to replace the lost Bottom Hole Assemblies (BHA), allowing for a continuation of lake sediment coring, we follow more than one route. Most likely solutions here are, first, that the bits are delivered by Kinross via None, Alaska, to Anadyr and further by helicopter to Lake E, second, that one DOSECC staff member flies them to Moscow, where Pavel´s son picks them up for another flight to Magadan, from where it would take route as outlined above to the lake, or, third, that Jerry and Joe from DOSECC bring them as personal luggage on their flights to Pevek in about 2 weeks.
