March 27, 2009
All, News of today:
Replacements
- The delivery of replacement bits from Salt Lake City (by Chris via Atlanta to Moscow, then with Pavel´s son Fedor to Magadan, and further to Bilibino, where they shall be picked up by helicopter from Pevek) is finally scheduled, airline tickets are purchased. This route has a number of critical milestones, the first one being customs at Moscow Sheremetjevo on Saturday morning, but it keeps the most likely one to supply us with a new BHA, since the alternative via Kinross (None-Anadyr) did not make much progress so far.
- As backup, we still have the tricon in Bilibino that will become picked up and used for the downhole logging work in case the Salt Lake supply gets stuck somewhere on the way. Kinross Pevek was as yet not able to find a tricone for us.
Activities
- On site D1 the remaining casing was lowered today. Six more pieces are still available in the camp, to be transported to the platform tomorrow. Their adding to the string hopefully will push the casing into the sediment, thus opening Hole 1c. If successful, we are ready to proceed once replacements arrive. If it fails, however, because we do not find a way through the casing laying at the ground, we have to move the platform to establish the hole in an untouched area close by (which would probably take some days time).
- In the camp, the scientists “play” with the data existing and proceed working on models best explaining the observations made on the sediments cored so far. Another group went out collecting plants for isotopic studies. Besides, some time was spent for filming with the semiprofessional camera provided by the German Research Foundation (DFG), to get material for a number of clips about the projects to be put on the DFG web sites. So, people are busy, but, naturally, the party would be much more motivated to proceed coring.
- In Pevek, the expeditioners waiting for the helicopter flight next week continued with their preparations. This includes purchase of bits and pieces based on a (growing) “wish list” from Lake E. Besides, Tim Martin, the teacher, visited the Pevek school – thanks for this very nice outreach activity!
Cheers for now, Martin
