Publication Date:
2018-09-10
Description:
In May 1999, drilling of a borehole through the entire ice strata (around 750 m) was initiated on
the Akademiya Nauk glacier of Komsomolets Island, Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago. The Arctic
and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI), St. Petersburg Mining Institute (SPMI) and Alfred
Wegener Institute (AWI, Germany) take part in this venture.
For undertaking drilling activities, a dismantling drilling complex was designed and manufactured
at SPMI by request of AWI. It includes a drilling house, land drilling equipment and two sets of
the electromechanical drill KEMS-127 that also allows drilling of subglacial mountain rocks. The
core has a maximum length of 1.5 m and a diameter of 106 mm.
Drilling started in spring of 1999 and 54 m was drilled. In April 2000, the borehole drilling was
continued. Up to a depth of 109 m, a "dry" method was used. Then the borehole was filled with
aviation kerosene TS-1. By the end of seasonal work (May 9, 2000), the borehole bottom reached
a depth of 504.7 m.
After the drilling was stopped, a complex of geophysical observations was carried out that
included measurements of the borehole diameter, the axis deviation angle from the vertical,
temperature at different depths and drilling fluid pressure.
An analysis of the data obtained allows a conclusion about the reliability and stability of the
drilling technology and equipment and developing recommendations to continue drilling that is
planned to do during 2001 season.
Repository Name:
EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
Type:
Conference
,
notRev
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