Corinth Active Rift Development: end of offshore....time for Bremen!

IODP Expedition 381
View 8: offshore phase is complete so let's get ready for the onshore phase!

The Pre-Pre-OSP took place at MARUM in Bremen 4-7 December 2017. Our team (Sally, Malgorzata, and Nataliya) set-up and tested Thermal Conductivity (TC) equipment. The training on the half-space line source (HQL) and the full space line source (VLQ or needle probe), including 2-phase measurement practice, was given by Lothar (a very professional and creative technician from Aachen University). We went through both methods but only a VLQ needle probe will be used for IODP Expedition 381 (Corinth Active Rift Development). We took time to familiarise with operating procedures and even become Drilling Masters! TC equipment is now secured in the reefer at MARUM for Christmas holidays waiting for Pre-OSP in January.

Malgorzata Bednarz and Lothar Ahrensmeier during thermal conductivity set-up (photo credit: Nataliya Denchik)

 

The training was very instructive with a lot of notes taken during this week. Thanks for Malgorzata to complete existing TC operating procedures and to create a new very useful TC manual!

And Bremer Weinnachtsmarkt (Bremen Christmas Market) with over 170 decorated stalls was an ideal place for relaxing in the evenings. A lot of food and drink to taste: different kind of sausages (Krakauer, Bratwurst, Rostbratwurst, Bregenwurst…) as well as Beer and Glühwein (mulled wine, with rum for braves).

Bremer Weinnachtsmarkt (photo credit: Nataliya Denchik)

Nataliya

Corinth Active Rift Development: a brief update on several aspects of the petrophysics

IODP Expedition 381
View 7: much closer to the end of the offshore phase

So this is like the blog title suggests………..a very brief update! The offshore team have now completed the second site. While some of us in EPC are expecting a snowy weekend to come, the offshore contingent are looking forward to a (probably!) quieter weekend than the previous one. Last weekend, the second downhole logging was in full swing, and there were some challenges to keep it interesting. This is where the Petrophysics Staff Scientist is simultaneously a very demanding but very satisfying role, as it is essential to keep abreast of all developments and be able to rapidly communicate these to all key players offshore, make accurate decisions and coordinate the way forward to successfully acquiring data downhole. We look forward to a future blog post summarising the logging but in the meantime, note the concentration on the faces of the logging team!

Concentration during logging! (photo credit: L. Phillpot)

The MSCL has been uneventful. That is good, as this means data acquisition of petrophysical properties on whole round cores is progressing well. And again, there was time to measure cores for QAQC during the downhole logging.

QAQC core awaiting measurement on the MSCL (photo credit: L. Phillpot)

In other petrophysical expedition news, Sally, Malgorzata and Nataliya (the latter being temporary IODP employees to help with measurements onshore) were recently in Bremen to set up the first equipment ready for the cores arriving back from the ship in January. Again, watch this space for more details soon! 

Jenny