IODP Expedition 399
Building Blocks of Life, Atlantis Massif
Daily science report for 11 June 2023
Location: NATO Berth 12, Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
Science Update: The leak repair in the hydrophone well passed inspection and the hydrophone was reinstalled. Cleaning of the laboratories continued. Three more scientists disembarked, and the remaining seven scientists will disembark tomorrow.
Daily science report for 10 June 2023
Location: NATO Berth 12, Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
Science Update: The leak repair in the hydrophone well in Fuel Tank 6A is awaiting inspection. Cleaning of laboratories is in progress. Offgoing surface freight was loaded into containers, which is awaiting pickup. 10 scientists are still on board and will disembark during the next two days. Science reports are being completed.
Daily science report for 9 June 2023
Location: NATO Berth 12, Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
Science Update: The leak repair in the hydrophone well in Fuel Tank 6A was completed. Port activities are ongoing, including laboratory cleaning and loading offgoing surface freight into containers. Four more scientists disembarked, with 10 scientists remaining on board. Final science reports are being completed.
Daily science report for 8 June 2023
Location:
- Underway to Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
- NATO Berth 12, Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
Science Update: At 0700 h we had completed the final 57 nmi of the 937 nmi voyage from Site U1309 to Ponta Delgada, Azores. The first line was ashore at 0748 h. A meeting was held with contracted laboratory cleaners to define the scope of work. Divers blanked off the hydrophone well in Fuel Tank 6A in preparation for welding repair work. Eleven of the 25 scientists disembarked, while the others continued to work on science reports.
Daily science report for 7 June 2023
Location: Underway to Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
Science Update: Today we traveled 217 nmi of the 937 nmi distance from Site U1309 to Ponta Delgada, Azores, with a total of 880 nmi completed and 57 nmi remaining. ETA is 0700 h on 8 June. The scientists worked on completing reports.
Daily science report for 6 June 2023
Location: Underway to Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
Science Update: Today we traveled 227 nmi of the 937 nmi distance from Site U1309 to Ponta Delgada, Azores, with a total of 663 nmi completed and 274 nmi remaining. ETA is 0700 h on 8 June. The scientists are preparing reports.
Daily science report for 5 June 2023
Location: Underway to Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
Science Update: Today we traveled 237 nmi of the 937 nmi distance from Site U1309 to Ponta Delgada, Azores, with a total of 436 nmi completed and 501 nmi remaining. ETA is the morning of 8 June. The scientists are preparing reports.
Daily science report for 4 June 2023
Location:
- Hole U1309D (30°10.1195′N, 42°7.1131′W; water depth 1644.9 m)
- Underway to Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
Science Update: Final retrieval of the drill string from Hole U1309D was completed with the bit clearing the rig floor at 0324 h. The rig was secured for transit and the vessel was underway at 0430 h, ending operations at Site U1309. By midnight, we had completed 199 nmi of the total distance of 738 nmi to Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal.
Daily science report for 3 June 2023
Location: Hole U1309D (30°10.1195′N, 42°7.1131′W; water depth 1644.9 m)
Science Update: After reentry into Hole U1309D at the end of the previous day, the drill string was positioned at 32 mbsf at 0045 h. Two Kuster FTSes were made up together with the Elevated Temperature Boreholes Sonde (ETBS) and the Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) tool. The first run on the coring line was deployed at 0100 h and was back on the rig floor at 0315 h. The borehole water samples were taken at 200 mbsf and 400 mbsf. The tool string was retrieved and disassembled, the water samples and data were retrieved, and the tools were reassembled for the second run. The CTD was not included anymore because its temperature rating would have been exceeded at the deeper sampling stations. The second sampling run from 0400 h to 0645 h triggered the Kuster FTS at 550 mbsf and 736 mbsf. Ample time was available to redress the tools and conduct a third run from 0736 h to 1100 h. During this final run, the tools were not able to pass an obstruction at 1024 mbsf and the samples were taken at 923 mbsf and 1110 mbsf instead of a deeper planned station. After conclusion of the sampling runs, the drill string was tripped to 1421 mbsf and washed down to the bottom of the hole at 1498 mbsf. Next, the hole was flushed with seawater seven times the borehole volume to leave behind as clean as possible a hole for potential future water sampling and temperature measurement operations. Drill string retrieval began at 1945 h and was still in progress at midnight.
Daily science report for 2 June 2023
Location:
- Hole U1601C (30°7.9417′N, 42°7.2072′W; water depth 850 m)
- Hole U1309D (30°10.1195′N, 42°7.1131′W; water depth 1644.9 m)
Science Update: Today we recovered Cores U1601C-257R through 259R to 1267.8 mbsf, recovering 8.0 m of the 14.5 m cored, with core recoveries ranging from 47% to 70% (average recovery 55%). The bit had accumulated 43.8 h on bottom, and we decided to end coring. Mud sweeps of 20 bbl after Core 258R and 30 bbl after Core 259R were followed by pumping seven times the hole volume of seawater. The last core barrel was retrieved at 1230 h and the pipe was retrieved with the bit clearing the rig floor at 1800 h. This concluded operations in Hole U1601C.
The last operation of Expedition 399 was to take more borehole fluid samples from Hole U1309D using the Kuster FTS and then flush the hole rigorously. The ship had already moved over to Hole U1309D in DP mode by 1612 h, while the drill string was being retrieved. A BHA was assembled with a clean-out bit, no float valve, and an oversized landing ring (logging configuration). At 1915 h the drill string was lowered to the seafloor, the subsea camera was deployed at 2130 h, and Hole U1309D was reentered for the second time on Expedition 399 at 2317 h. By midnight the camera was back on deck.
Daily science report for 1 June 2023
Location: Hole U1601C (30°7.9417′N, 42°7.2072′W; water depth 850 m)
Science Update: Today we recovered Cores U1601C-250R through 256R, recovering 22.0 m of the 34.0 m cored, with core recoveries ranging from 44% to 85% (average recovery 65%). This was the second-to-last day of coring in Hole U1601C. No section splitting or subsampling took place except for five microbiology whole-round samples.