The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), in collaboration with industry partner AGR Drilling Services, has engineered a solution that introduces ultra-deepwater drilling technology for use by IODP drilling vessels in scientific research. Originally developed for shallow-water oil and gas exploration, the "riserless mud recovery" technology (RMR™) holds great promise for scientists striving to reach the long-held goal of Project Mohole in the 1950s: Drilling all the way through ocean crust into the Earth's mantle; a frontier not yet explored today. Drilled cores from the mantle could provide scientists with answers to questions about the structure, composition, mineralogy, and in situ physical properties of oceanic crust and the geological nature of the seismic Moho.

"With AGR Drilling Services' support, IODP led an engineering effort to adapt existing technology to drill very deep holes in very deep regions of the ocean," said Engineering Manager Greg Myers. "Up to now, riserless mud recovery drilling was limited to shallower water depths. This ultra-deepwater drilling technology allows scientists to investigate subsea floor areas in great depths, where oceanic crust may be thinner -- such as in waters off Hawaii." According to Myers, an ultra-deepwater RMR™ system could be implemented as early as July 2011.

The RMR™ technology, owned by AGR, is expected to operate in hyper-deepwater depths greater than 12,000 feet. Funding for preliminary engineering was provided by the DeepStar Consortium, a deepwater industry group that supports deepwater technology development projects and leverages the industry's financial and technical resources.

"This ultra-deepwater drilling technology is environmentally friendly," said David Hine, VP Sales & marketing at AGR Drilling. "It operates with a 'zero-discharge' system, leaving no cuttings or mud behind."

Tags: AGR Group, Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP)