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Victoria University Antarctic Research Expedition Science and Logistics Reports 1998-99: VUWAE 43

AMENDMENTS TO THE CRP COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION (CEE)

AMENDMENTS TO THE CRP COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION (CEE)

10. Two amendments to the CEE were approved prior to the 1998/99 Season. They were to use an additional drilling 'mud' and to use new rigid buoyancy on the Sea Riser called Syntactic Foam.

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a.Guar Gum Drill Mud. Guar Gum is an organic polymer extracted from lima beans. It is used in drilling as a viscosifier to shore up an unstable drill-hole formation. This season 1.25 metric tonnes of Guar Gum was pumped down the hole, along with other 'muds' appoved by the CEE. The Guar Gum was successfully used and no problems were experienced with it.
b.Syntactic Foam Floats. One hundred of these floats were transported to CR in September and the majority was fitted to the Sea Riser casing (four to a 5.5m length of casing). In an effort to avoid impacts, abrasion and damage to the floats that might result in material contaminating the sea ice or sea, a sledge with specially designed 'stocks' was used and special handling techniques were developed at the Drill Site for the floats. All were successful. Close inspection of the 28 floats deployed on the Sea Riser for CRP2 (hole) revealed no damage, abrasion or chipping of the Syntactic Foam.