Lake Vanda drilling ready to begin

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33381, 13 November 1973, Page 18

Lake Vanda drilling ready to begin

New Zealand drillers have set up their equipment and camp in the middle of the ice-covered surface of Lake Vanda, in the Wright Valley, and what is expected to be the most sensitive drilling of the summer’s programme is expected to begin today.

The 13 drillers and their 50,0001 b of equipment and camping gear were flown to the lake by V nited States Navy helicopters at the week-end. The men and 16,0001 b of gear were flown from Marble Point, 55 miles from McMurdo Station, while the remainder was flown in from McMurdo Station. The rig and the tents were in position yesterday and the superintendent of the Antarctic division of the D.S.I.R. in Christchurch (Mr R. B. Thomson) was expecting the drilling to begin at any time. The drill first has to penetrate the four metres of surface ice. The pipe casing will then be lowered 60 metres to the lake floor, and the drill will bore down inside the casing to reach the sediment, which is about 76 metres thick. Great care has to be taken to ensure that the lake does not become polluted. Mr Thomson said the biggest problem would be to ensure that when the casing was lowered to the lake floor it was sealed to prevent any disturbance which might cause pollution of the lake. “Unlike normal exploratory boreholes where the drill just bites in in a rough and ready fashion, the hole going into the middle of Lake Vanda will be making a slow and cautious penetration,” said Mr Thomson. It was a busy week-end fori

New Zealanders at Scott, Base as helicopters moved L five parties out into the field. | The field parties were held.

iback for two weeks by a sustained bad spell of weather [and the base facilities were iat times sorely taxed.