Glomar hopes high

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33883, 1 July 1975, Page 1

Glomar hopes high

{From Our Own Reporter) NELSON, June 30. If tests on a new electrical drilling system prove satisfactory tomorrow the oil exploration ship Glomar Tasman will leave Nelson about noon on Wednesday. She will sail for her first, drilling site in the Canter-1 bury Bight, about 30 miles off the Rakaia River mouth J Engineering staff aboard ,the vessel said it appeared that the faults in the TPS (thyristor power supply) system installed in Singanore appeared to have been eliminated. Tests will be made on the equipment tomorrow. Problems with the system ■delayed the departure of the

vessel from Nelson about four days, The TPS is a new concept in drilling. Simply, it provides the power for the machine that does the drilling. The Glomar Tasman will sail with the other service vessel, Lady Vilma. If they leave at noon on Wednesday j [they should be at the drill-' ing site in the early hours of Friday morning. The second service vessel, Sydney Tide is already in Canterbury [ waters. If all goes according to ,plan spudding in should comitnence some time on Friday i |As one of the engineers put; iit, “We should have a hole; [by the week-end.” A spokesman for Heli-' [copters (N.Z.) Ltd, said that; Tomorrow they would test: ! radio communications be-1

tween one of the six-seater Alouette helicopters at various points on the Canterbury coast and the Bocal Proprietary’s mobile radio station near Christchurch Airport. When the Glomar Tasman arrives at the drill site the [mobile radio station will [maintain links between |Bocal’s head office in Nelson, [the oil rig, and the helicopters which will help to service the oil rig. The Glomar Tasman is expected to drill about four weeks, ft will drill in about 230 feet of water and is expected to reach a depth of [about 7000 feet. ; The cost of drilling the welt [Resolution I has been estimated at "several million ■dollars.” The Government [will pay 40 per cent of the I cost.