Williamson and Associates, Inc. will investigate the feasibility of a remotely operated rock drill with extended coring capability. A reliable means of recovering core samples from 10 to 50 meters deep in both consolidated and unconsolidated seafloor materials at water depths to 4000 meters, is needed by university and government research and the offshore oil industry. The overall research objectives are design and test a drilling system which will extend a successful deep sea 3 meter coring tool to the greater depths. The Phase I research is to establish the feasibility of assembling and disassembling drill rods, coring tools and casing automatically on the sea floor, a necessary step for deep water use. When complete, this will be the only device available for obtaining cores at these depths. The construction and operation of approximately ten of these systems worldwide is envisioned.
