Coring Tools and Technology
Engineering Tool Animations
Coring Tools
- Advanced Piston Corer (APC): used in soft ooze and sediments
See APC tool animation (22MB)
Download APC tool animation from IODP Cumulus DAM - Half-Length Advanced Piston Corer (HLAPC): used to recover high-quality cores from short intervals of soft sediment between hard layers (e.g., ooze/chalk between chert layers) and to extend the depth of a piston core hole
- Rotary Core Barrel (RCB): used in medium to hard crystalline sediments
- Extended Core Barrel (XCB): used in firm sediments
See XCB tool animation (24MB)
Download XCB tool animation from IODP Cumulus DAM
Reentry Hardware
- Free Fall Funnel (FFF): used to reenter a hole
- Reentry Cone and Casing (RECC): used as a permanent seafloor installation (or legacy hole) able to support nested casing strings
- For more information regarding sites with reentry cones, contact Kevin Grigar.
- Hydraulic Release Tool: used as a quicker, less expensive permanent seafloor installation, typically with a single casing string.
See HRT animation (24MB)
Download HRT animation from IODP Cumulus DAM - Reamers: used during casing installations to drill an enlarged hole
Monitoring Instruments
- Vibration Isolated Television (VIT) Frame
- Rig Instrumentation System (RIS): data acquisition system with the ability to present real-time data and drilling parameters in digital and graphical formats
Wireline Tools
- Lockable Float Valve (LFV): allows a return to coring following logging
- Mechanical Bit Release (MBR): designed to remotely release the RCB core bit from the BHA to allow logging tools to pass through
Tools Available on Request
Due to budgetary and manpower constraints, the following tools may be made available, but must be specifically requested well in advance of an expedition. For more information, contact Kevin Grigar.
- Pressure Core Sampler (PCS): used in sediments while maintaining in situ pressure
Previous Technology
ODP Technical Note 31 provides a history of the tools and systems developed by the predecessor programs, ODP and DSDP.