Scientific Drilling

InnovaRig

Many geoscientific questions cannot be answered adequately by conventional surface-based research methods. Often additional information is needed to clarify issues from various fields of basic sciences (such as earthquakes, volcanism, and climate research) and applied sciences (e.g. tunnelling, geothermal energy, subsurface CO₂ storage). Scientific Drilling and the innovative use of geophysical methods are offering solutions.

Scientific Drilling is a team of scientists, engineers and technical staff. Main tasks are planning, developing, and maintaining scientific drilling projects including the development of new and innovative geophysical tools.

International deep drilling projects of the ICDP (International Continental Scientific Drilling Program) are supported by the Operational Support Group (OSG). The OSG attends national and international drilling projects of the ICDP and the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam as well as projects of other organizations during all stages of a project. This gets accomplished by training plus assistance in the stage of planning prior to the drilling. During the operational phase the OSG supports responsible scientists with implementation and monitoring and conducts scientific measurements at drill sites. It also provides capacities for data management and data archiving. The OSG furthermore supports the different panels of the ICDP, including the Executive Committee.

Tool development is mainly focused on the high-resolution seismic exploration of the underground, in particular the pre-exploration during drilling of both, deep bohreholes and tunnels. This causes special demands in the understanding of the propagation and conversion of seismic wave fields, in analysing and imaging the results, and in the development of measuring methods and the appropriate instrumentation. The latter requests high demands on technical development, due to the complexity of such seismic measurement systems and the difficult operating conditions. Special attention is turned on the development and implementation of measurement technics regarding an industrial re-use.