JVTech Chikyu, the astonishing Japanese drillship that digs a new well at sea, at 7.2 kilometers under water
Published on 03/20/2023 at 18:51
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I want to be the king of drillers in my big boat family. Today, we present to you the Chikyu, a Japanese drillship that is breaking records.
Chikyu's remarkable drillship
The size of the world's fleet is probably underestimating. Among the millions of ships that sail the oceans, there are ultra-sophisticated boats. Some sail across the entire world with millions of liters of oil on board, while others perform scientific explorations... and the Chikyu.
The Chikyu is a stunning Japanese structure. Its days are all about digging deep in the ocean! Yes, the Chikyu is a scientific drill ship. Its purpose isn't the extraction of precious resources, but the study of the ocean. You may also learn about the origins of life.
This ship, which is now considered the "flagship" of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), has been capable of drilling 7,740 meters under water for over ten years. It's like a 25-story Eiffel Tower stacking on top of each other.
Even if JAMSTEC is very proud of it, the Chikyu provides a major hope for the Japanese: the ability to detect the fault zone of the 2011 tsunami.
https://twitter.com/Chikyu_JAMSTEC/status/163591372458967040
Another record set in 2021 by a Japanese team might be found on the internet: 8,023 meters. The Kaimei vessel is a very different research vessel from Chikyu, which is specialized for the study of deep sea trenches.
A large boat to better understand life's origins
The Chikyu's main feature is its drilling equipment, which measures 210 meters long with a beam of 38 meters and a draft of 16.2 meters. This lovely baby is accelerating at 12 knots at cruising speed (approx. 22 km/h).
The Chikyu has no less than ten kilometers of drill rods onboard. These ten kilometers do not guarantee a forge capacity down to 10,000 meters deep. There are several requirements that must be met in order to reach such a high level of difficulty. The first and foremost is the water depth limit.
Let's conclude by answering a question that remained unanswered at the conclusion of this article: how might a drillship answer questions about life's origins? JAMSTEC explained it clearly.
