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I do not understand this article. According to wikipedia, the deepwater horizon drilled to 10,683 m in 1,259 m of water. Acccording to the nature article, the

I do not understand this article. According to wikipedia, the deepwater horizon drilled to 10,683 m in 1,259 m of water. Acccording to the nature article, the deepest ever holes drilled were successively the 2,900 and 3,200 m deep holes drilled by the Chikyu. 2,900 seems a lot less than 10,683. What is going on here?

hobs 7y ago
Smithsonian says "Not surprisingly—because the crust is thinner—some deep holes have been bored through the ocean floor. The specialized Japanese drillship Chikyu claims the record for the deepest offshore hole drilled for scientific purposes—about 10,000 feet (almost 2 miles) below the sea floor, according to James F. Allan, program director for the Ocean Drilling Program at the National Science Foundation. The oil and gas industry also claims some deep holes, on land and offshore. BP’s Deepwater Horizon holds the offshore record. The drilling rig—lost in an explosion in 2010— managed to get some 30,000 feet below the sea, or about 5 miles." https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ask-smithsonian-whats-deepest-hole-ever-dug-180954349/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ask-s...
- wavefunction 7y ago
  I suppose then it depends on how deep the ocean floor bed was below the ocean's surface where the Chikyu drilled that hole. If Nature is correct then it must have been in a spot of at least 20,000 ft of ocean depth (30,000deepwater - ~10,000chikyuBelowTheSeaFloor).
  - thaumasiotes 7y ago
    I think you're being overly generous to Nature. By my read, they just misinterpreted "deepest hole drilled offshore for scientific purposes" as "deepest hole drilled offshore for any purpose". The water depth was already cited in the top-level comment: > deepwater horizon drilled to 10,683 m in 1,259 m of water
derekdahmer 7y ago
Each drilling area has its own unique geology. Something about this specific area (e.g. heavier mud, cracks in the bed rock) led to their hole collapsing before they could reach their target depth despite trying a few different techniques.
- RyanAF7 7y ago
  ...Godzillas hibernation chamber,
- hcknwscommenter 7y ago
  All most likely true. And yet, the Nature article clearly states that the Chikyu set the record for deepest hole drilled. They don't qualify about unique geography or for-scientific-purposes. This is odd. I generally find that Nature tries to be accurate to a fault. Having written a "news and views" for Nature once, I find the seeming inaccuracies incomprehensible.
  - wavefunction 7y ago
    I pointed out above the Deepwater figure is depth from ocean surface while the Chikyu figure is depth below the ocean floor, so as long as the depth of the ocean is ~20,000 feet where the Chikyu drilled to that depth, it all checks out.
mnky9800n 7y ago
its the separation between "for science" And "for oil".

hobs 7y ago

Smithsonian says "Not surprisingly—because the crust is thinner—some deep holes have been bored through the ocean floor. The specialized Japanese drillship Chikyu claims the record for the deepest offshore hole drilled for scientific purposes—about 10,000 feet (almost 2 miles) below the sea floor, according to James F. Allan, program director for the Ocean Drilling Program at the National Science Foundation. The oil and gas industry also claims some deep holes, on land and offshore. BP’s Deepwater Horizon holds the offshore record. The drilling rig—lost in an explosion in 2010— managed to get some 30,000 feet below the sea, or about 5 miles." https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ask-smithsonian-whats-deepest-hole-ever-dug-180954349/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ask-s...

wavefunction 7y ago
I suppose then it depends on how deep the ocean floor bed was below the ocean's surface where the Chikyu drilled that hole. If Nature is correct then it must have been in a spot of at least 20,000 ft of ocean depth (30,000deepwater - ~10,000chikyuBelowTheSeaFloor).
- thaumasiotes 7y ago
  I think you're being overly generous to Nature. By my read, they just misinterpreted "deepest hole drilled offshore for scientific purposes" as "deepest hole drilled offshore for any purpose". The water depth was already cited in the top-level comment: > deepwater horizon drilled to 10,683 m in 1,259 m of water

derekdahmer 7y ago

Each drilling area has its own unique geology. Something about this specific area (e.g. heavier mud, cracks in the bed rock) led to their hole collapsing before they could reach their target depth despite trying a few different techniques.

RyanAF7 7y ago
...Godzillas hibernation chamber,
hcknwscommenter 7y ago
All most likely true. And yet, the Nature article clearly states that the Chikyu set the record for deepest hole drilled. They don't qualify about unique geography or for-scientific-purposes. This is odd. I generally find that Nature tries to be accurate to a fault. Having written a "news and views" for Nature once, I find the seeming inaccuracies incomprehensible.
- wavefunction 7y ago
  I pointed out above the Deepwater figure is depth from ocean surface while the Chikyu figure is depth below the ocean floor, so as long as the depth of the ocean is ~20,000 feet where the Chikyu drilled to that depth, it all checks out.

mnky9800n 7y ago

its the separation between "for science" And "for oil".