26,322 Ft.: OSIL Giant Piston Corer Breaks Deep-Ocean Sampling Record

Ocean Scientific International report that one of its Giant Piston Corer systems has broken two records in scientific ocean drilling and coring on the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 386.

The expedition has been staged by the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD) to gain an insight into the seismic history of the study region off the Japanese coast, and is supported by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (Jamstec). On Friday May 14, 2021, the team on board the RV Kaimei recorded an historic sampling water depth of 8,023m (26,322 ft.), and recovered a 37.74m core in a 40m barrel string, a 94.3% recovery rate and record deepest sub-sea level sample (from 8060.74 metres below sea level) from the Giant Piston Corer that was produced, installed and supported by OSIL.

The Giant Piston Corer operates in a very similar manner to traditional gravity coring systems, with the exception of the piston itself, which plugs the core barrel once the corer has been fully deployed into the sediment and, in combination with the core catcher, holds the sample more securely inside the core liner than in a regular gravity corer system and prevents sediment slump. The piston also reduces internal friction within the core liner and prevents clumping of the sample. This ensures that the OSIL Piston Corer systems deliver a more well-defined sediment sample to the operator.

Piston Corers are one of the most important basic tools used in the study of marine sediments, and the expedition’s success has been highlighted by international news agencies, including the BBC and Fox News. OSIL offers customisable systems (including Launch and Recovery Systems and Winches) from 4m to 60m in length.