Transit and Stationary Coring Operations in the Central Polar Pack

Abstract

It is a rare opportunity to be part of performing an operation which is a first, that has not been performed before. This paper presents the efficiency of ship transit and station keeping operations, their performance in the central polar pack, in high concentration of multi year ice. This successful operation, demonstrating successful station keeping in thick moving ice was successful over 90% of time keeping a coring vessel stationary in high concentration moving central Polar Pack. The operation took place with icebreakers Sovetskiy Soyuz, Oden and Vidar Viking, the last one used as a drilling vessel, August – September 2004, at about 88o N.