On 9 June, The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate completed the drilling of shallow boreholes in the western Norwegian Sea.
Three holes were drilled on the Mørerand High, 293 kilometres northwest of Kristiansund. The deepest hole was terminated 170 metres below the seabed. The drilling was carried out by the company Fugro Seacore using the Greatship Manisha vessel at a water depth of 2130 metres. The borehole was partially core drilled and electrical logs were registered. The sample material is now being analysed.
The primary objective of the operation was to take core samples of slanted reflectors found deeper than 130 metres below the seabed.
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Results from this drilling provide important information on the geological development of the Norwegian Sea basin, which formed due to active seafloor spreading between what is now Greenland and Norway.
Preliminary results show that the slanted reflectors consist of volcanic cooling breccia (hyaloclastite), formed during rapid cooling of lava that comes into contact with seawater.