BGS Rockall Consortium Drill Site Survey - Hatton Bank Regional Survey, RRS 'Challenger' : project 98/01

The objectives of this project were twofold: to conduct limited site surveys at proposed borehole locations and to carry out a limited regional survey over part of Hatton Bank. The site surveys comprised a grid of six, 5krn long lines, at nominally lkrn spacing, which were run using single channel airgun and sparker, with the higher resolution sparker taking operational priority. In addition a single gravity core was taken at the borehole location. The regional survey was also run using single channel airgun and sparker but in this case the airgun was given operational priority. Survey positioning was by differential GPS. The vessel used was the RRS Challenger, chartered from NERC Research Vessel Services. She proved most suitable to the task and the gravity coring operations were conducted using the vessel's main winch. Mobilisation took place in Leith on 26/27 May 1998 with the vessel sailing on 28 May. Eleven potential borehole sites were surveyed, totalling 376krn of shallow seismic, and a further 756km of regional survey was completed in the Hatton Bank area. Operations were completed on 15 June and the vessel docked at Galway 18 June.