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A crack in a pipe that almost prematurely ended Leg 210. Although this picture is a little out of focus, this crack illustrates how close Leg 210 came to catastrophe. This crack appeared in a part of the top drive that not only rotates the drill pipe so it can drill, but also supports the entire weight of the drill string (6,000 meters long and weighing 600,000 pounds). The expert Transocean drill floor crew reacted quickly when water came gushing out of the crack and secured the drill string before the crack failed completely. |