Two holes were drilled at this site (Table T1) under good weather conditions. Wind speed was 4-19 kt, gusting to 23 kt; seas were 4-7 ft; swell was 6-7 ft; and the prevailing sea-surface current was from the north at ~0.5 kt.
Hole 1247A was drilled without coring to obtain the initial LWD data for this site. We initiated continuous LWD/measurement-while-drilling (MWD) drilling and advanced at a rate of penetration (ROP) of 25-30 m/hr, to a total depth (TD) of 270.0 mbsf. LWD operations began at 2030 on 20 August, with tool initialization at the rig floor. LWD tools included the Resistivity at the Bit (RAB)-6 tool, with 91/8-in button sleeve, MWD, the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR-MRP) tool, and Vision Neutron Density (VND) tool. Heave conditions increased, and the real-time data record was changed to increase the time resolution of weight-on-bit and torque measurements for heave analysis (see "Downhole Logging"). LWD tools were pulled to ~60 m above the seafloor for the dynamic positioning move to Site 1248. Total bit run was ~21 hr.
We returned to this site on 22-24 August to core Hole 1247B. Hole 1247B was offset from Hole 1247A by ~87 m to the west. This hole was cored to 220 mbsf using the APC and XCB (Table T1). Six in situ temperature runs were made at this site using the APCT tool, including a dedicated mudline run; two DVTP runs were also made. No in situ pressure measurements were made at this site.
The PCS was deployed three times at Site 1247. Two of these deployments recovered core under pressure; however, the ball valve did not fully close during the other deployment.
Hole 1247B was logged using the triple combination (triple combo) and Formation MicroScanner (FMS)-sonic tool strings. After wireline logging, a vertical and an offset vertical seismic profile (VSP) covering the interval of 104-214 mbsf was acquired by alternately shooting from the JOIDES Resolution and the Ewing, which held station ~700 m away. Plans to conduct walkaway VSPs were abandoned when the Schlumberger Vertical Seismic Imager (VSI) would no longer clamp in the hole (see "Downhole Tools and Pressure Coring").