During Leg 206 we successfully accomplished the initial phase of a multi-leg drilling program that aims to sample a complete section of upper oceanic crust through the extrusive lavas, the sheeted dike complex, and into the gabbros. The main achievements of Leg 206 include the following:

1. Installed a reentry cone and large-diameter (20 and 16 in) casing through the 250 m of sediment overlying basement and 19 m into basement, with the lower portion cemented in place. The cone and casing allow multiple reentries and maintain hole stability, both essential for deepening Hole 1256D through the dikes and into gabbros. The large-diameter casing leaves open the possibility that at least two more casing strings could be installed in Hole 1256D should future legs need to isolate unstable portions of the hole.
2. Achieved moderate to high recovery through the upper 502 m of the igneous oceanic crust created by superfast seafloor spreading, which has allowed us to characterize the upper crust as a sequence of massive flows and thin sheet flows with minor amounts of pillow basalt and breccia. The sequence is slightly altered and has N-MORB composition. It was extruded over sufficient time to record stable geomagnetic field directions and to capture transitional directions in the upper units as the geomagnetic field reversed.
3. Recorded a full sequence of downhole logs, including the first images obtained by the UBI in hard rock in an ODP hole. Additional high-resolution images from the FMS should aid in orienting and positioning cores as well as filling in coring gaps in the igneous stratigraphy of Hole 1256D.
4. Concluded operations with Hole 1256D clean of debris, in excellent condition, and ready for the next phase of deep ocean crust drilling.