ODP Final Technical Report - Ocean Drilling Program - Texas A&M ...

ODP Final Technical ReportPanel. These panels established policies andprocedures for site selection (see “Appendix I”of the ODP Policy Manual [www.odplegacy.org/program_admin/policies.html]). In addition,the Science Operator established a separateSafety Panel to provide an independentassessment of risks associated with proposedsites. The goal was to ensure that the ship didnot drill in locations posing a significant risk ofencountering hydrocarbons. It is a testimonyto the effectiveness of these review proceduresthat no uncontrolled release of hydrocarbonsinto the marine environment occurred as aresult of ODP operations during the entire 20-year operational phase of the Program.Another environmental concern was the directrisk to marine life from ODP operations,particularly when operations were planned insensitive areas such as the Great Barrier Reef.In such cases, the Science Operator workedwith the appropriate authorities to developspecific operating guidelines acceptable to allparties involved. In later years, concern developedover the risk to marine mammals fromseismic (air gun) operations from the drillship.This led to the development of a rigorousmarine mammal policy designed to minimizethe impact of ODP operations (see “AppendixY” of the ODP Policy Manual [www.odplegacy.org/program_admin/policies.html]).Documentationand TrainingODP procedures were extensively documentedto help standardize shipboard operations, trainnew staff, and facilitate later interpretation ofthe scientific results of ODP. A series of “toolsheets” provided an overview of the engineeringtools and hardware used in ODP and theiroperation (www.odplegacy.org/operations/coring.html).A similar set of tool sheets summarizedthe logging tools (www.odplegacy.org/operations/labs/downhole/tools.html).More detailed tool manuals provided shipboardscientists and technicians with step-bystepinstructions for use of tools and hardware.ODP-TAMU laboratory procedures weredescribed in a series of “cookbooks” andstandard operating procedures (SOPs) (www.odplegacy.org/operations/labs.html). Thelaboratory cookbooks were simplified manualsthat provided background information regardingspecific measurements or groups of relatedmeasurements and information regardinglaboratory procedures and limitations for eachtype of measurement, whereas the SOPs consistedof lists of specific tasks associated witheach measurement or laboratory and the orderin which they had to be completed.50