Standard Operating Procedure – Logging Technician
V.378P | September 2018 / Original March 2014 | V.375
I. PRE EXPEDITION
- Complete mandated training for sea going staff within required time frame, see your supervisor for detail.
- Attend Pre-cruise meeting if available
- Assist in preparing up-coming expedition, duty as assigned by shore base supervisor(s)
- You are responsible to learn, understand, and operate all instruments, including software applications, outlined in this SOP. This could include contacting vendor to attend instrumentation training classes, scheduling in house training, reading manuals, and any other process in order to complete this goal.
- You are expected to learn, understand, and perform all the tasks outlined in this SOP.
II. PORT CALL - Start of an Expedition
- Find your room and bunk assignment, drop your luggage off either in the F-deck Conference room or your room.
- Go to the curator/logging office and begin cross over with the offgoing technician. Read the lab report from the previous Expedition and discuss any changes in equipment status or procedures.
- Attend introductory meeting or any other safety or training meetings.
- Assist with loading/unloading of cores, freight and other tasks as directed by the Lab Officer (LO) or Assistant Lab Officer (ALO).
- Unpack all oncoming freight and distribute them accordingly
- Collect and remove all trash from your lab.
III. SITE PREPARATION - Prior to arrival on site and core on deck
- Ensure you are aware of the logging plan.
- Coordinate with the EPM to determine who should be on the email distribution list for the data transfer alerts. The logging scientists should be included in the list to ensure data is accessible as soon as it is available.
- Introduce the logging scientists to their workstations and the software and resources available.
- Coordinate with logging scientist and engineer about any site survey data that needs to be plotted (e.g., seismic profiles and legacy wireline geophysical data).
- Set-up a project in Petrel and/or Techlog. Get the final site or shotpoint coordinate from the logging scientist and update with the final site fix from the underway technician or operations superintendent. Load any site-survey or legacy data.
- During the hole preparation for logging, establish communication with LDEO-BRG to update them about the logging plan.
IV. During Logging and Coring Operations
- Primary duties are assisting as needed in the core lab. For details on Core lab responsibilities refer to the Core lab SOP.
- In between primary duties in the core laboratory, plot in Petrel, Techlog or both, any core data relevant to core-log-seismic integration: PWL/C, GRA, MS, NGR, etc. Consult the logging scientist or co-chief as to what other data they want to plot.
- During the rigging-up process, be available to provide overview of the logging operation or answer questions to any scientist who is interested.
- Work closely with the logging engineer, keeping track of all information relevant to plotting the data (e.g., depth of drill string, estimates of water depth, etc.). If possible, monitor the logging operation in order to have a better understanding of the data collected, which is significant when interfacing with logging scientist later.
- After the logging operation, coordinate with the logging engineer about the transfer of data to LDEO-BRG. Receive from logging engineer all relevant data on a flash drive or other media device. Ensure this data is not corrupted before transfer protocol.
- As soon as the raw logging data becomes available, the Logging Technician or Schlumberger Engineer copy the files into the JR2Lamont Folder on the Yellowstone transfer drive. If there are any problems with data transfers, you can check the logging email account for any emails regarding the problem, talk to the logging engineer, or email Cristina Broglia (chris@ldeo.colombia.edu).
- Copy the raw files in the 'data1' and 'Uservol' folder for backup purposes. Inform the logging scientists and EPM about the availability of the raw (and later, the processed) data. Double check with the Marine Computer Specialist (MCS) that the data transfer is operating correctly. Find solutions to any problems that arise.
- Monitor your email and/or the Yellowstone:\Lamont2JR folder for the incoming processed data. Copy the files in data1 and/or other working folders for logging in that expedition. Inform the scientists about the availability of the data.
- Backup files in an external hard drive dedicated for logging operations. Do not leave these often large files in the network folder. Ideally, we should keep the files in the external hard drive as long as possible, so they're available for any questions in the future, or to provide examples (for non-proprietary seismics and out-of-moratorium data). As the drives may contain proprietary/classified information as well as moratorium data from recent expeditions, make sure to keep the external drive in a secured place.
- Work with the logging scientist to open and display the raw data so that the scientists can immediately have an idea of the logging profiles and start their general interpretation for the Site Report. Email and/or post the plots in thee Core Lab (i.e. on the whiteboard near the NGR) for scientists to have an initial overview of the result. Copy the plot file into the relevant folder in data1 and Uservol.
V. During Transits
- Continue processing cores through the lab as described above.
- Core lab duties as described before apply here.
- Continue helping the scientists in plotting the data or, if needed, in the core-log-seismic integration process.
VI. During Expedition
- Receive core and assist as needed in the core lab (i.e. splitting, restocking, boxing core, disposing of trash, and general cleaning and maintenance of core lab). Remember, the core lab is your primary duty and logging duties come secondary to that unless arrangements are made with the Lab Officer to meet special objectives.
- All staff are expected to report to work 5 minutes prior to the shift change time to cross-over with the off-going staff. You should be "ready to work" when you come on shift.
- All staff are expected to have their breakfast prior to coming on shift, have their dinner (supper) after shift ends and they are relieved by the oncoming staff. Lunch is the only meal eaten during the shift.
- Although break time onboard is scheduled at 3am, 9am, 3pm, and 9pm, due to our responsibilities, all staff are expected to adjust their break time according to "core-on-deck" schedules. A 15 minutes break time is reasonable. Note that when core flow is high enough, breaks may need to be cut short.
- All staff on shift are expected to be available for the entire 12 hours. You must respond to a call or a page. If you will be working in an area where no speaker or phone available, it is recommended that you notify ALO or your fellow staff with your whereabouts.
- All staff are expected to follow safety regulations at all time. All staff are also expected to observe the scientists' behavior and if they are not following safety rules, either correct it or inform the ALO.
- Wearing headphones with music during shift is highly discouraged due to safety reasons.
VII. END OF EXPEDITION ACTIVITIES
- Write the End-of-Expedition Technical Report and give a copy to the Lab Officer.
- Make sure all raw and processed logging data are copied to the data1 folder before the MCSs cut off network folder access. All non-essential data should be erased from the hard disks of all the computers.
- Get rid of all printed log plots from the laboratory for data security.
- Pack up equipment being returned for repairs and give the Assistant Lab Officer the following information: IODP inventory number, value, weight, serial number, model number, vendor's name and country of manufacture.
- Give the Lab Officer a list for port purchases if any.
- Clean the lab and assigned area following the cleaning instruction listed by the LO/ALO. Bring all the trash to the incinerator. Glass and sharps get disposed of in port call.
VIII. PORT CALL – Off Going
- Find the oncoming Technical Staff for your lab and perform crossover. Make available a copy of your tech report for crossover. Make sure the on-coming staff is aware of any changes made to the lab, procedures, current equipment status, and port purchases if necessary.
- Attend the port call meeting.
- Unload off going airfreight and frozen shipment, or any freight as required. Load on-coming freight if time permits.
- You must check into the hotel appointed by IODP travel as soon as possible after departing the ship and must remain checked in until released from official duty which is based on departure time for the ideal "trip." This is because it may be necessary to contact you in order to find out some key piece of information, so please remain reachable that first day, if only by leaving messages with the front desk.
Created by Seth Frank on Exp. 354
Updated by Seth Frank on Exp. 359
Updated by Zenon Mateo on Exp. 371T (17 July 2017)
Updated by Lisa Crowder and Zenon Mateo on 374 (16 Feb 2018) Reviewed by Trevor Williams
Edited by Zenon Mateo on Exp 378P