OCEANOGRAPHY 1961 — PHASE 3 195 



"We have some experts in foraminifera, the small ocean-borne ani- 

 mals which some of our marine biologist friends are so interested in. 

 We have some experts in isotope geology. 



We are particularly concerned with variations in nitrogen, carbon, 

 oxygen, sulfur, hydrogen- deuterium ratios, and so forth. All of 

 these people, while not primarily oceanographers, could contribute 

 significantly, I feel, to the technology of research, basic research, in 

 oceanography. 



I do" not mean to suggest that the universities should not be the 

 leaders in basic research, but I do feel that we can make a contribu- 

 tion if it should be desired. 



In the field of technology, or engineering, oil industry laboratories 

 can make quite a contribution in the field of instruments. I will not 

 go into detail, there. Other types of instruments that would be of 

 use in oceanography, but which we do not consider to be geophysical 

 primarily, would include some of our well logging instruments. 

 These are instruments which we lower down a well to make physical 

 or chemical measurements on the surrounding rocks and the fluids 

 in them. 



For example, we have developed instruments for measuring chlo- 

 rinity in the waters in the rock. I have no idea whether these wou^d 

 satisfy the requirements of the oceanographers, but it has been esti- 

 mated that by a neutron absorption method which we know a little 

 bit about, we could measure chlorinity to perhaps one-tenth of 1 per- 

 cent in situ. In other words, the instrument can be lowered down into 

 the ocean, and the salinity can be measured in situ, without having 

 to bring the instrument back and run it through a laboratory. 



Density measurements might also be made. I do not know whether 

 the requisite accuracy could be arrived at by a gamma absorption 

 method. As I say, I do not know whether these would satisfy your 

 requirements, but we would be most happy to discuss it with appro- 

 priate people from the Government to see whether there is a possi- 

 bility for a contribution here. 



The field of temperature measurements : I understand that the BT 

 problems are some of the more difficult problems encountered. 



For studies of underground combustion of oil, a method of improv- 

 ing recovery, we have developed a down-hole thermometer. Perhaps 

 this could be used in oceanography. I do not know. We would be 

 gald to discuss it. 



Another area, outside the field of geophysics but still pertinent to 

 oceanography, is in the field of wave forces. Our basic drilling re- 

 search or basic engineering of drilling, rather, has been carrying out 

 an extensive program for a number of years on the effect of wave 

 forces on piles. Interest, of course, is in offshore drilling platforms. 



I have a little material here to illustrate what is going on, which 

 I would like to show you, if I may. 



We have had two programs in this field, Wave Forces I and Wave 

 Forces II. This is a magazine article taken from Petroleum Week 

 for January 20, 1961, which has a picture of the general setup used 

 in our Wave Forces I program. 



This is an offshore drilling platform off the southern coast of Lou- 

 isiana, Bay Marchand, to be exact, which is a field owned by our com- 

 pany. This program operated from 1954 to 1958. And here is an- 



