1 rig should be closer than 500 meters, and our reason is because it is 



2 not going to impact exploration, it just does not compute. 



3 Our reason for the set-back is to avoid a direct-- 



4 DR. VALENTINE: By deleting the material in parentheses you are 



5 excluding the possibility of drilling within a canyon, which we have 



6 concluded would be possible if containment were achieved. 



7 By deleting that material you are not addressing actually drilling 



8 in the canyon at all. So that changes it. 



9 DR. MACIOLEK: I guess my point is just that, as it reads now, 



10 this statement may be correct but it does not appear to me to be reason 



11 for requiring a set-back. 



12 It is just saying that the set-back will not affect operations, 



13 but it is not a reason for it. 



14 (Simultaneous discussion.) 



15 DR. AURAND: The key problem is to prevent the accumulation of 



16 footprint in the canyon. 



17 There are two ways to do that. One is to move back to the edge. 



18 The other one is to drill there but not discharge there. Then you can 



19 say, in most cases you probably will not need to drill there and a 500 



20 meter set-back will be okay. 



21 If the real goal --if the real intent of that is to not have 



22 anything accumulate in the canyon head, then I think there are two ways 



23 to do it--not let anything out, or move back away from the edge. 



24 DR. VALENTINE: In exploratory drilling, at least on Georges Bank, 



25 the routine was that the first 1,000 feet, which was like a 36 inch 



26 hole--the first 1,000 feet was an uncased hole. So they set casing at a 



27 1,000 feet. 



28 So for the first 1,000 feet of a 3-foot diameter hole the cuttings 



29 go on the floor. 



30 DR. AURAND: Yes, there is--I do not know that it always has to be 



31 a 1,000 feet-- 



32 (Simultaneous discussion.) 



381 



