After reaching a sediment depth of 143.32 m, the pipe became twisted off. A second hole was started immediately next to the first one and has already reached 76.68 m below lake floor. The core processing laboratory is full to the brim and almost overflowing with cores.

First cores recovered -- yippieee! Since March 18, 2009 shortly after midnight we are in coring business. The uppermost sediment column is retrieved by use of the Hydraulic Piston Corer (HPC). Core recovery so far is at 100% and the cores do not show any sign of disturbance. Looking forward for more, more, more!

After our last report we started up the second large electrical generator at the platform, ignited two of the diesel heaters, installed the rig, pipe rack, and casing pipe, and set up the platform electrical system and and lit the platform lights for the first time. Then, five days ago, we worked through the day and into the night--until midnight--to raise the rig's derrick and secure the tarp over the top of the derrick and platform. It was a calm day and evening, and we made the decision to work overtime to finish this task that critically depended on the weather. It was a good day capping a stretch of solid progress. The next day was a day off for all, but by the evening a strong north wind had begun to blow. It strengthened and continued over four days. With the storm raging, visibility low and large snow drifts forming, were able to reach the platform only with difficulty. We wondered how the platform, derrick and tarps would fare in their first real weather test, but they met the challenge with only a few minor problems. We are working to address them and complete the setup of the remaining platform and drilling systems.

Work here proceeds by leaps and bounds! Our newly arrived crane was put to work lifting the rig onto the platform, the derrick was attached to the rig and then slowly lifted up into position. The tent and connected tarps now cover our roof -making the platform weatherproof and looking somewhat like a circus tent. Work proceeded until midnight yet we were not so tired that we forgot Pavel's birthday... the celebration of which happens to coincide with Russian Woman's Day. Our major accomplishment is the final set up and errection of the rig and tent and we eagerly look forward to start drilling and recieving the first cores of 2009.

We've made great progress in the last few days. The platform ceiling panels have been installed, the roof tarps pulled tight, the electrical system partly set up, and the water/mud tanks positioned and connected together. Today we got the first of the two large electrical generators running. We have sorted and staged much of the equipment and supplies needed during drilling, and are presently working on firing up the diesel heaters and thawing out the drill rig. The helicopter arrived from Pevek with Martin, Grisha, Vladimir, and Kenna, and a lot of equipment and supplies, and returned to Pevek with Chico and Dietmar on board. We also welcomed the arrival of the crane for lifting the drill rig to the platform, and the transporter truck for bringing crew to/from the drill site. The chopper brought in additional bamboo poles that had been long delayed in customs, and today these were installed along the ice road to the drill site -- doubling the number of flagged markers along the route and easing the journey for people making the trip when visibility is low.

In a single day of fortuitous warm and calm weather, 14 people from the science, drilling, and camp crews worked together to put up all of the drilling platform walls. This could have been a slow and potentially hazardous task if the temperature had been -40C (it was -5C at midday--the warmest temperature since December at the least) and if the wind had been blowing (it was calm for most of the day). Instead we completed 5 days' work in one day, and we now look forward to attaching the ceiling and roof-tarps tomorrow, among other tasks. We still wait for the crane to arrive from Pevek to lift the drill rig, casing, and other exceptionally heavy equipment to the platform surface, but we're formulating backup plans in case the crane does not arrive in time. Our camp lab space is now fully constructed and operational, and is now ready for the arrival of the first cores to begin multisensor core logging.

Drilling platform construction has begun. The bulldozers have towed all of the skids to the drill site on the lake, and our crew worked through yesterday evening and throughout the day to attach the interlocking mechanisms and unite the skids into a single drilling platform. This has been a slow process, with an uneven ice surface and plenty of fresh snow on the pad -- and only a single bulldozer to push and lift the skids into their proper position. As of now, assembly is about 75% complete. The bulldozers initially encountered substantial difficulties in towing the shipping containers to the drill site, as the containers lack skids and consequently snow piled in front of the container until it became too heavy to tow. Victor and his camp crew found a more effective method of towing and have successfully transferred several of the containers.

Ice flooding at drill site D1 has completed, with the most recent thickness measurements showing 195 cm of ice on the pad. This amount is much more than needed for safety during the remainder of our expedition, and of course the ice will continue to thicken naturally over the coming weeks and months. Recent measurements on the ice road to the drill site show that the thickness has increased by 10 to 20 cm during the past month (from ~100 cm in January to 120 cm yesterday). Ice monitoring for thickness, quality, temperature, and freeboard will continue throughout the remainder of the project. Shipping containers with drilling equipment and supplies have continued to arrive at our camp via overland convoy from Pevek, with 13 of the 16 containers now present. We have inventoried equipment and arranged materials in these containers, and at present the bulldozers are towing everything to the drill pad. We plan to begin platform assembly today, and (weather permitting) we hope to finish construction in one to two weeks.

On Sunday the helicopter flew from Pevek to camp, despite strong winds and low visibility here. It brought two additional science crew members to camp, as well as food and other camp supplies. We said our goodbyes to two of the three ice engineers and one of the DOSECC crew, who boarded the empty helicopter for the return flight to Pevek. Ice flooding has thickened the ice at primary dill site D1 well beyond the requirements for drilling operations safety, but continues at a slower pace until the equipment is ready to be assembled at the site or the ice thickness has reached 200cm. Containers with drilling equipment and supplies continue to trickle into our camp; we now have 9 of the 16 containers needed. We were able to unload and/or move some of the materials that, in turn, allow us to prepare the science container dedicated for multisensor core logging. We have also been making repairs to a handful of equipment that has arrived in camp, to be certain that everything is operational and ready for rig assembly when the remaining containers arrive. The last two days have been clear and calm -- a welcome change after three and a half days of intense wind and low visibility.

Two days ago the first of the containers full of drilling equipment and supplies arrived after the ~370km journey via overland convoy from Pevek. Moving freight across this roadless landscape right now is quite an endeavor. The huge trucks creep along day and night, in calm and in storm, but get bogged down in any snow drifts that are deeper than their axles. They must take turns being pulled through the tough spots by a bulldozer. When they arrive at our camp, the containers must be unloaded from the truck beds -- but this too is a challenge because we do not yet have a crane here, so bulldozers push the snow into into a ramp that is used as an improvised loading dock. The trucks back up to this snow ramp and the bulldozer pulls the containers off the truck and down the ramp. The trucks departed yesterday evening for Pevek, and we turned our attention to the container contents, and preparing them for the drill platform assembly and operation. Ice flooding is nearly complete at primary drill site D1. The pad looks great. If the weather cooperates, tomorrow the helicopter will fly from Pevek, bringing additional science crew to the camp, and two of the three ice engineers and one of the DOSECC crew back to Pevek. At the moment the wind is strong and the air temperature is -38°C, but we hope for the best.

The last two days have been clear and calm, but the barometer has been falling steadily. The long-expected winds have arrived this morning--visibility is low once again and drifts are forming in front of our doors. One of our two Vestehot ("runabout") tracked personnel carriers broke down, which has put heavier demands for usage on the other one. We still wait for the arrival of the long-delayed overland convoys from Pevek, bringing equipment and supplies for drilling. When they arrive, we will begin assembling the drilling platform and staging the materials. In the meantime, the ice engineering team and others from camp continue to spend long hours flooding and thickening the ice at primary drill site D1. The thickened pad has become glassy smooth -- we wish for ice skates! 50cm of ice has been added to the 100cm that existed when flooding began, and we expect that five additional days of flooding will bring the thickness to the desired 200cm. We have also visited the prominent ice ridge crossing the lake parallel to our ice road.

The second of two clear days allowed the continuation of flooding for ice thickening at primary coring site D1, and also the arrival via helicopter of ten people to the lake. This influx included the drilling crew from DOSECC, operations support personnel, and Russian drillers and camp staff, and together with the addition of overland convoy drivers brought the population of Camp El'gygytgyn to 30 people at present. Strong winds and low visibility slowed work progress during the next three days, but despite the difficult conditions flooding continued at D1 yesterday. This morning dawned crystal clear and calm, with a temperature of -34°C: perfect conditions for flooding. The pumps delivered 1400 metric tons of water to the D1 ice surface over the course of four hours. We plan for additional flooding in the coming days and the arrival of the first of the DOSECC containers with the drilling platform and equipment.

Strong winds calmed after five days permitting the completion of snow removal from coring position D1. Ice flooding was commenced immediately and has continued for two days. Water was pumped from three locations within the proposed drilling platform area. Almost all of the area has been flooded with some locations around the perimeter having up to 20 cm of water applied. The ice could be heard to be cracking underneath the application of water which differed in temperature up to 30°C. This was to be expected and is of no safety concern. This application must be given time to adequately freeze prior to the next flooding event.

The ominous storm has persisted for the fourth day now, effectively halting all progress at D1. All project team members have remained in the base camp with the exception of January 31, when the safety balok was towed to D1. Visibility during their return was limited to within 20 meters. Storm intensity has increased by February 01 to display wind speeds of a minimum 100 km/hr and visibility being reduced to under 10 meters, despite the rather moderate temperature of -22C. Personnel have been taking advantage of this lull in field activity to complete logistical and camp-maintenance duties in addition to resting. The included map and profile shows the ice status to date.

One of the camp bulldozers has cleared the snow cover from approximately one third of the ice surface at the drilling location D1. A mobile trailor, called a balok, has been prepared for positioning at D1. This will remain onsite for emergencies and also for defrosting the ice-flooding equipment and personnel who expect extended hours, once the ice flooding commences. The following day all personnel were confined to base camp duties. This was due to extremely high velocity wind and the accompanying reduced visibility, sometimes limited to 100 meters. The snow clearing operation will continue once this weather front has abated.

A separate ice road is required for each drilling location on Lake El’gygytgyn. The ice roads are 7.2 km and 5.0 km long to D1 and D2 respectively. The northern location D1, nearest the Lake centre, is isolated from location D2 by an active pressure ridge. It was determined not to attempt any manner of crossing the pressure ridge and crack by the ice safety specialists with EBA Engineering Consultants. This pressure ridge averages 5 meters across and is accompanied with an active crack that averages 1 to 2 meters in width. Additional road markers of bamboo poles were installed every 60 meters along the ice road to D1. The ice thickness along the ice road to D1 was verified with an additional profiling program testing every 0.5 km and the perimeter of the D1 platform was also profiled. This was to confirm adequate ice thickness for the deployment of a bulldozer to clear the snow from the D1 platform. All ice thicknesses exceeded now 1.0 meter. Snow clearing and subsequent flooding of the D1 platform is expected to start immediately.

Ice road construction has concluded the layout of both roads to the drilling sites D1 and D2. Distance signs and marker poles of bamboo have been frozen in place every 250 meters. Work has progressed every day during daylight hours, despite the frigid temperatures which often drop below -30 C, not considering the windchill factor. Both D1 and D2 ice platforms have been marked out, also with bamboo poles, and are awaiting snow clearing prior to the commencement of flooding.

The preliminary team of scientists for the Lake El'gygytgyn Project arrived at the lake via helicopter from Pevek on January 19. They will assist organising the base camp and immediately commence ice road construction prior to positioning the drilling rig. The route of this road must safely navigate the ice cracks and pressure ridges which traverse the lake surface. The present ice thickness varies an average of 1.0 m near the shoreline and 0.9 to 1.1 m near the lake centre.

The drilling is finished: With a final depth of 141.5 meters the campaign can be considered as a success! The hole was cased further down to 4 meters and a thermistor chain was inserted to establish a new continuous long-term monitoring spot in the permafrost. This is to further study the temperature profile development and possible changes in the permafrost of the Arctic. It is part of the TSP (Thermal State of Permafrost) network. The hole was then sealed and things are packed to bring out people as well as the cores. This won’t be a final farewell to Lake El’gygytgyn: In a short while the ice thickening people will get the ice ready for the lake sediment drilling campaign following us to this remote location. We wish them all the best, good luck, stay warm and - Drill deep!!!

The Permafrost crew is accompanied by two journalists. They film a 45-minute documentation mainly for the high quality channel ARTE but also a 52 minutes version for the international market. We are looking forward to seeing an ambitious movie of an ambitious project.