Mohole Project Records, 1943, 1958-1967 (SAC 11)

OFF-SITE STORAGE: COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. ALLOW ONE WEEK FOR RETRIEVAL OF MATERIALS.

Extent: 11.6 Linear feet (29 archives boxes)

Project Mohole (1958-1967) was a multi-institutional federally funded science program to retrieve a sample of the Earth's mantle layer by drilling through the crust layer in the deep ocean. This collection documents its committee support, technical progress, and contributions to oceanography and ocean drilling.

Project Mohole was a multi-institutional federally funded science program to retrieve a sample of the Earth's mantle layer by drilling through the crust layer in the deep ocean. The project began under the leadership of the American Miscellaneous Society (AMSOC), an informal group formed at the Office of Naval Research in 1952, with Walter Munk and Roger Revelle of Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO) among the members. In 1958, AMSOC received approval and funds from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to begin experimental ocean drilling. At this time AMSOC began functioning as an official unit of the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). The project was planned for three phases: experimental drilling and technical feasibility, intermediate vessel construction and site selection, and final Mohole drilling. The first phase was completed in 1961, after a drilling a shallow experimental hole offshore of Guadalupe Island, Mexico.

With the success of the first phase, AMOSC relinquished direction of the project to the NSF, who sought proposals for a primary contractor from oceanographic institutions, construction companies, and oil and gas drilling companies. In 1962 they selected Brown & Root, a construction company based out of Houston, Texas, and subsidiary of Halliburton Co., as primary contractor in charge of all aspects of the project. AMSOC officially dissolved in 1964, but members continued to unofficially advise Brown & Root under the AMSOC title and through two subsequent committees, the Long Core Committee (LOCO) and the Consortium for Oceanic Research and Exploration (CORE).

Under the direction of Brown & Root, the project progressed into phase two, but faced technical, financial, and managerial problems. Brown & Root hired numerous subcontractors to develop the technologies needed for deep sea drilling and core retrieval, at times at odds with NSF and committee recommendations. A significant point of contention revolved around the need for "intermediate" stage drilling, with Brown & Root preferring to begin drilling the Mohole as soon as possible while the scientists advised the need for more shallow trials in geologically different sites. Sites considered for drilling included areas around Hawai'i, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and the North Atlantic Ocean. In 1965 the project officially selected the area off the north shore of Maui as the Mohole site.

In 1963 the US Congress began to question the use of funds by NSF for project Mohole, and in 1966 they terminated the project. Following the termination of Mohole, many scientists and materials were transferred to the related Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) or Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling (JOIDES) program.

This collection documents the operations of Project Mohole from its inception in 1958 to its termination in 1967. The majority of the collection consists of progress reports to the NSF from the primary contractor Brown & Root with updates on technological developments in areas of drilling, naval architecture, logistics, geology, seismology, bathymetry, instrumentation design, site survey, and land- and sea-based experimental drill holes. A master index exists for navigating these Progress and Technical Reports.

The remaining collection consists of administrative materials discussing AMSOC's inception of the Mohole project, early planning meetings, the process of site selection, contractor selection, discussion on the nature of and need for an "intermediate" stage, the evolving duties of AMSOC, LOCO, and CORE in Mohole activities, and congressional inquiry into Mohole spending. Committee scientists also kept extensive research files on contemporary Soviet drilling projects. The collection contains two artificial files by SIO archivists on project chronologies and bibliographies, consisting of selected AMSOC memoranda, correspondence, and documents, including a 1943 proposal "Core Drilling Under the Oceans" from Thomas Jaggar to the International Union for Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG).

The collection is arranged into five series: 1) COMMITTEES, 2) CORRESPONDENCE, 3) CONTRACTORS, 4) RESEARCH FILES, 5) PRESS COVERAGE.

To view the 1961 film "Experimental deep water drilling: Project Mohole," see the UC San Diego Library Digital Collections (available online).

For additional material at UC San Diego related to ocean drilling, see the Deep Sea Drilling Project Records, SAC 12. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego Library.

Provenance

In 1978, SIO Archivist Elizabeth (Betty) Shor gathered items for a collection of documents related to the Mohole Project from the offices of project members George Shor, Russell Raitt, William Benson, and others. This material was officially accessioned into the SIO Archives in 1981 and represents the participation of SIO scientists in the Mohole Project. In 1991, an additional accession of Brown & Root and subcontractor reports were added from the SIO Library. These materials were processed together and represented in one finding aid in 2024.

Container List

COMMITTEES

Scope and Content of Series"

SERIES 1) COMMITTEES: Contains meeting minutes, memoranda, and planning notes from the various Mohole committees, in addition to materials generated by and for the US Congress for their inquiry into the Mohole project, including estimated budgets, summary progress reports, and statements for the Congressional Record. The collection contains two artificial files by Elizabeth (Betty) Shor on project chronologies and bibliographies, consisting of selected AMSOC memoranda, correspondence, and documents, including a 1943 proposal "Core Drilling Under the Oceans" from Thomas Jaggar to the International Union for Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG).

Box 1 Folder 1
Project chronology, 1943, 1962-1968

Included in chronological reports is a pre-Mohole 1943 proposal "Core Drilling Under the Oceans" from Thomas Jaggar to the International Union for Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG).

Box 1 Folder 2
Bibliographies, undated, 1967
Box 1 Folder 3-8
American Miscellaneous Society (AMSOC) minutes and memoranda, 1958-1963
Box 2 Folder 1-2
American Miscellaneous Society (AMSOC) minutes and memoranda, 1964-1966
Box 2 Folder 3
Long Core (LOCO) committee, 1962-1964
Box 2 Folder 4
Consortium for Oceanic Research and Exploration (CORE), 1963-1975
Box 2 Folder 5
International Upper Mantle Symposia, Site Selection Committee, 1965 September
Box 2 Folder 6
United States Congress hearings, House of Representatives Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Subcommittee on Oceanography, 1961-1963
Box 2 Folder 7
Congressional Record, 1963-1966
Box 2 Folder 8
Statements before Senate Committee on Appropriations, 1963-1966
Box 2 Folder 9
William Benson portfolio for Senate Committee on Appropriations hearing, 1963 July 15
Box 2 Folder 10
National Science Foundation (NSF) Mohole Annual Reports, 1963-1965

CORRESPONDENCE

Scope and Content of Series

SERIES 2) CORRESPONDENCE: Outgoing correspondence, organized alphabetically. Files contain information related to AMSOC, LOCO, and CORE personnel and duties, including ship and instrumentation design and acquisition, meeting preparation, and personal notes.

Box 3 Folder 1
Adkins, John, 1959
Box 3 Folder 2
Allott, Gordon, 1963
Box 3 Folder 3
Arrhenius, Gustaf, 1961-1962
Box 3 Folder 4
Bascom, Willard, 1959-1963
Box 3 Folder 5
Benson, William, 1962-1964
Box 3 Folder 6
Bolton, Wilbur, 1967
Box 3 Folder 7
Brown, Edmund, 1966
Box 3 Folder 8
Burk, Creighton (C.A.), 1963-1964
Box 3 Folder 9
Cook, Earl (E.F.), 1964
Box 3 Folder 10
Creager, Joe, 1966
Box 3 Folder 11
Emiliani, Cesare, 1962-1964
Box 3 Folder 12
Ewing, Maurice, 1963
Box 3 Folder 13
Frautschy, Jeffery (J.D.), 1960-1965
Box 3 Folder 14
Fye, Paul, 1963, 1966
Box 3 Folder 15
Gaskell, Tom (T.F.), 1959
Box 3 Folder 16
Hamilton, Warren, 1961
Box 3 Folder 17
Haworth, Leland, 1963
Box 3 Folder 18
Hedberg, Hollis, 1962-1963
Box 3 Folder 19
Heroy, William, 1959-1963
Box 3 Folder 20
Hersey, John Brackett (J.B.), 1963
Box 3 Folder 21
Hess, Harry Hammond (H.H.), 1959-1965
Box 3 Folder 22
Hill, Melvin, 1963
Box 3 Folder 23
Keith, Hastings, 1966
Box 3 Folder 24
Keller, Geoffrey, 1962
Box 3 Folder 25
Kennedy, Edward, 1966
Box 3 Folder 26
Kerr, Clark, 1961, 1966
Box 3 Folder 27
Kirk, Grayson, 1963
Box 3 Folder 28
Knauss, John, 1960
Box 3 Folder 29
Koczy, Fritz, 1963
Box 3 Folder 30
Krueger, Harold, 1962
Box 3 Folder 31
Kuchel, Thomas, 1966
Box 3 Folder 32
Ladd, Harry (H.S.), 1962-1963
Box 3 Folder 33
Lathrop, Russell, 1961
Box 3 Folder 34
Lill, Gordon, 1957-1966
Box 3 Folder 35
Mackin, J. Hoover, 1967
Box 3 Folder 36
Manar, Thomas, 1960-1961

Material on "Experimental deep water drilling" film

Box 3 Folder 37
Maxwell, Arthur E., 1966
Box 3 Folder 38
McClure, Alan, 1962
Box 3 Folder 39
McLelland, Jack, 1961
Box 3 Folder 40
Munk, Walter, 1966
Box 3 Folder 41
Murphy, Franklin, 1963
Box 3 Folder 42
Murphy, George, 1966
Box 3 Folder 43
Nierenberg, William, 1966
Box 3 Folder 44
Ohanian, Chad, 1961
Box 3 Folder 45
Paitson, Lloyd, 1963
Box 3 Folder 46
Pakiser, Louis Charles (L.C.), 1963
Box 3 Folder 47
Petrie, William, 1962-1964
Box 3 Folder 48
Pollard, Dwight, 1963
Box 3 Folder 49
Raitt, Russell, 1958-1963
Box 3 Folder 50
Revelle, Roger, 1961-1964

Materials on CORE.

Box 3 Folder 51
Riedel, William, 1962-1963

Materials on LOCO.

Box 3 Folder 52
Robertson, Randal M., 1962
Box 3 Folder 53
Rubey, William, 1966
Box 3 Folder 54
Ruttenberg, Charles, 1963

Materials related to House Committee.

Box 3 Folder 55
Savage, Godfrey, 1961
Box 3 Folder 56
Savit, Carl, 1963
Box 3 Folder 57
Scherer, Paul, 1962-1963
Box 3 Folder 58
Seitz, Frederick, 1962-1963
Box 4 Folder 1
Shor, George, 1958-1965
Box 4 Folder 2
Sides, Joseph D. (J.D.), 1963
Box 4 Folder 3
Spiess, Fred, 1962-1963
Box 4 Folder 4
Stanford, Henry King, 1963
Box 4 Folder 5
Stewart, Harris, 1963
Box 4 Folder 6
Swallow, John C., 1959
Box 4 Folder 7
Taylor, Angus, 1966
Box 4 Folder 8
Terrell, Richard (R.L.), 1961
Box 4 Folder 9
Thornburg, Russell, 1961-1963
Box 4 Folder 10
Thurston, William, 1958
Box 4 Folder 11
Van Andel, Jerry, 1965-1966
Box 4 Folder 12
Walt, Harold, 1966
Box 4 Folder 13
Waterman, Alan, 1961-1963
Box 4 Folder 14
Woodward, C. Don, 1962
Box 4 Folder 15
Woollard, George Prior, 1965
Box 4 Folder 16
York, Herbert, 1961

CONTRACTORS

Scope and Content of Series

SERIES 3) CONTRACTORS: Contains documentation related to the search for a primary contractor and the operation of the program under the direction of Brown & Root in that role. The series is divided into three subseries: A) Proposals, B) Brown & Root Reports, and C) Subcontractor Reports. A) Proposals: Contains the proposals received for the role of primary contractor and other subcontractor roles, as well as budgets and project cost estimates. B) Brown & Root Reports: Consists of monthly reports issued from Brown & Root to the NSF for progress in oceanography and geology, naval architecture, marine engineering, instrumentation, drilling, scheduling, logistics, operations, and subcontracts. A master index of reports exists for navigating this subseries. C) Subcontractor Reports: Contains the final reports sent to Brown & Root from subcontractors on specified projects.

Proposals

Box 4 Folder 17
Primary contractor selection, 1961-1963
Box 4 Folder 18
Brown & Root contracts, 1962-1964
Box 4 Folder 19
Zapata Off-Shore proposals, 1962

Contains signed letter by George H. W. Bush in his capacity as President of Zapata Offshore Company (1962).

Box 4 Folder 20
Battelle Memorial Institute proposals, 1961-1962
Box 4 Folder 21
Texas Instruments subcontract proposal, 1961
Box 4 Folder 22
Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO) subcontract proposals, 1961-1962
Box 4 Folder 23
United States Underseas Cable Corporation proposal, 1961
Box 4 Folder 24
State Boat Corporation proposal, 1961
Box 4 Folder 25
Moore Brothers Electric Corporation drill proposal, 1961
Box 4 Folder 26
Ocean Science and Exploration, Inc. proposal, 1962
Box 4 Folder 27
Brown & Root Project Estimates, 1964, 1966

Brown & Root Reports

Box 5 Folder 1
Master Index of Scientific and Technical Progress Reports, 1967 February 6
Box 5 Folder 2-6
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1963 November 30 - 1964 January 31
Box 6 Folder 1-5
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1964 January 31 - 1964 March 31
Box 7 Folder 1-5
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1964 March 31 - 1964 April 30
Box 8 Folder 1-7
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1964 April 30 - 1964 June 30
Box 9 Folder 1-6
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1964 June 30 - 1964 August 31
Box 10 Folder 1-5
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1964 August 31 - 1964 September 30
Box 11 Folder 1-6
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1964 September 30 - 1964 October 31
Box 12 Folder 1-6
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1964 October 31 - 1964 November 30
Box 13 Folder 1-6
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1964 November 30 - 1964 December 31
Box 14 Folder 1-6
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1964 December 31 - 1965 February 28
Box 15 Folder 1-6
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1965 February 28 - 1965 April 30
Box 16 Folder 1-6
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1965 April 30 - 1965 May 31
Box 17 Folder 1-8
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1965 May 31 - 1965 August 31
Box 18 Folder 1-7
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1965 September 30 - 1965 December 31
Box 19 Folder 1-6
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1966 January 31 - 1966 February 28
Box 20 Folder 1-6
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1966 March 31 - 1966 September 30
Box 21 Folder 1-3
Brown & Root Scientific and Technical Progress (STP) Report, 1966 September 30
Box 21 Folder 4
Brown & Root Phase II Final Report: Sidewall Coring Tool, 1965 January 4

Contract NSF C-260

Box 21 Folder 5-7
Brown & Root, "Stage A Report, Equipment Evaluation Test Well at Uvalde Texas", 1965 May 1
Box 22 Folder 1-2
Brown & Root, "Design Dossier for Riser System," Re-issue, 1966 February 21
Box 22 Folder 3
Brown & Root Phase II Stage "A" Report: Magnetic Susceptibility & Magnetic Intensity Logging Tools, 1967 May 10

Contract NSF C-260

Box 22 Folder 4
Brown & Root Phase II Stage "A" Report: Re-Entry Sonar Supplement No.1, 1967 May 29

Contract NSF C-260

Box 22 Folder 5
Brown & Root Phase II Final Report: Turbocorer Instrumentation, 1967 July 5

Contract NSF C-260

Box 22 Folder 6
Brown & Root Phase II Final Report: Bumper-Sub Instrumentation, 1967 July 19

Contract NSF C-260

Box 22 Folder 7
Brown & Root Phase II Stage "A" Report: Vessel Heave Compensator, 1967 August 4

Contract NSF C-260

Box 22 Folder 8
Brown & Root, "Supplement to Stage "A" Design Report, Power Plant and Electrical Distribution Equipment System", 1967 September 29
Box 22 Folder 9
Brown & Root Phase II Final Report: Downhole Drilling Tools, ca. 1967

Contract NSF C-260

Box 23 Folder 1
Brown & Root Phase II Final Report: Drilling Fluid and Cementing System, ca. 1967

Contract NSF C-260

Box 23 Folder 2
Brown & Root Phase II Final Report: Hoisting System, ca. 1967

Contract NSF C-260

Box 23 Folder 3
Brown & Root Phase II Final Report: Pipe Handling System, ca. 1967

Contract NSF C-260

Box 23 Folder 4
Brown & Root Phase II Final Report: Rotating System, ca. 1967

Contract NSF C-260

Box 23 Folder 5
Brown & Root, Presentation to Bureau of Yards and Docks Navy Department, 1964 July 31
Box 23 Folder 6
Brown & Root, Presentation to United States Coast Guard Service, Merchant Marine Technical division, 1966 February 16

Subcontractor Reports

Box 23 Folder 7
Shell Oil Company, "Floating Drilling and Underwater Well Completions, A Course for Industry", 1962 November 9
Box 23 Folder 8
American Science & Engineering Company, "Results of Oceanographic Studies-II", 1963 May 24
Box 23 Folder 9
American Science & Engineering Company, "Platform Motion Design Criteria", 1963 December 9
Box 23 Folder 10
Robert Taggart, Inc., "Preliminary design of retraction system for steering propulsion units", 1963 June
Box 23 Folder 11
Western Gear Corporation, "Design of drilling vessel positioning units", 1964 August
Box 23 Folder 12
Gibbs & Cox, Inc., "Specification for construction of the positioning units for the Project Mohole drilling platform", 1965 February
Box 24 Folder 1
The University of Michigan, "Model tests of project Mohole drilling platform final report", 1964 August
Box 24 Folder 2
Robert Taggart, Inc., "Propeller design studies and analysis of model tests", 1964 November
Box 24 Folder 3
Robert Taggart, Inc., "Propeller and nozzle design for positioning units", 1965 March
Box 24 Folder 4
National Engineering Science Company, "On the Dynamic Analysis of the Mohole Riser", 1964 November
Box 24 Folder 5
Armco Steel Corporation, "Drawworks Design Layout Data", 1964 November 16
Box 24 Folder 6-7
Armco Steel Corporation, "Drawworks Design Layout Drawings", 1964
Box 24 Folder 8
National Engineering Science Company, "Dynamic Stress Analysis of the Mohole Riser System", 1965 January
Box 25 Folder 1
National Engineering Science Company, "Dynamic Stress Analysis of the Mohole Riser System, Addendum", 1965 March
Box 25 Folder 2
National Engineering Science Company, "Structural Dynamic Analysis of the Riser and Drill String for Project Mohole, Final Report Addendum, Compendium of Supporting Data", 1965 December
Box 25 Folder 3
General Motors Corporation, "Manual for Operation and Maintenance of the SBS Position-Measurement System", 1966 January
Box 25 Folder 4
Chu Associates, "Drilling Platform Antenna Design and Arrangement Study," Phase II final report, 1966 March 12
Box 25 Folder 5-6
Halliburton Company, "Pump Expendable Parts Test", 1966 October 5
Box 26 Folder 1
Stevens Institute of Technology, Davidson Laboratory, "1/100-Scale Model Tests of Mohole Drilling Platform in Waves", 1967 January
Box 26 Folder 2
Honeywell, "A Technical Manual for Long Baseline SONAR Subsystem Operation and Maintenance", 1967 February 10
Box 26 Folder 3
Honeywell, "A Technical Manual for the Phase Comparison Reference Positioning System Operation and Maintenance", 1967 February 17
Box 26 Folder 4
Honeywell, "A Technical Manual for Vessel Positioning System Operation and Maintenance", 1967 February 28
Box 26 Folder 5
Honeywell, "A Technical Manual for Positioning Computer Subsystem Operation and Maintenance", 1967 February 28
Box 26 Folder 6
Honeywell, Design diagrams, 1966-1967
Box 27 Folder 1-2
Messinger Consultants Company, "Progress Report Project Mohole, Communications", ca. 1967
Box 27 Folder 3
Saturn Electronics Corporation, Automatic Pipe Racking System. Volume I., ca. 1967
Box 27 Folder 4
Saturn Electronics Corporation, Automatic Pipe Racking System. Volume II., ca. 1967
Box 27 Folder 5
Saturn Electronics Corporation, Automatic Pipe Racking System. Volume III., ca. 1967

RESEARCH FILES

Scope and Content of Series

SERIES 4) RESEARCH FILES: Contains research files generated by SIO scientists or sent to SIO scientists from other Mohole participants. Types of material include site survey reports, maps, seismic charts, instrumentation and vessel design blueprints. A large file contains reports of contemporary Soviet drilling projects.

Box 28 Folder 1
Experimental drilling, 1959-1962
Box 28 Folder 2
Experimental drilling in deep water, 1960
Box 28 Folder 3
Intermediate drilling program, 1963
Box 28 Folder 4
Hawaiian arch site survey reports, 1964
Box 28 Folder 5
Hawaiian arch site survey seismic refraction charts, 1964
Box 28 Folder 6
Hawaiian arch site survey maps, 1964
Box 28 Folder 7
Report of visit to St. Peter and St. Paul's rocks, 1963
Box 28 Folder 8
A study of serpentinite: the AMSOC core hole near Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, 1964
Box 28 Folder 9
Vector cable company floating cable design, 1964
Box 28 Folder 10
A seismic investigation of the Barracuda Fault area, 1966
Box 28 Folder 11
Barracuda fault charts, 1966
Box 29 Folder 1-3
Soviet drilling, 1960-1965

PRESS COVERAGE

Scope and Content of Series

SERIES 5) PRESS COVERAGE: Contains selected press releases, popular news, and trade journal coverage of Mohole activities.

Box 29 Folder 4
Press releases, 1959-1965
Box 29 Folder 5
Newspaper articles and clippings, 1958-1967
Box 29 Folder 6
Trade journal articles and clippings, 1958-1966