Overseas Drilling and Texas A&M Research Foundation (TAMRF) have agreed the extension of TAMRF’s charter of the scientific research vessel ‘JOIDES Resolution’.

According to Overseas Drilling’s parent company Siem Offshore, the extension is until September 30,2016 and TAMRF has further options to extend the charter until September 30, 2023 on an annual basis.

The JOIDES Resolution is a seagoing research vessel that drills core samples and collects measurements from under the ocean floor.

The JOIDES Resolution, a dynamically positioned drill ship, with an onboard scientific laboratory, has been investigating the Earth’s origin and evolution through scientific ocean coring worldwide, since 1985.

The Vessel, built in 1978, has undergone a major refit and conversion at Jurong Shipyard Singapore in 2008.

JOIDES Resolution’s complement can consist of 50 scientists and technicians and 65 crew members.

While contracted for the Ocean Drilling Program and the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, operations have extended from north of the Arctic Circle to south of the Antarctic Circle and from the depths of the Mariana Trench to the coastal areas off New Jersey.

The vessel has also conducted gas hydrate investigative programs for Governments Agencies of Japan and India, as well as stratigraphic coring to calibrate seismic data/basin correlation for major oil companies.