Remote Wireline Offsider

• Can you spend November 2025 to January 2026 away from home?
• Are you interested in a two to three month fixed-term contract in Antarctica?
• Do you have experience in wireline and scientific drilling and can demonstrate practical experience setting up and operating a wireline drilling system?

Kōrero mō te tūranga - About the role

Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington and Te Puna Pātiotio - Antarctic Research Centre (ARC) is currently calling on expressions of interest from wireline drillers to support SWAIS2C, a multinational sediment coring project at the Crary Ice Rise, in Antarctica.

The SWAIS2C project aims to address the questions:

• How will marine-based ice sheets respond to a 2C increase in global temperature?
• Under what climatic conditions does the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse?
• What are the local, regional, and global environmental consequences of melting ice sheets?

To support this endeavour, a team of suitably qualified drilling personnel will be recruited to operate the Antarctic Intermediate Depth Drilling (AIDD) system. The AIDD system is built around a Multipower Products MP 1000 drilling rig, designed to core sediments and bedrock from ice platforms (ice shelf, ice sheet and sea ice). It is based on wireline diamond coring technology that has provided high-quality core for previous ice-platform-based Antarctic projects (e.g. Cape Roberts Project, ANDRILL). The AIDD capability is intended for use in remote locations in Antarctica and has been integrated with the existing Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington modular Hot Water Drilling (HWD) system, which provides access through the ice shelf. The AIDD is designed to operate with a combined ice-water depth of up to 1200 m with a nominal penetration/geological coring capability of up to 200 m.

Ō pūmanawa - About you

The successful applicants will form part of an integrated Drilling and Science team at Crary Ice Rise. The successful applicants must be comfortable living and working in a remote site with a diverse group of people, approx. 1000km south of Scott Base. The successful applicants should understand that whilst in Antarctica, the working model utilises 24/7 operations and as such some shifts will be at night.

The successful applicants will develop and maintain excellent working relationships with science, engineering, and logistics staff from the SWAIS2C Project, ARC, GNS Science, WD&E and Antarctica New Zealand.

Key requirements:

• Proven track record operating wireline drilling systems
• Proven track record with deep hole drilling
• Familiarity with soft sediment coring principles and tooling
• Ability to work as part of a cross discipline team in a remote field camp
• Existing HIAB certification or ability to obtain
• Existing Working at Heights certification or ability to obtain
• Ability to pass an Antarctic Deep Field Medical (please discuss any concerns in confidence with Paddy Power, SWAIS2C Operations Manager, paddy.power@vuw.ac.nz

Please indicate your remuneration expectations of rates on application.

Role description - Click here to see further information, including salary information.

Contact details for vacancy

If you have any questions regarding this role, please get in touch with Paddy Power, SWAIS2C GNS Operations Manager (paddy.power@vuw.ac.nz) or Barbara Fuchs, ARC Operations Manager (barbara.fuchs@vuw.ac.nz). 

Click "apply" and follow the process to enter your contact details, answer pre-screening questions, then attach a resume, cover letter, and any supporting documents.

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