To complete the drilling without mishap, the rover's operators on Earth had to devise new procedures to solve a series of computer software problems that affected the craft's motor's control systems, said JPL drill-systems engineer Scott McCloskey.
With full control of its plant in Abu Dhabi, Hilong has an additional drill pipe production capacity of 11, 023 tons, compared with its 44, 753 tons on the mainland.
At 8:20 p.m. on the day of the explosion the pressure data suggest there was a constant flow of sea water being pumped into the drill pipe that was displacing the heavier mud system which was the primary pressure control for the well.