Mediterranean telecoms cables have suffered disruptions several times in recent years, but they have usually been attributed to accidents involving ship propellers.

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For nine months the ship Transocean Discoverer Spirit used 360-degree rotating propellers to hold itself steady in the 3, 500-foot-deep water as diamond-tipped bits cut the deepest oil well ever--6.5 miles down.

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The drill ship is equipped with computer-controlled thrusters, swiveling propellers, that can keep it in position in any kind of inclement weather, up to a hurricane.

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These are similar to the azimuth thrusters already used on some vessels: propellers on pods that can be rotated to push the ship in different directions, making a rudder unnecessary.

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The ship must stay perfectly still while drilling and does so using six thrusters with 15-foot-diameter propellers that can rotate 360 degrees.

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