In the frame of the SUBGLACIOR project, a new type of casing has been installed for testing during the 2013/14 austral summer season at Dome Concordia station, Antarctica. The SUBGLACIOR probe requires a full fluid column up to the surface, in order to circulate fluid for ice-chips recovery. This makes it essential that the casing is leak-tight through the porous firn column. We have evaluated existing solutions before opting to test a new method. This new system is made of polyethylene pipes which are welded together at the surface while the casing pipes are lowered into the reamed borehole. It is simple and lightweight and allows the casing to be installed quickly with optimum chance of being leak-tight. The installed casing has been tested both with compressed air and drilling fluids and has proven to work.

We report on the EPICA Dronning Maud Land (East Antarctica) deep drilling operation. Starting with the scientific questions that led to the outline of the EPICA project, we introduce the setting of sister drillings at NorthGRIP and EPICA Dome C within the European ice-coring community. The progress of the drilling operation is described within the context of three parallel, deep-drilling operations, the problems that occurred and the solutions we developed. Modified procedures are described, such as the monitoring of penetration rate via cable weight rather than motor torque, and modifications to the system (e.g. closing the openings at the lower end of the outer barrel to reduce the risk of immersing the drill in highly concentrated chip suspension). Parameters of the drilling (e.g. core-break force, cutter pitch, chips balance, liquid level, core production rate and piece number) are discussed. We also review the operational mode, particularly in the context of achieved core length and piece length, which have to be optimized for drilling efficiency and core quality respectively. We conclude with recommendations addressing the design of the chip-collection openings and strictly limiting the cable-load drop with respect to the load at the start of the run.