In early 2024, DA Smith drilled two 50-foot-deep, 14-inch-diameter vertical holes in salt (NaCl) at Morton Salt's Weeks Island Mine near New Iberia, Louisiana, for nuclear waste thermal encapsulation testing being conducted by RESPEC as part of a U.S. Department of Energy research project. The drill site was located approximately 1,600 feet beneath sea level in the Gulf of Mexico. Holes were initially cored PQ and subsequently reamed to 14-inches using saturated brine to prevent dissolution of the borehole walls. Packer (pressure) testing was completed to ensure adequate hydraulic isolation prior to testing. Horizontal holes were aligned with a laser survey and drilled into the 14-inch vertical holes at the base of the mine bench to allow access with testing instruments. Drilling was conducted under MSHA Part 57.22003 Category II - Subcategory II-A gassy mine regulations.