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They were 50 meters away last year. January 2012 they were 29. Looks like they still have another year or two to go.

There is a recent Washington Post article that says they are on the verge of breaking thru.

I hope they discover some form of life in the lake. It would be amazing to discover what the evolutionary outcomes would be for organisms in such an isolated harsh environment.

As of 13 January, they had reached a depth of 3737.5 meters, about 15 meters away from liquid water. With three teams drilling around the clock and making progress at an average of 2 meters per day, Priscu says they're on track to break through within the week.

edit: It will only take another year because they're letting the lake water come up through a small bore-hole and freeze, which they will examine next summer season.

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