Copiapo, Chile (CNN) -- A "Plan C" oil drill to reach 33 miners trapped in Chile is scheduled to start in earnest early Wednesday amid hopes it will provide a faster solution than the other two methods used so far.
A pilot tube was cemented into place Tuesday.
But officials do not know how long it will take the drill, normally used in different circumstances to drill for oil, to reach the men trapped 700 meters (2,300 feet) underground.
The plan is for the new drill to descend vertically for at least 40 meters before turning at an angle to reach the underground ramp that leads to the miners, said Andre Sougarret, manager of the state copper mining company.
Sougarret said attaching directional motors to the drill would slow it to a speed of 1 meter per hour, adding that 20 to 30 meters per day "would be a good average".
CNN
