| Title | Seabed geohazard knowledge for safe hydrocarbon development |
| Author | Lewis, C F M; Blasco, S M; Piper, D J W; Sonnichsen, G V |
| Source | Voyage of Discovery: fifty years of marine research at Canada's Bedford institute of Oceanography; by Nettleship, D N (ed.); Gordon, D C (ed.); Lewis, C F M (ed.); Latrémouille, M P (ed.); 2014 p.
383-394 |
| Year | 2014 |
| Alt Series | Earth Sciences Sector, Contribution Series 20130209 |
| Publisher | Bedford Institute of Oceanography |
| Document | book |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper |
| Province | Eastern offshore region; Northern offshore region |
| Area | Atlantic continental margin; Beaufort Sea |
| Lat/Long WENS | -83.5000 -43.0000 76.7500 40.0000 |
| Subjects | environmental geology; fossil fuels; seafloor topography; sea bed mining; hydrocarbons; sediment stability; slope stability; exploration activities; petroleum exploration; bathymetry; environmental
hazards; geological hazards |
| Illustrations | location maps; profiles; photographs; graphs |
| Program | Geoscience for East Coast Offshore Developments, Offshore Geoscience |
| Abstract | Exploration and production of hydrocarbons from Canada's offshore sedimentary basins requires the seabed to support well heads, bottom-founded drilling and production platforms, anchoring systems, and
pipelines, among other facilities. Knowledge of seabed and subsurface material properties, and the natural geologic processes that affect their stability is essential to avoid costly surprises, and to ensure safe and economical discovery and recovery
of hydrocarbon resources. Evaluation of seabed geohazards has been a focus for geoscientists at Bedford Institute of Oceanography since the 1970s, shortly after offshore exploration drilling began in 1966. Seabed issues that were studied in the
Atlantic offshore include the magnitude and frequency of dynamic geohazards such as iceberg scouring, wave and current modification of the seabed, as well as slope failure, and variability of foundation conditions. For the Beaufort Sea, hazards
described include sea-ice scouring, seabed foundation conditions, subsea permafrost, pingo-like features, gas or fluid venting, and submarine landslides. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
Exploration and production of oil and gas from Canada¿s offshore sedimentary basins requires the seabed to support drilling and production platforms that
rest on the seafloor, well-head equipment, and other facilities. The safe and economical discovery and recovery of oil and gas resources require knowledge of seabed and subsurface material properties, and the natural geologic processes that affect
their stability. Evaluation of seabed geohazards (the risk of seabed instabilities) has been a focus for geoscientists at Bedford Institute of Oceanography since the 1970s. Geohazard issues described for the Atlantic offshore include seabed scouring
by icebergs, wave and current modification of the seabed, as well as failure of seabed slopes, and variability of seabed conditions for structure foundations. For the Beaufort Sea, hazards described include seabed scouring by sea-ice, seabed
foundation conditions, subsea permafrost, pingo-like features, seabed gas or fluid venting, and submarine landslides. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 293023 |
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