Regional Assessment of Deep Water Seabed Geohazards for Oil Spill Prevention

A deep water (100 to 1500 m), continental slope-focused field program was carried out over four years, covering the eastern, central and finally, the western Beaufort Sea regions during survey expeditions in 2011, the western Beaufort in 2012, and 2014. This was supported through the BREA program (Beaufort Regional Environmental Assessment) with funds from AANDC (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development). Research activities were conducted in collaboration with ArcticNet, the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), Imperial Oil, and British Petroleum and Chevron Canada. The primary survey platform was CCGS Amundsen. Supplementary datasets from these collaborators contributed to survey concepts and specific targets but are not part of the BREA dataset. An amalgamation of all the continental slope-related data (from and including 2009) are included in the dataset. Data generated through these activities included multibeam (ca. 9500 square km at 50 m resolution) and sub-bottom profiler sonars (nearly 41 000 km) and seabed sediment cores to investigate deep water geohazards through geotechnical, stratigraphic, age-dating, and interpretations of geo-features and processes related to sediment instability. These data continue to be a primary dataset for GSC (Geological Survey of Canada) scientists to enable their present focus on assessment of seabed instability.

Simple

Date (Publication)
2015-06-23
Principal investigator
 

Blasco, Steve
Originator
 

King, Edward
Point of contact
 

King, Edward
Other citation details

Steve Blasco and Edward King. 2015. Regional Assessment of Deep Water Seabed Geohazards for Oil Spill Prevention. Waterloo, Canada: Canadian Cryospheric Information Network (CCIN).
Purpose

Oil and gas exploration in the deep waters of the Beaufort Sea requires knowledge of seabed stability conditions to ensure safe drilling practices. Seabed instability conditions, or "geohazards," include features such as subsea permafrost, low strength seabed sediments, shallow gas deposits and mud volcanoes which can cause oil spills if not clearly understood. This project further developed a regional assessment of geohazards to enable regulators to make informed environmental impact assessments about deep water oil and gas operations, which will minimize the potential for blow-outs or failures of exploration drilling facilities that may lead to oil spills. In turn, this knowledge will help to preserve the marine ecosystem and protect renewable resources.
Status
Completed
Point of contact
 

Canadian Cryospheric Information Network

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Polar Data Catalogue

200 University Avenue West, University of Waterloo

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Waterloo

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Ontario

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N2L 3G1

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Canada
(519) 888-4567 x32689
polardata.ca

Polar Data Catalogue Thesaurus (Canada)

  • Beaufort Sea

  • Geohazard

  • Geology

  • Multibeam

  • Seabed

  • Sediment cores

  • Sediments

  • Sub-bottom profiler
Place

  • Beaufort Sea (CGNDB ID - LACKU)
Access constraints
Other restrictions
Use constraints
Other restrictions
Other constraints

Terms of Use of the Polar Data Catalogue: https://www.polardata.ca/pdcinput/public/termsofuse

Metadata language

eng; CAN
Topic category
  • Environment
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Begin date
2009-01-01
End date
2014-01-01
Supplemental Information

Summary: These datasets comprise various shipborne hull-mounted sonar and seabed samples derived from surveys conducted between 2009 and 2011. Expeditions were conducted by ArcticNet and its collaborators and supported by several institutions. Some sonar data provide detailed (50 m resolution) depths and derived images depicting the shape of the seabed. Together with other knowledge gained from seabed samples and the sonars imaging formations below the seabed, these enable recognition of a variety of geo-features related to sediment instability. These include extremely large and smaller submarine avalanches of various ages, seabed manifestations of fluid leaks to the seabed from great burial depths, and various processes of sub-sea permafrost formation and degradation causing complex disturbance of the sediments. Interpretation of such information by geologists provide clues about sediment type, age, and geologic and environmental processes and their change through time. Topics include understanding the old and more recent submarine landslides, effects of ancient glaciers, drifting icebergs, mud deposition originating from the Mackenzie River, currents and cutting of canyons, and the disruption of sediments by past (and locally present-day) movement of gas and/or water and ground ice. Research Program(s): BREA. For further information: steve.blasco@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca ; edward.king@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca
Distribution format

  • Digital file

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    1.0

     )

Distributor
 

Canadian Cryospheric Information Network

 -

Polar Data Catalogue

200 University Avenue West, University of Waterloo

 ,

Waterloo

 ,

Ontario

 ,

N2L 3G1

 ,

Canada
(519) 888-4567 x32689
Included with dataset
No
File identifier
e88b6fdf-a01a-4cb4-acf8-02768c93f7fb XML
Metadata language

eng; CAN
Character set
UTF8
Hierarchy level
Dataset
Date stamp
2022-04-08T13:00:55
Metadata standard name

North American Profile of ISO 19115:2003
Metadata standard version

2009-01-01
Point of contact
 

Canadian Cryospheric Information Network

 -

Polar Data Catalogue

200 University Avenue West, University of Waterloo

 ,

Waterloo

 ,

Ontario

 ,

N2L 3G1

 ,

Canada
(519) 888-4567 x32689
Dataset URI

https://www.polardata.ca/pdcsearch/PDCSearchDOI.jsp?doi_id=12479

 
 

Overviews

overview

Spatial extent

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Keywords

Polar Data Catalogue Thesaurus (Canada)
Beaufort Sea Geohazard Geology Multibeam Seabed Sediment cores Sediments Sub-bottom profiler

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