Offshore Hostile Environments

From 30-metre waves of icy seawater to hazardous icebergs, Canadian petroleum firms employ advanced and innovative technology:

• Hazardous Icebergs: Major East Coast fields - Terra Nova, Hibernia and White Rose - are located in the migratory path of icebergs. Production for Terra Nova and Whiterose is via Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessels (FPSO) designed for such conditions. The wellheads and manifolds are protected in excavations, or glory holes, on the sea floor which protect against icebergs that scour the ocean floor.
• Artificial Island Construction: To combat drilling pad erosion and protect drilling locations from moving sea or river ice, Canadian firms have developed islands for temporary use during drilling operations. These islands were used in the northern Beaufort Sea.
• Sea Ice Seismic Programs: Canadian companies pioneered mobile, tractor-equipped, seismic camps and offshore Arctic helicopter transportation to acquire reflection data under the Arctic sea ice.
• Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR): During seismic acquisition, Canadian companies applied low profile, low-mass ground penetrating radar systems to map sea ice thickness in the Arctic. This early application led to broader GPR applications in environmental and shallow investigation surveys now common in North America.