Arctic and offshore research: Technology status report
This report describes the state of technology relative to the production of oil and gas in the Arctic. It discusses the technical issues that warrant investigation, and focuses on the current Department of Energy supported activities. Major accomplishments during the last year include the following: The Arctic and Offshore Research Information System (AORIS) was planned with industry survey recommendations incorporated. It contains a directory of 85 Arctic databases, a bibliographic component of over 7,000 citations, and a data component of about 300 data sets on sea ice characteristics. Seven position, pressure, and temperature buoys were deployed on ice islands (up to 3 by 6 miles in size) drifting off Ellesmere Island. Ice island movement, as much as 340 miles southwest of the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf during the last 4 years, represents a potential hazard to Arctic offshore structures in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. The redesigned Seafloor Earthquake Measurement System (SEMS II) was deployed near Shell's Ellen-Elly platforms, about 10 miles offshore of Long Beach, California. The SEMS monitored the July 1986 southern California earthquakes. This was the first time earthquakes were simultaneouslly monitored by sensors located on land, aboard offshore platforms, and beneath the seafloor. Sea spray ice bond shear strength to various structural and protective coatings has been determined. The polyethylene coating demonstrated the most potential for rapid shedding of spray ice by gravity loading. Measurements of temperatures and salinities were completed as part of a pilot test to (1) detect seasonal conditions at the water-seabed interface, and (2) determine how they influence permafrost growth in the coastal waters of the Beaufort Sea. The temperatures and computed freezing point data suggest that seasonal seabed freezing can occur most of the winter. 13 refs., 14 figs., 4 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- USDOE Morgantown Energy Technology Center, WV
- OSTI ID:
- 5033962
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/METC-88/0260; ON: DE88001027
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Arctic and offshore research. Technology status report
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03 NATURAL GAS
ALASKA
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
ARCTIC OCEAN
ARCTIC REGIONS
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
ENVIRONMENT
EXPLOITATION
EXPLORATION
ICE
MEASURING METHODS
OFFSHORE OPERATIONS
OFFSHORE SITES
PERMAFROST
SALINITY
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FEDERAL REGION X
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030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
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020300 - Petroleum- Drilling & Production
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