Understanding Hazards to Baffin Bay Offshore Petroleum Operations from Iceberg Production, Occurrence and Drift

1 Background

Offshore petroleum exploration has begun in Davis Strait and Baffin Bay. Icebergs pose significant hazards and greatly condition operational design and timing. Tens of thousands of icebergs calve annually in Baffin Bay and northern Davis Strait, drift around the bay and exit south into the Labrador Sea. While glaciological research has documented ice cap dynamics and tidewater glaciers in the region reasonably well, there has been very little knowledge generated in this large and remote zone about iceberg locations, numbers, characteristics and dynamics.  It is very important to fill in the knowledge gaps relating to icebergs and the hazard they pose to offshore petroleum, to help companies plan and execute their operations in a safe, efficient and environmentally responsible manner.

Canatec has led several large industry research projects on extreme ice features in the Beaufort Sea. From this work  and from its consulting work on sea ice around Northern Greenland, Canatec has developed significant expertise in iceberg and ice island research. We have prepared a proposal for an applied research project on iceberg hazards in Baffin Bay. This project has recently received its first support, imagery to be supplied by RadarSat and Terrasar for the module on satellite detection techniques, and we are now seeking industrial partners to fund the other research modules. This project will be managed as a Joint Industry Project, with multiple industry partners, and participants from universities and government agencies (both Canadian and Danish) under Canatec’s management. Project modules funded by industry will be confidential to the JIP partners as stipulated by the agreement.

2 Objectives

The first set of objectives relates to data and dynamics of icebergs in Northern Baffin Bay:

  1. What are the numbers of icebergs produced over the annual season and how does this vary from year to year?
  2. To what extent can this be precticted?
  3. What is the spatial distribution of icebergs in this region over the course of a year? How can spatial distribution be predicted?What is the size distribution of icebergs that are produced at major sources and at different drift locations?
  4. What are the drift velocities and long term drift patterns of icebergs in this region?
  5. What is pack ice regime in the key areas of production and drift of icebergs? How does pack ice affect iceberg detection, production, drift and decay?

The second set of objectives relates to methodology of hazard management:

  1. How well do radar imaging techniqes work to detect icebergs and their size? What are the best imaging practices and suppliers for hazard management?
  2. How well do long and short term iceberg drift forecasting models work at different locations and with different seasonal pack ice cover? What are the best forecasting models for hazard management?
  3. How well do drift tracking beacons function for research and hazard management applications?

3 For more information

Contact Dr. Scott Tiffin at Canatec; scott_tiffin@canatec.ca, +1 403 228-0962

 

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