OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
Transcript of OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines for the conduct ofoffshore drilling hazard site surveys
Report No 373-18-1
April 2011
I n t e r n a t i o n a l A s s o c i a t i o n o f O i l amp G a s P r o d u c e r s
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P ublications
Global experience
Te International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers has access to a wealth o technicalknowledge and experience with its members operating around the world in many differentterrains We collate and distil this valuable knowledge or the industry to use as guidelines
or good practice by individual members
Consistent high quality database and guidelines
Our overall aim is to ensure a consistent approach to training management and best practice throughout the world
Te oil and gas exploration and production industry recognises the need to develop con-sistent databases and records in certain fields Te OGPrsquos members are encouraged to usethe guidelines as a starting point or their operations or to supplement their own policies
and regulations which may apply locally
Internationally recognised source of industry information
Many o our guidelines have been recognised and used by international authorities andsaety and environmental bodies Requests come rom governments and non-governmentorganisations around the world as well as rom non-member companies
Disclaimer
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy o the inormation contained in this publi-cation neither the OGP nor any o its members past present or uture warrants its accuracy or willregardless o its or their negligence assume liability or any oreseeable or unoreseeable use madethereo which liability is hereby excluded Consequently such use is at the recipientrsquos own risk on thebasis that any use by the recipient constitutes agreement to the terms o this disclaimer Te recipient isobliged to inorm any subsequent recipient o such terms
Tis document may provide guidance supplemental to the requirements o local legislation Nothingherein however is intended to replace amend supersede or otherwise depart fom such requirements
In the event o any conflict or contradiction between the provisions o this document and local legisla-tion applicable laws shall prevail
Copyright notice
Te contents o these pages are copy Te International Association o Oil and Gas Producers Permission
is given to reproduce this report in whole or in part provided (i) that the copyright o OGP and (ii) the source are acknowledged All other rights are reserved Any other use requires the prior written permis- sion o the OGP
Tese erms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws o Eng-land and Wales Disputes arising here fom shall be exclusively subject to the jurisdiction o the courts o
England and Wales
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Geomatics
Guidance note 18ndash1
Guidelines for the conduct of
offshore drilling hazard site surveys
Revision historyVersion Date Amendments
1 April 2011 Initial publication
AcknowledgementsTis guidline was produced by Te International Association or Oil amp Gas ProducersrsquoGeomatics Committee
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able o contents
1 Introduction 1
2 Objectives of site surveys 2
21 General 222 Physical Environment 223 Planning undamentals 32 4 S c o p e 425 Operations type 4
3 Site survey process 5
31 Desk study and project planning 532 Data acquisition 533 Data processing interpretation and integration 534 Reporting 5
4 Desk studies and project planning 6
41 Use o existing geoscience data 642 Pre-existing and proposed operations 643 Wrecks submarine cables sites o special interest 6
5 Data requirements 8
51 General 852 Area o study 853 otal Depth o Study 954 Use o a pre-existing site survey 955 Acquisition o a new site survey 10
56 Use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis 1457 Enhancing the value o an exploration 3D seismic dataset 1658 Use o exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario 17
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting 18
61 Purpose o the report 1862 Scope o reporting 1863 Identiying sources o risk 1964 Consideration by rig type 1965 Deliverables 20
Glossary 21
Appendix 1 ndash Hazard impact tables 27
Tables
able 1 conditions to be addressed by a marine site survey 2able 2 pre-existing data validity guidance 9able 3 Main line spacing guidance 14
Figures
Figure 1 3Figure 2 7
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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1 Introduction
Tis document provides guidance or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys(hereafer reerred to as Site Surveys) Te guidelines address the conduct o geophysical andhydrographic site surveys o proposed offshore well locations and the use o exploration 3D
seismic data to enhance or to replace acquisition o a site survey
Te document does not set out to provide guidance on geotechnical engineering requirementsor design o anchoring systems the analysis o jack-up rig oundation or platorm oundationdesign neither does it address detailed guidance on environmental survey requirements Such
works require expert guidance and involvement o geotechnical or structural engineers orenvironmental scientists who are conversant in the application o appropriate industry codesor these tasks
Te document replaces the ormer UKOOA Guidelines or conduct o mobile drilling rig site surveys version 12 and Guidelines or conduct o mobile drilling rig site investigations in deep-water version 1 previously published under the auspices o the ormer UK Offshore Operators
Association (UKOOA) now Oil amp Gas UKTese guidelines describe oilfield good practice in this subject area in support o meetingcountry specific regulatory requirements While the document sets out oilfield good practiceit is impossible or the document to address all the varying regulatory requirements that are in
place in different countries around the world
Operators should make themselves aware o the local regulatory requirements that apply tomarine site surveys It is recommended that operators compare local requirements to theseguidelines and where there are differences apply the higher o the two sets o standards
Te document explains the requirements that different types o offshore drilling units have ona site survey Te document also emphasises the differing site survey requirements o shel and
deep-water environmentsTe techniques described in this document can also be applied to other types o seabedsurveys such as pipeline or cable route surveys etc While this document does not set out todirectly address planning and delivery o such projects it will be recognised that the samegeneral thought processes and practices wil l be applicable to such projects
A companion OGP document Guideline or the conduct o drilling hazard site surveys ndash techni-cal notes (hereafer ldquoTe echnical Notesrdquo) Report 373-18-2 will be published in 2011 and
will provide supporting technical inormation and background theory on the various phases oa site survey project outlined in this document
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2 Objectives o site surveys
21 General
Site surveys are perormed to minimise the risk o harm to personnel and equipment and
to protect the natural environment Te objective o any site survey is to identiy all possibleconstraints and hazards rom man-made natural and geological eatures which may affect theoperational or environmental integrity o a proposed drilling operation and to allow appropri-ate operational practices to be put in place to mitigate any risks identified In addition the pro-
posed site survey area should be o adequate coverage to plan any potential relie well locationsand provide sufficient data to ully assess potential top-hole drilling hazards at these locations
A properly conducted site survey or an offshore drilling location will require the input o anumber o different proessionals who should be suitably qualified and experienced in theirrespective disciplines Overall project management o a site survey should be assigned to anindividual who has a thorough understanding o the reasons or delivery o a site survey anintimate knowledge o how the results will be applied and first hand experience o collecting
and presenting those results
Te quality o any dataset selected or use in a site survey should be directly related to the typeso conditions expected to exist within the area o interest
Te interplay o the physical environment with the type o intended operation has a unda-mental impact on the scope and content o a site survey
22 Physical Environment
Depending on the physical environment and the intended operation a site survey may need to
review any or all o the ollowing
Table 1 conditions to be addressed by a marine site survey
Man-made features Natural seabed features Subsurface geological features
bull Platforms active abandoned or toppledbull Pipelines on or buried below the seabedbull Power and umbilical linesbull Communications cablesbull Wellheads and abandoned well locationsbull Manifolds and templatesbull Pipeline terminations valves and protection
framesbull Subsea isolation valvesbull Rock dumps
bull Scour protection materialbull Jack-up rig footprintsbull Non oil amp gas infrastructure such as navigation
buoys wind turbines etcbull Shipwrecksbull Ordnance and chemical dumping groundsbull Archaeol ogical rema insbull Miscellaneous debris
bull Seabed topography and reliefbull Seafloor sedimentsbull Sand banks waves and mega-ripplesbull Mud flows gullies volcanoes lumps lobesbull Fault escarpmentsbull Diapiric structuresbull Gas vents and pockmarksbull Unstable slopesbull Slumpsbull Collapse features
bull Fluid expulsion featuresbull Chemosynthetic communitiesbull Gas hydrate moundsbull Rock outcrops pinnacles and bouldersbull Reefsbull Hardgroundsbull Seabed channels and scours
bull Sedimentary sequencesbull Stratigraphybull Shallow gas charged intervalsbull Gas chimneysbull Shallow water flow zonesbull Over-pressure zonesbull Buried infilled channelsbull Boulder bedsbull Buried slumps and mass transport complexesbull Gas Hydrate zones and hydrated soils
bull Faultsbull Erosion and truncation surfacesbull Salt or mud diapirs and diatremes
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23 Planning fundamentals
In planning a site survey programme the interplay o rig type and its specification and the
different conditions that might be expected in the planned area o operations must be care-ully taken into account Tis must be considered as a first step in the planning stage o any sitesurvey programme
Te site survey project manager should be advised o the proposed outline drilling programmeandor the conceptual field layout by the project engineer planning the well or developmentTis should be taken into account in setting the data needs o the project
Te tables in Appendix 1 review conditions and areas o concern or the three rig type group-ings Te appropriate columns should be considered during the planning stage o a site survey
programme
Sufficient time must be allowed in delivery o a site survey programme to ensure the results areavailable in time
bull to ensure all local regulatory permitting requirements are met ahead o the o the pro- posed well spud date
bull to ensure the drilling project team can include them and properly mitigate any risk ohazards identified rom them in the final well design
Figure 1 Site clearance ndash timing guidance
Figure 1 shows a conceptual time line Te permitting period will be country specific
Generally it is recommended that a site survey programme should start six months prior toand no less than three months ahead o the proposed wellrsquos spud date
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 26
Preparation
Acquisition ampreporting
Completion ampimplementation
Elapsed time in weeks
Key events
Desk studyand project planning
Contractorprocurement
Acquisition Proce ssing Interpretation and reporting
Internal operator review
Permit documentproduction
Integration of results into well designand final operation planning
Permit submission and regulatory review
Can be performed on the vessel in parallel with aquisition could save up to 4 weeks
Can be performedin parallel with processing
Start depends on vessel availability
Using pre-existing survey data or exploration 3D data if suitable could save 6 weeks or more
Timing dependant on local regulatory requirements
Locationshort-listedfor
drilling
Locationavailable
for
spud
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24 Scope
Any site survey must include a review o all seafloor conditions and geology to a depth at least
200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a deptho 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Te identification and assessment o all relevant geological eatures should be perormed within the context o a geological model that takes into account depositional and post-deposi-tional processes
Te site survey report should include a discussion o all relevant geological andor man-madeeatures that have a direct bearing on operational risk
25 Operations type
Te type o rig to be used has a direct effect on the required scope o a site investigation Teull breadth o these effects is detailed in the table in Appendix 1 o this document Tis tableshould be used by a project manager to sense check that all potential concerns or the place-ment o a rig at a proposed location are being or have been addressed as part o the site survey
programme
251 Bottom founded and platform based rigs
Tese rigs only directly impact the seafloor over a small area immediately around the well-bore Te site survey can thereore be ocused directly upon the well location the corridor oapproach onto location and any possible stand-off locations
Te style o top-hole drilling used by these rigs is different to the other two generic rig group-ings Fundamentally the risk to the rig rom a shallow gas blowout is greater
Te risk to the rigrsquos integrity through loss o seabed support makes review o the shallow sec-tion or these rigs critical
Te analysis o jack-up rig oundation or platorm oundation design requires dedicatedintrusive geotechnical soil investigations Te investigations require expert guidance and thedirect involvement o geotechnical or structural engineers who are conversant in the applica-tion o appropriate industry codes or these tasks Minimum requirements to geotechnical soilinvestigations are covered in industry guidelines and standards eg Te Society o Naval Archi-tects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) echnical amp Research Bulletin 5-5A Site Specific
Assessment o Mobile Jack-up Units and ISO 19905-1 Petroleum and natural gas industriesSite-specific assessment o mobile offshore units Part 1 Jack-ups (in development target publi-cation date September 2011)
252 Anchored rigs
Tese rigs impact a large area o the seabed and as a result a site survey will need to be per-ormed over a larger area o the seafloor to assess anchoring conditions
Tese rigs encounter a number o different concerns not applicable to bottom ounded rigs ( see Appendix 1)
253 Dynamically positioned (DP) rigsTese rigs impact a small area o the seabed and thereore the site survey can be ocuseddirectly upon the well location and its immediate surroundings However their use in pre-dominantly deep to ultra deep water brings special requirements or a site survey programme(see Appendix 1)
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A site survey project process can be considered to consist o our phases
31 Desk study and project planning
A project should start with a desk study that should be considered as an integral part o the planning process During this phase a decision will be made as to whether new data ndash and which types o data ndash must be acquired
In deep water areas the desk study and any ensuing acquisition may need to address a semi-regional scope to consider topographic or geological issues that may be a threat to operationsrom outside o the direct area o proposed operations
32 Data acquisitionTe second phase is the acquisition o new data coverage i such is required
33 Data processing interpretation and integration
All existing and new data are then processed or reprocessed to improve their value and inter- preted to produce an integrated geological model o the seabed and subsurace conditions
34 Reporting
Te final stage o any site survey is the production o an integrated report that describes theconditions and operational risks identified across the site and ndash specifically ndash at the proposeddrilling location
3 Site survey process
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As the first stage in survey planning a desk study ndash or review ndash o pre-existing data should be perormed to gain an understanding o the area and to highlight matters o particular concernthat need to be addressed by the investigation
41 Use of existing geoscience data
Use o exploration 3D or 2D seismic data offset well data (logs operations reports industrydatabases etc ) geotechnical boreholes offset site surveys and any other relevant public domaindata in an integrated ashion will allow an initial geological model o the seabed and shallowsection to be developed Tis can be used to design a survey programme appropriate to thelocation and rig
In some cases exploration 3D data covering the prospect area may provide sufficient inorma-tion to produce a site report such that new survey data will not be required (Section 56 below)Otherwise the data will ndash as a minimum ndash provide a good guide to definition o line directionline spacing and the areas o uncertainty that the new site survey needs to clariy
42 Pre-existing and proposed operations
An up-to-date database o offshore acilities wells platorms pipelines etc that impact uponthe operational area should be reviewed during the planning phase
A check should also be made o any proposed third party exploration or development activitiesin the area that may impact the proposed operations
43 Wrecks submarine cables sites of special interest
Local regulatory announcements databases and nautical charts should be reviewed or thelikely presence o wrecks submarine cables and sites o special interest archaeological envi-ronmental etc
4 Desk studies and project planning
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Figure 2 ndash site survey decision tree
YesNo
Carry out desk study and ascertain proposed rig typebull Identify local legal and insurance requirements for site survey delivery (see Section 1)bull Ascertain rig type to be used (see Section 23 and 25)bull Evaluate extent and quality of existing relevant data and identify all significant relevant site constraints
(see Section 31 and 4)
Bottom founded rig Anchored rig DP rig
Isexisting site survey
coverage suitable foruse
Water depth at welllocation gt750m
Areexploration 3D data
suitable for use
Acquire full new SiteSurvey (see Section 55)
ndash or ndash
Acquire supplemental datacoverage (see Sections 55
or 57)
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Yes
No
Yes
Yes No No
No
YesYes
Yes
NoNo
Complete integrated interpretation of all available dataand issue proposed drilling location site survey report
(see Section 6)
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5 Data requirements
51 General
Figure 2 presents a simple process or assessing the data needs o a project
Four general areas o practice are common within the industry
bull Use o pre-existing site survey data
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset combined with limited site survey data acquisi-tion
bull Use o a newly acquired site survey
Whatever generic approach is ollowed the data made available or interpretation must allowor analysis o the conditions and hazards listed in Section 22 and detailed in Appendix 1 tobe properly addressed or the type o rig in use
52 Area of study
Any site survey study should address the total area likely to be impacted by drilling or develop-ment related activity Te area should include any potential relie well locations
521 Bottom founded rigs and platform based rigs
Due to the physical nature o operations with this type o rig and the water depths in whichthese rigs operate data requirements must be applied more rigorously to assure operationalintegrity
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a minimum distance o 500m around the drillinglocation and the immediate line o approach onto location
Data should allow proper study o any obstructions that might be present on the seabed duringthe final transit o the rig on to location and the commencement o leg pinning activity or a
jack-up rig
ieline data should be acquired to existing geotechnical boreholes and offset wells in the vicin-ity that show similar soil stratigraphy and that allow unambiguous interpretive correlation oconditions back to the proposed location
522 Anchored rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 250m beyond the maximum likelyanchor radius at the proposed drilling location
523 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 500m beyond the maximum likelydiameter o the seabed acoustic array used to maintain the rigrsquos position on location
524 Location uncertainty
I the proposed well location has not been finalised at the time o planning the survey areashould be designed to take into account the ull positional uncertainty o the final surace
location o the well and to meet the requirements set out above (Sections 521 to 523 inclu-sive)
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53 Total Depth of Study
Te total depth o study below seabed should be to a depth at least 200m below the preerred
setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater irrespective o rig type
Te combined dataset to be used must thereore be capable o properly imaging geologicalconditions to this depth
54 Use of a pre-existing site survey
Pre-existing site survey data should be re-used whenever possible Te quality and validity othese data should be careully assessed prior to committing to their use in producing a reportor a new drilling location
I the pre-existing survey ails to cover the ull project scope required either spatially or indepth it will need to be supplemented by data rom another source
Subject to local operator policy regulatory or insurance requirements or guidance purposesthe maximum age validity o pre-existing hydrographic and geophysical site survey data can beconsidered as
Table 2 pre-existing data validity guidance
Activity Condition Seabed Data Subsurface Data
No Activity 5 years 10 years
Engineering Activity 1 year 10 years
Well Control Incident Invalid Invalid
Subject to local conditions in a prospect area where there has been no drilling or engineering(pipe-lay etc ) activity since acquisition o a pre-existing survey the validity o seabed clearancedata should be considered to be five years and subsurace data should be considered to have aten year validity
In a prospect area where there has been drilling or engineering activity since a pre-existingsurvey was acquired validity o the data should be one year or seabed clearance data and ten
years or subsurace data
I the pre-existing data do not meet these requirements then a new survey should be acquired
At locations where a jack-up rig will be operating in close proximity to existing installationsan additional seabed survey should be carried out immediately prior to the jack-up rig installa-tion
I it is known that a rig has been installed more recently than the existing site survey data newdata should be acquired
I a well control incident (an uncontrolled underground or surace flow) has taken place on the prospect field or in an immediately adjacent area since acquisition o a pre-existing survey anyexisting seabed and subsurace data shall be considered invalid In such a case a new survey isalways required
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55 Acquisition of a new site survey
When a new site survey is considered necessary the survey should be designed to specifically
address the expected operational requirement
Te ollowing should be considered in survey design specification and delivery
551 Standard site survey data types
A new site survey will involve gathering o all o the ollowing standard data types except where specified in Section 552 below
Positioning
Surace positioning o the survey vessel should be based on augmented global navigation satel-lite systems (GNSS) eg Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS) or Clock and Orbit Corrected
GPS (also reerred to as SDGPS or Precise Point Positioning PPP) that typical ly yield sub-metre positioning accuracy It is recommended that two ully independent surace positioningsystems should be used
Te correct use o GNSS positioning is critical to the success o an offshore drilling hazard sitesurvey It is recommended that the GNSS are operated in line with the Guidelines or GNSS
Positioning in the Oil and Gas Industry issued jointly by OGP and IMCA It describes good practice or the use o global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) in among other offshoresurvey and related activities or the oil and gas industry Te guideline will be published in thespring o 2011 and can be downloaded rom wwwogporguk or wwwimca-intcom
Except in shallow water depths o less than 25m where it may be impractical or where layback
to the towed equipment is less than 50m it is recommended that the position o towed sensorsshould be determined by vessel mounted acoustic positioning system eg a tracking Ultra ShortBaseline System (USBL) that when properly calibrated typically yield a relative positioningaccuracy o better that 1 o slant range rom vessel transducer to transponder on the tow fish
Bathymetry
Bathymetry data should as a preerence be acquired using a swathe bathymetry system tomeasure accurate water depths across the area
Where swathe bathymetry data are acquired it is recommended that backscatter values romthe seabed returns are logged and processed or use in seabed characterisation to support andcomplement side scan sonar data
As a minimum however bathymetric data should be obtained using a hull mounted high-requency narrow single beam hydrographic echo sounder Data should be digitally recorded
Single beam echo sounder data should be used to veriy the results o swathe bathymetry datandash i acquired ndash to check or gross error
Te bathymetry systems should be set up to accurately record data across the range o waterdepths expected in the survey area
Te bathymetry systems should be used in conjunction with an accurate motion sensor tocompensate or vessel motion
Water column sound velocity should be determined as a minimum at the start and end o
each project by use o a CD (Conductivity emperature and Depth probe) or direct readingsound velocity probe suitable or use in the maximum water depths expected within the surveyarea
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Water depths should be corrected or vessel draf tidal level and reerenced to an appropriatelocal vertical datum (LA MSL etc )
Te final processed digital terrain model (DM) data cell size covering the entire survey area without gaps should preerably be less than 10x10m and output in an appropriate digitalormat to allow urther imaging and analysis o the data
Side scan sonar
A dual channel dual requency side scan sonar system should be used to provide acousticseabed imagery to define man made and natural seabed eatures across the area
Systems should be operated at no less than 100kHz
Line spacing and display range should be designed to ensure a minimum o 200 coverage othe survey area in the prime survey line direction with additional urther orthogonal tie-lines
For detailed inspection o contacts or inspection o pre-determined bottom-ounded rig sitesextra lines should be run using a requency o 400kHz or greater
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be image processed to improvesubsequent computer aided analysis and mosaicing o the data Such mosaics should be outputas geo-reerenced high resolution digital models o the seabed or presentation in the finalreport
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Sub-bottom profilers
A suite o sub-bottom acoustic profilers should be operated to provide a continuous and veryhigh resolution image o the shallow geological conditions
Subject to local soil conditions the systems should be capable o achieving a resolution o 03m vertical bed separation in the upper 50m below seabed
Te systems chosen should be run simultaneously to provide imagery that penetrates to inexcess o the oundational depth o interest Tis can be considered to be equivalent to a depthequal to the greater o 30m or the anticipated spud-can penetration plus one-and-a-hal timesthe spud-can diameter or a jack-up rig or the maximum expected anchor penetration or ananchored rig
Te data should be recorded digitally to allow signal processing to urther improve data qual-
ity final export to a workstation or integrated interpretation and mapping o the data andease o data retrieval o old datasets
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Magnetometers and Gradiometers
A magnetometer can be used to measure total magnetic field strengths to investigate errousobjects lying on ndash or buried immediately beneath ndash the seafloor or to attempt to determinethe position o cables pipelines or abandoned wells that cannot be identified by acousticmeans
Te system should be capable o a sampling rate o at least 1Hz and have a sensitivity o at leastone nanotesla (1n)
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Te sensor should be towed as close to the seabed as possible and sufficiently ar away rom the vessel to isolate the sensor rom the magnetic field o the survey vessel
As magnetometers measure total magnetic field strength they cannot be used in the vicinity olarge inrastructure such as platorms which swamp the magnetic signature o smaller ea-tures
Use o a gradiometer system which measures the magnetic gradient between two or moreclosely spaced magnetometers should be considered or more precise results and surveys closeto large structures such as platorms
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be processed to allow subsequentcomputer aided analysis and modeling to be undertaken
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
A multi-channel High Resolution (HR) digital seismic survey should be conducted over proposed drilling locations to investigate top-hole geological conditions across the area Teexception to this is where the use o pre-existing exploration 3D seismic data is deemed anappropriate substitute (see Section 56 below)
Te primary interest o such surveys is rom the seabed to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m belowseabed whichever is greater
All HR seismic surveys should be designed on a site specific basis to take into account the varying conditions present and specific goals o the project but in general will conorm to theoutline specifications below
bull
Source Type surveys should make use o a seismic source that delivers a simple stableand repeatable source signature that is near to a minimum phase output and has a useablerequency content across at least the 20-250Hz band
bull Tow Depths source and streamer tow depths should be specified to be no greater than 3mand preerably less
bull Streamer Type use o digital solid streamers is preerred
bull Recording System the recording system should record at no greater than a 1 millisecondsample interval Field high-cut filters should be set no lower than 300Hz
bull Fold of cover should generally not be less than 24 or 2D HR surveys in water depths lessthan 750m
bull
Offsets the maximum offset recorded should preerably be no less than the total deptho interest below mudline that the survey is attempting to image except in water depthsgreater than 750m Te minimum offset recorded should be no greater than hal the waterdepth
bull Record Length to an equivalent two-way time o at least 200m below the preerred sur-ace casing setting depth or to a penetration o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
All seismic data acquired shall undergo ull multi-channel digital signal processing to providean optimally imaged dataset o migrated seismic data or output to and analysis on an inter-
pretation workstation
3D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Where initial review or offset drill ing experience indicates that the complexity o the shallowsection or the perceived conditions are particularly complex acquisition o a purpose designedHR 3D survey should be considered Such surveys must be designed on a site specific basis
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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P ublications
Global experience
Te International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers has access to a wealth o technicalknowledge and experience with its members operating around the world in many differentterrains We collate and distil this valuable knowledge or the industry to use as guidelines
or good practice by individual members
Consistent high quality database and guidelines
Our overall aim is to ensure a consistent approach to training management and best practice throughout the world
Te oil and gas exploration and production industry recognises the need to develop con-sistent databases and records in certain fields Te OGPrsquos members are encouraged to usethe guidelines as a starting point or their operations or to supplement their own policies
and regulations which may apply locally
Internationally recognised source of industry information
Many o our guidelines have been recognised and used by international authorities andsaety and environmental bodies Requests come rom governments and non-governmentorganisations around the world as well as rom non-member companies
Disclaimer
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy o the inormation contained in this publi-cation neither the OGP nor any o its members past present or uture warrants its accuracy or willregardless o its or their negligence assume liability or any oreseeable or unoreseeable use madethereo which liability is hereby excluded Consequently such use is at the recipientrsquos own risk on thebasis that any use by the recipient constitutes agreement to the terms o this disclaimer Te recipient isobliged to inorm any subsequent recipient o such terms
Tis document may provide guidance supplemental to the requirements o local legislation Nothingherein however is intended to replace amend supersede or otherwise depart fom such requirements
In the event o any conflict or contradiction between the provisions o this document and local legisla-tion applicable laws shall prevail
Copyright notice
Te contents o these pages are copy Te International Association o Oil and Gas Producers Permission
is given to reproduce this report in whole or in part provided (i) that the copyright o OGP and (ii) the source are acknowledged All other rights are reserved Any other use requires the prior written permis- sion o the OGP
Tese erms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws o Eng-land and Wales Disputes arising here fom shall be exclusively subject to the jurisdiction o the courts o
England and Wales
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Geomatics
Guidance note 18ndash1
Guidelines for the conduct of
offshore drilling hazard site surveys
Revision historyVersion Date Amendments
1 April 2011 Initial publication
AcknowledgementsTis guidline was produced by Te International Association or Oil amp Gas ProducersrsquoGeomatics Committee
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able o contents
1 Introduction 1
2 Objectives of site surveys 2
21 General 222 Physical Environment 223 Planning undamentals 32 4 S c o p e 425 Operations type 4
3 Site survey process 5
31 Desk study and project planning 532 Data acquisition 533 Data processing interpretation and integration 534 Reporting 5
4 Desk studies and project planning 6
41 Use o existing geoscience data 642 Pre-existing and proposed operations 643 Wrecks submarine cables sites o special interest 6
5 Data requirements 8
51 General 852 Area o study 853 otal Depth o Study 954 Use o a pre-existing site survey 955 Acquisition o a new site survey 10
56 Use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis 1457 Enhancing the value o an exploration 3D seismic dataset 1658 Use o exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario 17
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting 18
61 Purpose o the report 1862 Scope o reporting 1863 Identiying sources o risk 1964 Consideration by rig type 1965 Deliverables 20
Glossary 21
Appendix 1 ndash Hazard impact tables 27
Tables
able 1 conditions to be addressed by a marine site survey 2able 2 pre-existing data validity guidance 9able 3 Main line spacing guidance 14
Figures
Figure 1 3Figure 2 7
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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1 Introduction
Tis document provides guidance or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys(hereafer reerred to as Site Surveys) Te guidelines address the conduct o geophysical andhydrographic site surveys o proposed offshore well locations and the use o exploration 3D
seismic data to enhance or to replace acquisition o a site survey
Te document does not set out to provide guidance on geotechnical engineering requirementsor design o anchoring systems the analysis o jack-up rig oundation or platorm oundationdesign neither does it address detailed guidance on environmental survey requirements Such
works require expert guidance and involvement o geotechnical or structural engineers orenvironmental scientists who are conversant in the application o appropriate industry codesor these tasks
Te document replaces the ormer UKOOA Guidelines or conduct o mobile drilling rig site surveys version 12 and Guidelines or conduct o mobile drilling rig site investigations in deep-water version 1 previously published under the auspices o the ormer UK Offshore Operators
Association (UKOOA) now Oil amp Gas UKTese guidelines describe oilfield good practice in this subject area in support o meetingcountry specific regulatory requirements While the document sets out oilfield good practiceit is impossible or the document to address all the varying regulatory requirements that are in
place in different countries around the world
Operators should make themselves aware o the local regulatory requirements that apply tomarine site surveys It is recommended that operators compare local requirements to theseguidelines and where there are differences apply the higher o the two sets o standards
Te document explains the requirements that different types o offshore drilling units have ona site survey Te document also emphasises the differing site survey requirements o shel and
deep-water environmentsTe techniques described in this document can also be applied to other types o seabedsurveys such as pipeline or cable route surveys etc While this document does not set out todirectly address planning and delivery o such projects it will be recognised that the samegeneral thought processes and practices wil l be applicable to such projects
A companion OGP document Guideline or the conduct o drilling hazard site surveys ndash techni-cal notes (hereafer ldquoTe echnical Notesrdquo) Report 373-18-2 will be published in 2011 and
will provide supporting technical inormation and background theory on the various phases oa site survey project outlined in this document
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2 Objectives o site surveys
21 General
Site surveys are perormed to minimise the risk o harm to personnel and equipment and
to protect the natural environment Te objective o any site survey is to identiy all possibleconstraints and hazards rom man-made natural and geological eatures which may affect theoperational or environmental integrity o a proposed drilling operation and to allow appropri-ate operational practices to be put in place to mitigate any risks identified In addition the pro-
posed site survey area should be o adequate coverage to plan any potential relie well locationsand provide sufficient data to ully assess potential top-hole drilling hazards at these locations
A properly conducted site survey or an offshore drilling location will require the input o anumber o different proessionals who should be suitably qualified and experienced in theirrespective disciplines Overall project management o a site survey should be assigned to anindividual who has a thorough understanding o the reasons or delivery o a site survey anintimate knowledge o how the results will be applied and first hand experience o collecting
and presenting those results
Te quality o any dataset selected or use in a site survey should be directly related to the typeso conditions expected to exist within the area o interest
Te interplay o the physical environment with the type o intended operation has a unda-mental impact on the scope and content o a site survey
22 Physical Environment
Depending on the physical environment and the intended operation a site survey may need to
review any or all o the ollowing
Table 1 conditions to be addressed by a marine site survey
Man-made features Natural seabed features Subsurface geological features
bull Platforms active abandoned or toppledbull Pipelines on or buried below the seabedbull Power and umbilical linesbull Communications cablesbull Wellheads and abandoned well locationsbull Manifolds and templatesbull Pipeline terminations valves and protection
framesbull Subsea isolation valvesbull Rock dumps
bull Scour protection materialbull Jack-up rig footprintsbull Non oil amp gas infrastructure such as navigation
buoys wind turbines etcbull Shipwrecksbull Ordnance and chemical dumping groundsbull Archaeol ogical rema insbull Miscellaneous debris
bull Seabed topography and reliefbull Seafloor sedimentsbull Sand banks waves and mega-ripplesbull Mud flows gullies volcanoes lumps lobesbull Fault escarpmentsbull Diapiric structuresbull Gas vents and pockmarksbull Unstable slopesbull Slumpsbull Collapse features
bull Fluid expulsion featuresbull Chemosynthetic communitiesbull Gas hydrate moundsbull Rock outcrops pinnacles and bouldersbull Reefsbull Hardgroundsbull Seabed channels and scours
bull Sedimentary sequencesbull Stratigraphybull Shallow gas charged intervalsbull Gas chimneysbull Shallow water flow zonesbull Over-pressure zonesbull Buried infilled channelsbull Boulder bedsbull Buried slumps and mass transport complexesbull Gas Hydrate zones and hydrated soils
bull Faultsbull Erosion and truncation surfacesbull Salt or mud diapirs and diatremes
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23 Planning fundamentals
In planning a site survey programme the interplay o rig type and its specification and the
different conditions that might be expected in the planned area o operations must be care-ully taken into account Tis must be considered as a first step in the planning stage o any sitesurvey programme
Te site survey project manager should be advised o the proposed outline drilling programmeandor the conceptual field layout by the project engineer planning the well or developmentTis should be taken into account in setting the data needs o the project
Te tables in Appendix 1 review conditions and areas o concern or the three rig type group-ings Te appropriate columns should be considered during the planning stage o a site survey
programme
Sufficient time must be allowed in delivery o a site survey programme to ensure the results areavailable in time
bull to ensure all local regulatory permitting requirements are met ahead o the o the pro- posed well spud date
bull to ensure the drilling project team can include them and properly mitigate any risk ohazards identified rom them in the final well design
Figure 1 Site clearance ndash timing guidance
Figure 1 shows a conceptual time line Te permitting period will be country specific
Generally it is recommended that a site survey programme should start six months prior toand no less than three months ahead o the proposed wellrsquos spud date
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 26
Preparation
Acquisition ampreporting
Completion ampimplementation
Elapsed time in weeks
Key events
Desk studyand project planning
Contractorprocurement
Acquisition Proce ssing Interpretation and reporting
Internal operator review
Permit documentproduction
Integration of results into well designand final operation planning
Permit submission and regulatory review
Can be performed on the vessel in parallel with aquisition could save up to 4 weeks
Can be performedin parallel with processing
Start depends on vessel availability
Using pre-existing survey data or exploration 3D data if suitable could save 6 weeks or more
Timing dependant on local regulatory requirements
Locationshort-listedfor
drilling
Locationavailable
for
spud
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24 Scope
Any site survey must include a review o all seafloor conditions and geology to a depth at least
200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a deptho 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Te identification and assessment o all relevant geological eatures should be perormed within the context o a geological model that takes into account depositional and post-deposi-tional processes
Te site survey report should include a discussion o all relevant geological andor man-madeeatures that have a direct bearing on operational risk
25 Operations type
Te type o rig to be used has a direct effect on the required scope o a site investigation Teull breadth o these effects is detailed in the table in Appendix 1 o this document Tis tableshould be used by a project manager to sense check that all potential concerns or the place-ment o a rig at a proposed location are being or have been addressed as part o the site survey
programme
251 Bottom founded and platform based rigs
Tese rigs only directly impact the seafloor over a small area immediately around the well-bore Te site survey can thereore be ocused directly upon the well location the corridor oapproach onto location and any possible stand-off locations
Te style o top-hole drilling used by these rigs is different to the other two generic rig group-ings Fundamentally the risk to the rig rom a shallow gas blowout is greater
Te risk to the rigrsquos integrity through loss o seabed support makes review o the shallow sec-tion or these rigs critical
Te analysis o jack-up rig oundation or platorm oundation design requires dedicatedintrusive geotechnical soil investigations Te investigations require expert guidance and thedirect involvement o geotechnical or structural engineers who are conversant in the applica-tion o appropriate industry codes or these tasks Minimum requirements to geotechnical soilinvestigations are covered in industry guidelines and standards eg Te Society o Naval Archi-tects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) echnical amp Research Bulletin 5-5A Site Specific
Assessment o Mobile Jack-up Units and ISO 19905-1 Petroleum and natural gas industriesSite-specific assessment o mobile offshore units Part 1 Jack-ups (in development target publi-cation date September 2011)
252 Anchored rigs
Tese rigs impact a large area o the seabed and as a result a site survey will need to be per-ormed over a larger area o the seafloor to assess anchoring conditions
Tese rigs encounter a number o different concerns not applicable to bottom ounded rigs ( see Appendix 1)
253 Dynamically positioned (DP) rigsTese rigs impact a small area o the seabed and thereore the site survey can be ocuseddirectly upon the well location and its immediate surroundings However their use in pre-dominantly deep to ultra deep water brings special requirements or a site survey programme(see Appendix 1)
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A site survey project process can be considered to consist o our phases
31 Desk study and project planning
A project should start with a desk study that should be considered as an integral part o the planning process During this phase a decision will be made as to whether new data ndash and which types o data ndash must be acquired
In deep water areas the desk study and any ensuing acquisition may need to address a semi-regional scope to consider topographic or geological issues that may be a threat to operationsrom outside o the direct area o proposed operations
32 Data acquisitionTe second phase is the acquisition o new data coverage i such is required
33 Data processing interpretation and integration
All existing and new data are then processed or reprocessed to improve their value and inter- preted to produce an integrated geological model o the seabed and subsurace conditions
34 Reporting
Te final stage o any site survey is the production o an integrated report that describes theconditions and operational risks identified across the site and ndash specifically ndash at the proposeddrilling location
3 Site survey process
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As the first stage in survey planning a desk study ndash or review ndash o pre-existing data should be perormed to gain an understanding o the area and to highlight matters o particular concernthat need to be addressed by the investigation
41 Use of existing geoscience data
Use o exploration 3D or 2D seismic data offset well data (logs operations reports industrydatabases etc ) geotechnical boreholes offset site surveys and any other relevant public domaindata in an integrated ashion will allow an initial geological model o the seabed and shallowsection to be developed Tis can be used to design a survey programme appropriate to thelocation and rig
In some cases exploration 3D data covering the prospect area may provide sufficient inorma-tion to produce a site report such that new survey data will not be required (Section 56 below)Otherwise the data will ndash as a minimum ndash provide a good guide to definition o line directionline spacing and the areas o uncertainty that the new site survey needs to clariy
42 Pre-existing and proposed operations
An up-to-date database o offshore acilities wells platorms pipelines etc that impact uponthe operational area should be reviewed during the planning phase
A check should also be made o any proposed third party exploration or development activitiesin the area that may impact the proposed operations
43 Wrecks submarine cables sites of special interest
Local regulatory announcements databases and nautical charts should be reviewed or thelikely presence o wrecks submarine cables and sites o special interest archaeological envi-ronmental etc
4 Desk studies and project planning
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Figure 2 ndash site survey decision tree
YesNo
Carry out desk study and ascertain proposed rig typebull Identify local legal and insurance requirements for site survey delivery (see Section 1)bull Ascertain rig type to be used (see Section 23 and 25)bull Evaluate extent and quality of existing relevant data and identify all significant relevant site constraints
(see Section 31 and 4)
Bottom founded rig Anchored rig DP rig
Isexisting site survey
coverage suitable foruse
Water depth at welllocation gt750m
Areexploration 3D data
suitable for use
Acquire full new SiteSurvey (see Section 55)
ndash or ndash
Acquire supplemental datacoverage (see Sections 55
or 57)
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Yes
No
Yes
Yes No No
No
YesYes
Yes
NoNo
Complete integrated interpretation of all available dataand issue proposed drilling location site survey report
(see Section 6)
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5 Data requirements
51 General
Figure 2 presents a simple process or assessing the data needs o a project
Four general areas o practice are common within the industry
bull Use o pre-existing site survey data
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset combined with limited site survey data acquisi-tion
bull Use o a newly acquired site survey
Whatever generic approach is ollowed the data made available or interpretation must allowor analysis o the conditions and hazards listed in Section 22 and detailed in Appendix 1 tobe properly addressed or the type o rig in use
52 Area of study
Any site survey study should address the total area likely to be impacted by drilling or develop-ment related activity Te area should include any potential relie well locations
521 Bottom founded rigs and platform based rigs
Due to the physical nature o operations with this type o rig and the water depths in whichthese rigs operate data requirements must be applied more rigorously to assure operationalintegrity
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a minimum distance o 500m around the drillinglocation and the immediate line o approach onto location
Data should allow proper study o any obstructions that might be present on the seabed duringthe final transit o the rig on to location and the commencement o leg pinning activity or a
jack-up rig
ieline data should be acquired to existing geotechnical boreholes and offset wells in the vicin-ity that show similar soil stratigraphy and that allow unambiguous interpretive correlation oconditions back to the proposed location
522 Anchored rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 250m beyond the maximum likelyanchor radius at the proposed drilling location
523 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 500m beyond the maximum likelydiameter o the seabed acoustic array used to maintain the rigrsquos position on location
524 Location uncertainty
I the proposed well location has not been finalised at the time o planning the survey areashould be designed to take into account the ull positional uncertainty o the final surace
location o the well and to meet the requirements set out above (Sections 521 to 523 inclu-sive)
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53 Total Depth of Study
Te total depth o study below seabed should be to a depth at least 200m below the preerred
setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater irrespective o rig type
Te combined dataset to be used must thereore be capable o properly imaging geologicalconditions to this depth
54 Use of a pre-existing site survey
Pre-existing site survey data should be re-used whenever possible Te quality and validity othese data should be careully assessed prior to committing to their use in producing a reportor a new drilling location
I the pre-existing survey ails to cover the ull project scope required either spatially or indepth it will need to be supplemented by data rom another source
Subject to local operator policy regulatory or insurance requirements or guidance purposesthe maximum age validity o pre-existing hydrographic and geophysical site survey data can beconsidered as
Table 2 pre-existing data validity guidance
Activity Condition Seabed Data Subsurface Data
No Activity 5 years 10 years
Engineering Activity 1 year 10 years
Well Control Incident Invalid Invalid
Subject to local conditions in a prospect area where there has been no drilling or engineering(pipe-lay etc ) activity since acquisition o a pre-existing survey the validity o seabed clearancedata should be considered to be five years and subsurace data should be considered to have aten year validity
In a prospect area where there has been drilling or engineering activity since a pre-existingsurvey was acquired validity o the data should be one year or seabed clearance data and ten
years or subsurace data
I the pre-existing data do not meet these requirements then a new survey should be acquired
At locations where a jack-up rig will be operating in close proximity to existing installationsan additional seabed survey should be carried out immediately prior to the jack-up rig installa-tion
I it is known that a rig has been installed more recently than the existing site survey data newdata should be acquired
I a well control incident (an uncontrolled underground or surace flow) has taken place on the prospect field or in an immediately adjacent area since acquisition o a pre-existing survey anyexisting seabed and subsurace data shall be considered invalid In such a case a new survey isalways required
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55 Acquisition of a new site survey
When a new site survey is considered necessary the survey should be designed to specifically
address the expected operational requirement
Te ollowing should be considered in survey design specification and delivery
551 Standard site survey data types
A new site survey will involve gathering o all o the ollowing standard data types except where specified in Section 552 below
Positioning
Surace positioning o the survey vessel should be based on augmented global navigation satel-lite systems (GNSS) eg Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS) or Clock and Orbit Corrected
GPS (also reerred to as SDGPS or Precise Point Positioning PPP) that typical ly yield sub-metre positioning accuracy It is recommended that two ully independent surace positioningsystems should be used
Te correct use o GNSS positioning is critical to the success o an offshore drilling hazard sitesurvey It is recommended that the GNSS are operated in line with the Guidelines or GNSS
Positioning in the Oil and Gas Industry issued jointly by OGP and IMCA It describes good practice or the use o global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) in among other offshoresurvey and related activities or the oil and gas industry Te guideline will be published in thespring o 2011 and can be downloaded rom wwwogporguk or wwwimca-intcom
Except in shallow water depths o less than 25m where it may be impractical or where layback
to the towed equipment is less than 50m it is recommended that the position o towed sensorsshould be determined by vessel mounted acoustic positioning system eg a tracking Ultra ShortBaseline System (USBL) that when properly calibrated typically yield a relative positioningaccuracy o better that 1 o slant range rom vessel transducer to transponder on the tow fish
Bathymetry
Bathymetry data should as a preerence be acquired using a swathe bathymetry system tomeasure accurate water depths across the area
Where swathe bathymetry data are acquired it is recommended that backscatter values romthe seabed returns are logged and processed or use in seabed characterisation to support andcomplement side scan sonar data
As a minimum however bathymetric data should be obtained using a hull mounted high-requency narrow single beam hydrographic echo sounder Data should be digitally recorded
Single beam echo sounder data should be used to veriy the results o swathe bathymetry datandash i acquired ndash to check or gross error
Te bathymetry systems should be set up to accurately record data across the range o waterdepths expected in the survey area
Te bathymetry systems should be used in conjunction with an accurate motion sensor tocompensate or vessel motion
Water column sound velocity should be determined as a minimum at the start and end o
each project by use o a CD (Conductivity emperature and Depth probe) or direct readingsound velocity probe suitable or use in the maximum water depths expected within the surveyarea
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Water depths should be corrected or vessel draf tidal level and reerenced to an appropriatelocal vertical datum (LA MSL etc )
Te final processed digital terrain model (DM) data cell size covering the entire survey area without gaps should preerably be less than 10x10m and output in an appropriate digitalormat to allow urther imaging and analysis o the data
Side scan sonar
A dual channel dual requency side scan sonar system should be used to provide acousticseabed imagery to define man made and natural seabed eatures across the area
Systems should be operated at no less than 100kHz
Line spacing and display range should be designed to ensure a minimum o 200 coverage othe survey area in the prime survey line direction with additional urther orthogonal tie-lines
For detailed inspection o contacts or inspection o pre-determined bottom-ounded rig sitesextra lines should be run using a requency o 400kHz or greater
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be image processed to improvesubsequent computer aided analysis and mosaicing o the data Such mosaics should be outputas geo-reerenced high resolution digital models o the seabed or presentation in the finalreport
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Sub-bottom profilers
A suite o sub-bottom acoustic profilers should be operated to provide a continuous and veryhigh resolution image o the shallow geological conditions
Subject to local soil conditions the systems should be capable o achieving a resolution o 03m vertical bed separation in the upper 50m below seabed
Te systems chosen should be run simultaneously to provide imagery that penetrates to inexcess o the oundational depth o interest Tis can be considered to be equivalent to a depthequal to the greater o 30m or the anticipated spud-can penetration plus one-and-a-hal timesthe spud-can diameter or a jack-up rig or the maximum expected anchor penetration or ananchored rig
Te data should be recorded digitally to allow signal processing to urther improve data qual-
ity final export to a workstation or integrated interpretation and mapping o the data andease o data retrieval o old datasets
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Magnetometers and Gradiometers
A magnetometer can be used to measure total magnetic field strengths to investigate errousobjects lying on ndash or buried immediately beneath ndash the seafloor or to attempt to determinethe position o cables pipelines or abandoned wells that cannot be identified by acousticmeans
Te system should be capable o a sampling rate o at least 1Hz and have a sensitivity o at leastone nanotesla (1n)
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Te sensor should be towed as close to the seabed as possible and sufficiently ar away rom the vessel to isolate the sensor rom the magnetic field o the survey vessel
As magnetometers measure total magnetic field strength they cannot be used in the vicinity olarge inrastructure such as platorms which swamp the magnetic signature o smaller ea-tures
Use o a gradiometer system which measures the magnetic gradient between two or moreclosely spaced magnetometers should be considered or more precise results and surveys closeto large structures such as platorms
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be processed to allow subsequentcomputer aided analysis and modeling to be undertaken
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
A multi-channel High Resolution (HR) digital seismic survey should be conducted over proposed drilling locations to investigate top-hole geological conditions across the area Teexception to this is where the use o pre-existing exploration 3D seismic data is deemed anappropriate substitute (see Section 56 below)
Te primary interest o such surveys is rom the seabed to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m belowseabed whichever is greater
All HR seismic surveys should be designed on a site specific basis to take into account the varying conditions present and specific goals o the project but in general will conorm to theoutline specifications below
bull
Source Type surveys should make use o a seismic source that delivers a simple stableand repeatable source signature that is near to a minimum phase output and has a useablerequency content across at least the 20-250Hz band
bull Tow Depths source and streamer tow depths should be specified to be no greater than 3mand preerably less
bull Streamer Type use o digital solid streamers is preerred
bull Recording System the recording system should record at no greater than a 1 millisecondsample interval Field high-cut filters should be set no lower than 300Hz
bull Fold of cover should generally not be less than 24 or 2D HR surveys in water depths lessthan 750m
bull
Offsets the maximum offset recorded should preerably be no less than the total deptho interest below mudline that the survey is attempting to image except in water depthsgreater than 750m Te minimum offset recorded should be no greater than hal the waterdepth
bull Record Length to an equivalent two-way time o at least 200m below the preerred sur-ace casing setting depth or to a penetration o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
All seismic data acquired shall undergo ull multi-channel digital signal processing to providean optimally imaged dataset o migrated seismic data or output to and analysis on an inter-
pretation workstation
3D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Where initial review or offset drill ing experience indicates that the complexity o the shallowsection or the perceived conditions are particularly complex acquisition o a purpose designedHR 3D survey should be considered Such surveys must be designed on a site specific basis
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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Geomatics
Guidance note 18ndash1
Guidelines for the conduct of
offshore drilling hazard site surveys
Revision historyVersion Date Amendments
1 April 2011 Initial publication
AcknowledgementsTis guidline was produced by Te International Association or Oil amp Gas ProducersrsquoGeomatics Committee
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able o contents
1 Introduction 1
2 Objectives of site surveys 2
21 General 222 Physical Environment 223 Planning undamentals 32 4 S c o p e 425 Operations type 4
3 Site survey process 5
31 Desk study and project planning 532 Data acquisition 533 Data processing interpretation and integration 534 Reporting 5
4 Desk studies and project planning 6
41 Use o existing geoscience data 642 Pre-existing and proposed operations 643 Wrecks submarine cables sites o special interest 6
5 Data requirements 8
51 General 852 Area o study 853 otal Depth o Study 954 Use o a pre-existing site survey 955 Acquisition o a new site survey 10
56 Use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis 1457 Enhancing the value o an exploration 3D seismic dataset 1658 Use o exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario 17
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting 18
61 Purpose o the report 1862 Scope o reporting 1863 Identiying sources o risk 1964 Consideration by rig type 1965 Deliverables 20
Glossary 21
Appendix 1 ndash Hazard impact tables 27
Tables
able 1 conditions to be addressed by a marine site survey 2able 2 pre-existing data validity guidance 9able 3 Main line spacing guidance 14
Figures
Figure 1 3Figure 2 7
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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1 Introduction
Tis document provides guidance or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys(hereafer reerred to as Site Surveys) Te guidelines address the conduct o geophysical andhydrographic site surveys o proposed offshore well locations and the use o exploration 3D
seismic data to enhance or to replace acquisition o a site survey
Te document does not set out to provide guidance on geotechnical engineering requirementsor design o anchoring systems the analysis o jack-up rig oundation or platorm oundationdesign neither does it address detailed guidance on environmental survey requirements Such
works require expert guidance and involvement o geotechnical or structural engineers orenvironmental scientists who are conversant in the application o appropriate industry codesor these tasks
Te document replaces the ormer UKOOA Guidelines or conduct o mobile drilling rig site surveys version 12 and Guidelines or conduct o mobile drilling rig site investigations in deep-water version 1 previously published under the auspices o the ormer UK Offshore Operators
Association (UKOOA) now Oil amp Gas UKTese guidelines describe oilfield good practice in this subject area in support o meetingcountry specific regulatory requirements While the document sets out oilfield good practiceit is impossible or the document to address all the varying regulatory requirements that are in
place in different countries around the world
Operators should make themselves aware o the local regulatory requirements that apply tomarine site surveys It is recommended that operators compare local requirements to theseguidelines and where there are differences apply the higher o the two sets o standards
Te document explains the requirements that different types o offshore drilling units have ona site survey Te document also emphasises the differing site survey requirements o shel and
deep-water environmentsTe techniques described in this document can also be applied to other types o seabedsurveys such as pipeline or cable route surveys etc While this document does not set out todirectly address planning and delivery o such projects it will be recognised that the samegeneral thought processes and practices wil l be applicable to such projects
A companion OGP document Guideline or the conduct o drilling hazard site surveys ndash techni-cal notes (hereafer ldquoTe echnical Notesrdquo) Report 373-18-2 will be published in 2011 and
will provide supporting technical inormation and background theory on the various phases oa site survey project outlined in this document
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2 Objectives o site surveys
21 General
Site surveys are perormed to minimise the risk o harm to personnel and equipment and
to protect the natural environment Te objective o any site survey is to identiy all possibleconstraints and hazards rom man-made natural and geological eatures which may affect theoperational or environmental integrity o a proposed drilling operation and to allow appropri-ate operational practices to be put in place to mitigate any risks identified In addition the pro-
posed site survey area should be o adequate coverage to plan any potential relie well locationsand provide sufficient data to ully assess potential top-hole drilling hazards at these locations
A properly conducted site survey or an offshore drilling location will require the input o anumber o different proessionals who should be suitably qualified and experienced in theirrespective disciplines Overall project management o a site survey should be assigned to anindividual who has a thorough understanding o the reasons or delivery o a site survey anintimate knowledge o how the results will be applied and first hand experience o collecting
and presenting those results
Te quality o any dataset selected or use in a site survey should be directly related to the typeso conditions expected to exist within the area o interest
Te interplay o the physical environment with the type o intended operation has a unda-mental impact on the scope and content o a site survey
22 Physical Environment
Depending on the physical environment and the intended operation a site survey may need to
review any or all o the ollowing
Table 1 conditions to be addressed by a marine site survey
Man-made features Natural seabed features Subsurface geological features
bull Platforms active abandoned or toppledbull Pipelines on or buried below the seabedbull Power and umbilical linesbull Communications cablesbull Wellheads and abandoned well locationsbull Manifolds and templatesbull Pipeline terminations valves and protection
framesbull Subsea isolation valvesbull Rock dumps
bull Scour protection materialbull Jack-up rig footprintsbull Non oil amp gas infrastructure such as navigation
buoys wind turbines etcbull Shipwrecksbull Ordnance and chemical dumping groundsbull Archaeol ogical rema insbull Miscellaneous debris
bull Seabed topography and reliefbull Seafloor sedimentsbull Sand banks waves and mega-ripplesbull Mud flows gullies volcanoes lumps lobesbull Fault escarpmentsbull Diapiric structuresbull Gas vents and pockmarksbull Unstable slopesbull Slumpsbull Collapse features
bull Fluid expulsion featuresbull Chemosynthetic communitiesbull Gas hydrate moundsbull Rock outcrops pinnacles and bouldersbull Reefsbull Hardgroundsbull Seabed channels and scours
bull Sedimentary sequencesbull Stratigraphybull Shallow gas charged intervalsbull Gas chimneysbull Shallow water flow zonesbull Over-pressure zonesbull Buried infilled channelsbull Boulder bedsbull Buried slumps and mass transport complexesbull Gas Hydrate zones and hydrated soils
bull Faultsbull Erosion and truncation surfacesbull Salt or mud diapirs and diatremes
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23 Planning fundamentals
In planning a site survey programme the interplay o rig type and its specification and the
different conditions that might be expected in the planned area o operations must be care-ully taken into account Tis must be considered as a first step in the planning stage o any sitesurvey programme
Te site survey project manager should be advised o the proposed outline drilling programmeandor the conceptual field layout by the project engineer planning the well or developmentTis should be taken into account in setting the data needs o the project
Te tables in Appendix 1 review conditions and areas o concern or the three rig type group-ings Te appropriate columns should be considered during the planning stage o a site survey
programme
Sufficient time must be allowed in delivery o a site survey programme to ensure the results areavailable in time
bull to ensure all local regulatory permitting requirements are met ahead o the o the pro- posed well spud date
bull to ensure the drilling project team can include them and properly mitigate any risk ohazards identified rom them in the final well design
Figure 1 Site clearance ndash timing guidance
Figure 1 shows a conceptual time line Te permitting period will be country specific
Generally it is recommended that a site survey programme should start six months prior toand no less than three months ahead o the proposed wellrsquos spud date
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 26
Preparation
Acquisition ampreporting
Completion ampimplementation
Elapsed time in weeks
Key events
Desk studyand project planning
Contractorprocurement
Acquisition Proce ssing Interpretation and reporting
Internal operator review
Permit documentproduction
Integration of results into well designand final operation planning
Permit submission and regulatory review
Can be performed on the vessel in parallel with aquisition could save up to 4 weeks
Can be performedin parallel with processing
Start depends on vessel availability
Using pre-existing survey data or exploration 3D data if suitable could save 6 weeks or more
Timing dependant on local regulatory requirements
Locationshort-listedfor
drilling
Locationavailable
for
spud
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24 Scope
Any site survey must include a review o all seafloor conditions and geology to a depth at least
200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a deptho 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Te identification and assessment o all relevant geological eatures should be perormed within the context o a geological model that takes into account depositional and post-deposi-tional processes
Te site survey report should include a discussion o all relevant geological andor man-madeeatures that have a direct bearing on operational risk
25 Operations type
Te type o rig to be used has a direct effect on the required scope o a site investigation Teull breadth o these effects is detailed in the table in Appendix 1 o this document Tis tableshould be used by a project manager to sense check that all potential concerns or the place-ment o a rig at a proposed location are being or have been addressed as part o the site survey
programme
251 Bottom founded and platform based rigs
Tese rigs only directly impact the seafloor over a small area immediately around the well-bore Te site survey can thereore be ocused directly upon the well location the corridor oapproach onto location and any possible stand-off locations
Te style o top-hole drilling used by these rigs is different to the other two generic rig group-ings Fundamentally the risk to the rig rom a shallow gas blowout is greater
Te risk to the rigrsquos integrity through loss o seabed support makes review o the shallow sec-tion or these rigs critical
Te analysis o jack-up rig oundation or platorm oundation design requires dedicatedintrusive geotechnical soil investigations Te investigations require expert guidance and thedirect involvement o geotechnical or structural engineers who are conversant in the applica-tion o appropriate industry codes or these tasks Minimum requirements to geotechnical soilinvestigations are covered in industry guidelines and standards eg Te Society o Naval Archi-tects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) echnical amp Research Bulletin 5-5A Site Specific
Assessment o Mobile Jack-up Units and ISO 19905-1 Petroleum and natural gas industriesSite-specific assessment o mobile offshore units Part 1 Jack-ups (in development target publi-cation date September 2011)
252 Anchored rigs
Tese rigs impact a large area o the seabed and as a result a site survey will need to be per-ormed over a larger area o the seafloor to assess anchoring conditions
Tese rigs encounter a number o different concerns not applicable to bottom ounded rigs ( see Appendix 1)
253 Dynamically positioned (DP) rigsTese rigs impact a small area o the seabed and thereore the site survey can be ocuseddirectly upon the well location and its immediate surroundings However their use in pre-dominantly deep to ultra deep water brings special requirements or a site survey programme(see Appendix 1)
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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A site survey project process can be considered to consist o our phases
31 Desk study and project planning
A project should start with a desk study that should be considered as an integral part o the planning process During this phase a decision will be made as to whether new data ndash and which types o data ndash must be acquired
In deep water areas the desk study and any ensuing acquisition may need to address a semi-regional scope to consider topographic or geological issues that may be a threat to operationsrom outside o the direct area o proposed operations
32 Data acquisitionTe second phase is the acquisition o new data coverage i such is required
33 Data processing interpretation and integration
All existing and new data are then processed or reprocessed to improve their value and inter- preted to produce an integrated geological model o the seabed and subsurace conditions
34 Reporting
Te final stage o any site survey is the production o an integrated report that describes theconditions and operational risks identified across the site and ndash specifically ndash at the proposeddrilling location
3 Site survey process
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As the first stage in survey planning a desk study ndash or review ndash o pre-existing data should be perormed to gain an understanding o the area and to highlight matters o particular concernthat need to be addressed by the investigation
41 Use of existing geoscience data
Use o exploration 3D or 2D seismic data offset well data (logs operations reports industrydatabases etc ) geotechnical boreholes offset site surveys and any other relevant public domaindata in an integrated ashion will allow an initial geological model o the seabed and shallowsection to be developed Tis can be used to design a survey programme appropriate to thelocation and rig
In some cases exploration 3D data covering the prospect area may provide sufficient inorma-tion to produce a site report such that new survey data will not be required (Section 56 below)Otherwise the data will ndash as a minimum ndash provide a good guide to definition o line directionline spacing and the areas o uncertainty that the new site survey needs to clariy
42 Pre-existing and proposed operations
An up-to-date database o offshore acilities wells platorms pipelines etc that impact uponthe operational area should be reviewed during the planning phase
A check should also be made o any proposed third party exploration or development activitiesin the area that may impact the proposed operations
43 Wrecks submarine cables sites of special interest
Local regulatory announcements databases and nautical charts should be reviewed or thelikely presence o wrecks submarine cables and sites o special interest archaeological envi-ronmental etc
4 Desk studies and project planning
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Figure 2 ndash site survey decision tree
YesNo
Carry out desk study and ascertain proposed rig typebull Identify local legal and insurance requirements for site survey delivery (see Section 1)bull Ascertain rig type to be used (see Section 23 and 25)bull Evaluate extent and quality of existing relevant data and identify all significant relevant site constraints
(see Section 31 and 4)
Bottom founded rig Anchored rig DP rig
Isexisting site survey
coverage suitable foruse
Water depth at welllocation gt750m
Areexploration 3D data
suitable for use
Acquire full new SiteSurvey (see Section 55)
ndash or ndash
Acquire supplemental datacoverage (see Sections 55
or 57)
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Yes
No
Yes
Yes No No
No
YesYes
Yes
NoNo
Complete integrated interpretation of all available dataand issue proposed drilling location site survey report
(see Section 6)
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5 Data requirements
51 General
Figure 2 presents a simple process or assessing the data needs o a project
Four general areas o practice are common within the industry
bull Use o pre-existing site survey data
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset combined with limited site survey data acquisi-tion
bull Use o a newly acquired site survey
Whatever generic approach is ollowed the data made available or interpretation must allowor analysis o the conditions and hazards listed in Section 22 and detailed in Appendix 1 tobe properly addressed or the type o rig in use
52 Area of study
Any site survey study should address the total area likely to be impacted by drilling or develop-ment related activity Te area should include any potential relie well locations
521 Bottom founded rigs and platform based rigs
Due to the physical nature o operations with this type o rig and the water depths in whichthese rigs operate data requirements must be applied more rigorously to assure operationalintegrity
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a minimum distance o 500m around the drillinglocation and the immediate line o approach onto location
Data should allow proper study o any obstructions that might be present on the seabed duringthe final transit o the rig on to location and the commencement o leg pinning activity or a
jack-up rig
ieline data should be acquired to existing geotechnical boreholes and offset wells in the vicin-ity that show similar soil stratigraphy and that allow unambiguous interpretive correlation oconditions back to the proposed location
522 Anchored rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 250m beyond the maximum likelyanchor radius at the proposed drilling location
523 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 500m beyond the maximum likelydiameter o the seabed acoustic array used to maintain the rigrsquos position on location
524 Location uncertainty
I the proposed well location has not been finalised at the time o planning the survey areashould be designed to take into account the ull positional uncertainty o the final surace
location o the well and to meet the requirements set out above (Sections 521 to 523 inclu-sive)
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53 Total Depth of Study
Te total depth o study below seabed should be to a depth at least 200m below the preerred
setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater irrespective o rig type
Te combined dataset to be used must thereore be capable o properly imaging geologicalconditions to this depth
54 Use of a pre-existing site survey
Pre-existing site survey data should be re-used whenever possible Te quality and validity othese data should be careully assessed prior to committing to their use in producing a reportor a new drilling location
I the pre-existing survey ails to cover the ull project scope required either spatially or indepth it will need to be supplemented by data rom another source
Subject to local operator policy regulatory or insurance requirements or guidance purposesthe maximum age validity o pre-existing hydrographic and geophysical site survey data can beconsidered as
Table 2 pre-existing data validity guidance
Activity Condition Seabed Data Subsurface Data
No Activity 5 years 10 years
Engineering Activity 1 year 10 years
Well Control Incident Invalid Invalid
Subject to local conditions in a prospect area where there has been no drilling or engineering(pipe-lay etc ) activity since acquisition o a pre-existing survey the validity o seabed clearancedata should be considered to be five years and subsurace data should be considered to have aten year validity
In a prospect area where there has been drilling or engineering activity since a pre-existingsurvey was acquired validity o the data should be one year or seabed clearance data and ten
years or subsurace data
I the pre-existing data do not meet these requirements then a new survey should be acquired
At locations where a jack-up rig will be operating in close proximity to existing installationsan additional seabed survey should be carried out immediately prior to the jack-up rig installa-tion
I it is known that a rig has been installed more recently than the existing site survey data newdata should be acquired
I a well control incident (an uncontrolled underground or surace flow) has taken place on the prospect field or in an immediately adjacent area since acquisition o a pre-existing survey anyexisting seabed and subsurace data shall be considered invalid In such a case a new survey isalways required
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55 Acquisition of a new site survey
When a new site survey is considered necessary the survey should be designed to specifically
address the expected operational requirement
Te ollowing should be considered in survey design specification and delivery
551 Standard site survey data types
A new site survey will involve gathering o all o the ollowing standard data types except where specified in Section 552 below
Positioning
Surace positioning o the survey vessel should be based on augmented global navigation satel-lite systems (GNSS) eg Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS) or Clock and Orbit Corrected
GPS (also reerred to as SDGPS or Precise Point Positioning PPP) that typical ly yield sub-metre positioning accuracy It is recommended that two ully independent surace positioningsystems should be used
Te correct use o GNSS positioning is critical to the success o an offshore drilling hazard sitesurvey It is recommended that the GNSS are operated in line with the Guidelines or GNSS
Positioning in the Oil and Gas Industry issued jointly by OGP and IMCA It describes good practice or the use o global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) in among other offshoresurvey and related activities or the oil and gas industry Te guideline will be published in thespring o 2011 and can be downloaded rom wwwogporguk or wwwimca-intcom
Except in shallow water depths o less than 25m where it may be impractical or where layback
to the towed equipment is less than 50m it is recommended that the position o towed sensorsshould be determined by vessel mounted acoustic positioning system eg a tracking Ultra ShortBaseline System (USBL) that when properly calibrated typically yield a relative positioningaccuracy o better that 1 o slant range rom vessel transducer to transponder on the tow fish
Bathymetry
Bathymetry data should as a preerence be acquired using a swathe bathymetry system tomeasure accurate water depths across the area
Where swathe bathymetry data are acquired it is recommended that backscatter values romthe seabed returns are logged and processed or use in seabed characterisation to support andcomplement side scan sonar data
As a minimum however bathymetric data should be obtained using a hull mounted high-requency narrow single beam hydrographic echo sounder Data should be digitally recorded
Single beam echo sounder data should be used to veriy the results o swathe bathymetry datandash i acquired ndash to check or gross error
Te bathymetry systems should be set up to accurately record data across the range o waterdepths expected in the survey area
Te bathymetry systems should be used in conjunction with an accurate motion sensor tocompensate or vessel motion
Water column sound velocity should be determined as a minimum at the start and end o
each project by use o a CD (Conductivity emperature and Depth probe) or direct readingsound velocity probe suitable or use in the maximum water depths expected within the surveyarea
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Water depths should be corrected or vessel draf tidal level and reerenced to an appropriatelocal vertical datum (LA MSL etc )
Te final processed digital terrain model (DM) data cell size covering the entire survey area without gaps should preerably be less than 10x10m and output in an appropriate digitalormat to allow urther imaging and analysis o the data
Side scan sonar
A dual channel dual requency side scan sonar system should be used to provide acousticseabed imagery to define man made and natural seabed eatures across the area
Systems should be operated at no less than 100kHz
Line spacing and display range should be designed to ensure a minimum o 200 coverage othe survey area in the prime survey line direction with additional urther orthogonal tie-lines
For detailed inspection o contacts or inspection o pre-determined bottom-ounded rig sitesextra lines should be run using a requency o 400kHz or greater
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be image processed to improvesubsequent computer aided analysis and mosaicing o the data Such mosaics should be outputas geo-reerenced high resolution digital models o the seabed or presentation in the finalreport
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Sub-bottom profilers
A suite o sub-bottom acoustic profilers should be operated to provide a continuous and veryhigh resolution image o the shallow geological conditions
Subject to local soil conditions the systems should be capable o achieving a resolution o 03m vertical bed separation in the upper 50m below seabed
Te systems chosen should be run simultaneously to provide imagery that penetrates to inexcess o the oundational depth o interest Tis can be considered to be equivalent to a depthequal to the greater o 30m or the anticipated spud-can penetration plus one-and-a-hal timesthe spud-can diameter or a jack-up rig or the maximum expected anchor penetration or ananchored rig
Te data should be recorded digitally to allow signal processing to urther improve data qual-
ity final export to a workstation or integrated interpretation and mapping o the data andease o data retrieval o old datasets
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Magnetometers and Gradiometers
A magnetometer can be used to measure total magnetic field strengths to investigate errousobjects lying on ndash or buried immediately beneath ndash the seafloor or to attempt to determinethe position o cables pipelines or abandoned wells that cannot be identified by acousticmeans
Te system should be capable o a sampling rate o at least 1Hz and have a sensitivity o at leastone nanotesla (1n)
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Te sensor should be towed as close to the seabed as possible and sufficiently ar away rom the vessel to isolate the sensor rom the magnetic field o the survey vessel
As magnetometers measure total magnetic field strength they cannot be used in the vicinity olarge inrastructure such as platorms which swamp the magnetic signature o smaller ea-tures
Use o a gradiometer system which measures the magnetic gradient between two or moreclosely spaced magnetometers should be considered or more precise results and surveys closeto large structures such as platorms
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be processed to allow subsequentcomputer aided analysis and modeling to be undertaken
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
A multi-channel High Resolution (HR) digital seismic survey should be conducted over proposed drilling locations to investigate top-hole geological conditions across the area Teexception to this is where the use o pre-existing exploration 3D seismic data is deemed anappropriate substitute (see Section 56 below)
Te primary interest o such surveys is rom the seabed to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m belowseabed whichever is greater
All HR seismic surveys should be designed on a site specific basis to take into account the varying conditions present and specific goals o the project but in general will conorm to theoutline specifications below
bull
Source Type surveys should make use o a seismic source that delivers a simple stableand repeatable source signature that is near to a minimum phase output and has a useablerequency content across at least the 20-250Hz band
bull Tow Depths source and streamer tow depths should be specified to be no greater than 3mand preerably less
bull Streamer Type use o digital solid streamers is preerred
bull Recording System the recording system should record at no greater than a 1 millisecondsample interval Field high-cut filters should be set no lower than 300Hz
bull Fold of cover should generally not be less than 24 or 2D HR surveys in water depths lessthan 750m
bull
Offsets the maximum offset recorded should preerably be no less than the total deptho interest below mudline that the survey is attempting to image except in water depthsgreater than 750m Te minimum offset recorded should be no greater than hal the waterdepth
bull Record Length to an equivalent two-way time o at least 200m below the preerred sur-ace casing setting depth or to a penetration o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
All seismic data acquired shall undergo ull multi-channel digital signal processing to providean optimally imaged dataset o migrated seismic data or output to and analysis on an inter-
pretation workstation
3D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Where initial review or offset drill ing experience indicates that the complexity o the shallowsection or the perceived conditions are particularly complex acquisition o a purpose designedHR 3D survey should be considered Such surveys must be designed on a site specific basis
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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able o contents
1 Introduction 1
2 Objectives of site surveys 2
21 General 222 Physical Environment 223 Planning undamentals 32 4 S c o p e 425 Operations type 4
3 Site survey process 5
31 Desk study and project planning 532 Data acquisition 533 Data processing interpretation and integration 534 Reporting 5
4 Desk studies and project planning 6
41 Use o existing geoscience data 642 Pre-existing and proposed operations 643 Wrecks submarine cables sites o special interest 6
5 Data requirements 8
51 General 852 Area o study 853 otal Depth o Study 954 Use o a pre-existing site survey 955 Acquisition o a new site survey 10
56 Use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis 1457 Enhancing the value o an exploration 3D seismic dataset 1658 Use o exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario 17
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting 18
61 Purpose o the report 1862 Scope o reporting 1863 Identiying sources o risk 1964 Consideration by rig type 1965 Deliverables 20
Glossary 21
Appendix 1 ndash Hazard impact tables 27
Tables
able 1 conditions to be addressed by a marine site survey 2able 2 pre-existing data validity guidance 9able 3 Main line spacing guidance 14
Figures
Figure 1 3Figure 2 7
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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1 Introduction
Tis document provides guidance or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys(hereafer reerred to as Site Surveys) Te guidelines address the conduct o geophysical andhydrographic site surveys o proposed offshore well locations and the use o exploration 3D
seismic data to enhance or to replace acquisition o a site survey
Te document does not set out to provide guidance on geotechnical engineering requirementsor design o anchoring systems the analysis o jack-up rig oundation or platorm oundationdesign neither does it address detailed guidance on environmental survey requirements Such
works require expert guidance and involvement o geotechnical or structural engineers orenvironmental scientists who are conversant in the application o appropriate industry codesor these tasks
Te document replaces the ormer UKOOA Guidelines or conduct o mobile drilling rig site surveys version 12 and Guidelines or conduct o mobile drilling rig site investigations in deep-water version 1 previously published under the auspices o the ormer UK Offshore Operators
Association (UKOOA) now Oil amp Gas UKTese guidelines describe oilfield good practice in this subject area in support o meetingcountry specific regulatory requirements While the document sets out oilfield good practiceit is impossible or the document to address all the varying regulatory requirements that are in
place in different countries around the world
Operators should make themselves aware o the local regulatory requirements that apply tomarine site surveys It is recommended that operators compare local requirements to theseguidelines and where there are differences apply the higher o the two sets o standards
Te document explains the requirements that different types o offshore drilling units have ona site survey Te document also emphasises the differing site survey requirements o shel and
deep-water environmentsTe techniques described in this document can also be applied to other types o seabedsurveys such as pipeline or cable route surveys etc While this document does not set out todirectly address planning and delivery o such projects it will be recognised that the samegeneral thought processes and practices wil l be applicable to such projects
A companion OGP document Guideline or the conduct o drilling hazard site surveys ndash techni-cal notes (hereafer ldquoTe echnical Notesrdquo) Report 373-18-2 will be published in 2011 and
will provide supporting technical inormation and background theory on the various phases oa site survey project outlined in this document
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2 Objectives o site surveys
21 General
Site surveys are perormed to minimise the risk o harm to personnel and equipment and
to protect the natural environment Te objective o any site survey is to identiy all possibleconstraints and hazards rom man-made natural and geological eatures which may affect theoperational or environmental integrity o a proposed drilling operation and to allow appropri-ate operational practices to be put in place to mitigate any risks identified In addition the pro-
posed site survey area should be o adequate coverage to plan any potential relie well locationsand provide sufficient data to ully assess potential top-hole drilling hazards at these locations
A properly conducted site survey or an offshore drilling location will require the input o anumber o different proessionals who should be suitably qualified and experienced in theirrespective disciplines Overall project management o a site survey should be assigned to anindividual who has a thorough understanding o the reasons or delivery o a site survey anintimate knowledge o how the results will be applied and first hand experience o collecting
and presenting those results
Te quality o any dataset selected or use in a site survey should be directly related to the typeso conditions expected to exist within the area o interest
Te interplay o the physical environment with the type o intended operation has a unda-mental impact on the scope and content o a site survey
22 Physical Environment
Depending on the physical environment and the intended operation a site survey may need to
review any or all o the ollowing
Table 1 conditions to be addressed by a marine site survey
Man-made features Natural seabed features Subsurface geological features
bull Platforms active abandoned or toppledbull Pipelines on or buried below the seabedbull Power and umbilical linesbull Communications cablesbull Wellheads and abandoned well locationsbull Manifolds and templatesbull Pipeline terminations valves and protection
framesbull Subsea isolation valvesbull Rock dumps
bull Scour protection materialbull Jack-up rig footprintsbull Non oil amp gas infrastructure such as navigation
buoys wind turbines etcbull Shipwrecksbull Ordnance and chemical dumping groundsbull Archaeol ogical rema insbull Miscellaneous debris
bull Seabed topography and reliefbull Seafloor sedimentsbull Sand banks waves and mega-ripplesbull Mud flows gullies volcanoes lumps lobesbull Fault escarpmentsbull Diapiric structuresbull Gas vents and pockmarksbull Unstable slopesbull Slumpsbull Collapse features
bull Fluid expulsion featuresbull Chemosynthetic communitiesbull Gas hydrate moundsbull Rock outcrops pinnacles and bouldersbull Reefsbull Hardgroundsbull Seabed channels and scours
bull Sedimentary sequencesbull Stratigraphybull Shallow gas charged intervalsbull Gas chimneysbull Shallow water flow zonesbull Over-pressure zonesbull Buried infilled channelsbull Boulder bedsbull Buried slumps and mass transport complexesbull Gas Hydrate zones and hydrated soils
bull Faultsbull Erosion and truncation surfacesbull Salt or mud diapirs and diatremes
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23 Planning fundamentals
In planning a site survey programme the interplay o rig type and its specification and the
different conditions that might be expected in the planned area o operations must be care-ully taken into account Tis must be considered as a first step in the planning stage o any sitesurvey programme
Te site survey project manager should be advised o the proposed outline drilling programmeandor the conceptual field layout by the project engineer planning the well or developmentTis should be taken into account in setting the data needs o the project
Te tables in Appendix 1 review conditions and areas o concern or the three rig type group-ings Te appropriate columns should be considered during the planning stage o a site survey
programme
Sufficient time must be allowed in delivery o a site survey programme to ensure the results areavailable in time
bull to ensure all local regulatory permitting requirements are met ahead o the o the pro- posed well spud date
bull to ensure the drilling project team can include them and properly mitigate any risk ohazards identified rom them in the final well design
Figure 1 Site clearance ndash timing guidance
Figure 1 shows a conceptual time line Te permitting period will be country specific
Generally it is recommended that a site survey programme should start six months prior toand no less than three months ahead o the proposed wellrsquos spud date
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 26
Preparation
Acquisition ampreporting
Completion ampimplementation
Elapsed time in weeks
Key events
Desk studyand project planning
Contractorprocurement
Acquisition Proce ssing Interpretation and reporting
Internal operator review
Permit documentproduction
Integration of results into well designand final operation planning
Permit submission and regulatory review
Can be performed on the vessel in parallel with aquisition could save up to 4 weeks
Can be performedin parallel with processing
Start depends on vessel availability
Using pre-existing survey data or exploration 3D data if suitable could save 6 weeks or more
Timing dependant on local regulatory requirements
Locationshort-listedfor
drilling
Locationavailable
for
spud
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24 Scope
Any site survey must include a review o all seafloor conditions and geology to a depth at least
200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a deptho 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Te identification and assessment o all relevant geological eatures should be perormed within the context o a geological model that takes into account depositional and post-deposi-tional processes
Te site survey report should include a discussion o all relevant geological andor man-madeeatures that have a direct bearing on operational risk
25 Operations type
Te type o rig to be used has a direct effect on the required scope o a site investigation Teull breadth o these effects is detailed in the table in Appendix 1 o this document Tis tableshould be used by a project manager to sense check that all potential concerns or the place-ment o a rig at a proposed location are being or have been addressed as part o the site survey
programme
251 Bottom founded and platform based rigs
Tese rigs only directly impact the seafloor over a small area immediately around the well-bore Te site survey can thereore be ocused directly upon the well location the corridor oapproach onto location and any possible stand-off locations
Te style o top-hole drilling used by these rigs is different to the other two generic rig group-ings Fundamentally the risk to the rig rom a shallow gas blowout is greater
Te risk to the rigrsquos integrity through loss o seabed support makes review o the shallow sec-tion or these rigs critical
Te analysis o jack-up rig oundation or platorm oundation design requires dedicatedintrusive geotechnical soil investigations Te investigations require expert guidance and thedirect involvement o geotechnical or structural engineers who are conversant in the applica-tion o appropriate industry codes or these tasks Minimum requirements to geotechnical soilinvestigations are covered in industry guidelines and standards eg Te Society o Naval Archi-tects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) echnical amp Research Bulletin 5-5A Site Specific
Assessment o Mobile Jack-up Units and ISO 19905-1 Petroleum and natural gas industriesSite-specific assessment o mobile offshore units Part 1 Jack-ups (in development target publi-cation date September 2011)
252 Anchored rigs
Tese rigs impact a large area o the seabed and as a result a site survey will need to be per-ormed over a larger area o the seafloor to assess anchoring conditions
Tese rigs encounter a number o different concerns not applicable to bottom ounded rigs ( see Appendix 1)
253 Dynamically positioned (DP) rigsTese rigs impact a small area o the seabed and thereore the site survey can be ocuseddirectly upon the well location and its immediate surroundings However their use in pre-dominantly deep to ultra deep water brings special requirements or a site survey programme(see Appendix 1)
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A site survey project process can be considered to consist o our phases
31 Desk study and project planning
A project should start with a desk study that should be considered as an integral part o the planning process During this phase a decision will be made as to whether new data ndash and which types o data ndash must be acquired
In deep water areas the desk study and any ensuing acquisition may need to address a semi-regional scope to consider topographic or geological issues that may be a threat to operationsrom outside o the direct area o proposed operations
32 Data acquisitionTe second phase is the acquisition o new data coverage i such is required
33 Data processing interpretation and integration
All existing and new data are then processed or reprocessed to improve their value and inter- preted to produce an integrated geological model o the seabed and subsurace conditions
34 Reporting
Te final stage o any site survey is the production o an integrated report that describes theconditions and operational risks identified across the site and ndash specifically ndash at the proposeddrilling location
3 Site survey process
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As the first stage in survey planning a desk study ndash or review ndash o pre-existing data should be perormed to gain an understanding o the area and to highlight matters o particular concernthat need to be addressed by the investigation
41 Use of existing geoscience data
Use o exploration 3D or 2D seismic data offset well data (logs operations reports industrydatabases etc ) geotechnical boreholes offset site surveys and any other relevant public domaindata in an integrated ashion will allow an initial geological model o the seabed and shallowsection to be developed Tis can be used to design a survey programme appropriate to thelocation and rig
In some cases exploration 3D data covering the prospect area may provide sufficient inorma-tion to produce a site report such that new survey data will not be required (Section 56 below)Otherwise the data will ndash as a minimum ndash provide a good guide to definition o line directionline spacing and the areas o uncertainty that the new site survey needs to clariy
42 Pre-existing and proposed operations
An up-to-date database o offshore acilities wells platorms pipelines etc that impact uponthe operational area should be reviewed during the planning phase
A check should also be made o any proposed third party exploration or development activitiesin the area that may impact the proposed operations
43 Wrecks submarine cables sites of special interest
Local regulatory announcements databases and nautical charts should be reviewed or thelikely presence o wrecks submarine cables and sites o special interest archaeological envi-ronmental etc
4 Desk studies and project planning
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Figure 2 ndash site survey decision tree
YesNo
Carry out desk study and ascertain proposed rig typebull Identify local legal and insurance requirements for site survey delivery (see Section 1)bull Ascertain rig type to be used (see Section 23 and 25)bull Evaluate extent and quality of existing relevant data and identify all significant relevant site constraints
(see Section 31 and 4)
Bottom founded rig Anchored rig DP rig
Isexisting site survey
coverage suitable foruse
Water depth at welllocation gt750m
Areexploration 3D data
suitable for use
Acquire full new SiteSurvey (see Section 55)
ndash or ndash
Acquire supplemental datacoverage (see Sections 55
or 57)
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Yes
No
Yes
Yes No No
No
YesYes
Yes
NoNo
Complete integrated interpretation of all available dataand issue proposed drilling location site survey report
(see Section 6)
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5 Data requirements
51 General
Figure 2 presents a simple process or assessing the data needs o a project
Four general areas o practice are common within the industry
bull Use o pre-existing site survey data
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset combined with limited site survey data acquisi-tion
bull Use o a newly acquired site survey
Whatever generic approach is ollowed the data made available or interpretation must allowor analysis o the conditions and hazards listed in Section 22 and detailed in Appendix 1 tobe properly addressed or the type o rig in use
52 Area of study
Any site survey study should address the total area likely to be impacted by drilling or develop-ment related activity Te area should include any potential relie well locations
521 Bottom founded rigs and platform based rigs
Due to the physical nature o operations with this type o rig and the water depths in whichthese rigs operate data requirements must be applied more rigorously to assure operationalintegrity
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a minimum distance o 500m around the drillinglocation and the immediate line o approach onto location
Data should allow proper study o any obstructions that might be present on the seabed duringthe final transit o the rig on to location and the commencement o leg pinning activity or a
jack-up rig
ieline data should be acquired to existing geotechnical boreholes and offset wells in the vicin-ity that show similar soil stratigraphy and that allow unambiguous interpretive correlation oconditions back to the proposed location
522 Anchored rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 250m beyond the maximum likelyanchor radius at the proposed drilling location
523 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 500m beyond the maximum likelydiameter o the seabed acoustic array used to maintain the rigrsquos position on location
524 Location uncertainty
I the proposed well location has not been finalised at the time o planning the survey areashould be designed to take into account the ull positional uncertainty o the final surace
location o the well and to meet the requirements set out above (Sections 521 to 523 inclu-sive)
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53 Total Depth of Study
Te total depth o study below seabed should be to a depth at least 200m below the preerred
setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater irrespective o rig type
Te combined dataset to be used must thereore be capable o properly imaging geologicalconditions to this depth
54 Use of a pre-existing site survey
Pre-existing site survey data should be re-used whenever possible Te quality and validity othese data should be careully assessed prior to committing to their use in producing a reportor a new drilling location
I the pre-existing survey ails to cover the ull project scope required either spatially or indepth it will need to be supplemented by data rom another source
Subject to local operator policy regulatory or insurance requirements or guidance purposesthe maximum age validity o pre-existing hydrographic and geophysical site survey data can beconsidered as
Table 2 pre-existing data validity guidance
Activity Condition Seabed Data Subsurface Data
No Activity 5 years 10 years
Engineering Activity 1 year 10 years
Well Control Incident Invalid Invalid
Subject to local conditions in a prospect area where there has been no drilling or engineering(pipe-lay etc ) activity since acquisition o a pre-existing survey the validity o seabed clearancedata should be considered to be five years and subsurace data should be considered to have aten year validity
In a prospect area where there has been drilling or engineering activity since a pre-existingsurvey was acquired validity o the data should be one year or seabed clearance data and ten
years or subsurace data
I the pre-existing data do not meet these requirements then a new survey should be acquired
At locations where a jack-up rig will be operating in close proximity to existing installationsan additional seabed survey should be carried out immediately prior to the jack-up rig installa-tion
I it is known that a rig has been installed more recently than the existing site survey data newdata should be acquired
I a well control incident (an uncontrolled underground or surace flow) has taken place on the prospect field or in an immediately adjacent area since acquisition o a pre-existing survey anyexisting seabed and subsurace data shall be considered invalid In such a case a new survey isalways required
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55 Acquisition of a new site survey
When a new site survey is considered necessary the survey should be designed to specifically
address the expected operational requirement
Te ollowing should be considered in survey design specification and delivery
551 Standard site survey data types
A new site survey will involve gathering o all o the ollowing standard data types except where specified in Section 552 below
Positioning
Surace positioning o the survey vessel should be based on augmented global navigation satel-lite systems (GNSS) eg Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS) or Clock and Orbit Corrected
GPS (also reerred to as SDGPS or Precise Point Positioning PPP) that typical ly yield sub-metre positioning accuracy It is recommended that two ully independent surace positioningsystems should be used
Te correct use o GNSS positioning is critical to the success o an offshore drilling hazard sitesurvey It is recommended that the GNSS are operated in line with the Guidelines or GNSS
Positioning in the Oil and Gas Industry issued jointly by OGP and IMCA It describes good practice or the use o global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) in among other offshoresurvey and related activities or the oil and gas industry Te guideline will be published in thespring o 2011 and can be downloaded rom wwwogporguk or wwwimca-intcom
Except in shallow water depths o less than 25m where it may be impractical or where layback
to the towed equipment is less than 50m it is recommended that the position o towed sensorsshould be determined by vessel mounted acoustic positioning system eg a tracking Ultra ShortBaseline System (USBL) that when properly calibrated typically yield a relative positioningaccuracy o better that 1 o slant range rom vessel transducer to transponder on the tow fish
Bathymetry
Bathymetry data should as a preerence be acquired using a swathe bathymetry system tomeasure accurate water depths across the area
Where swathe bathymetry data are acquired it is recommended that backscatter values romthe seabed returns are logged and processed or use in seabed characterisation to support andcomplement side scan sonar data
As a minimum however bathymetric data should be obtained using a hull mounted high-requency narrow single beam hydrographic echo sounder Data should be digitally recorded
Single beam echo sounder data should be used to veriy the results o swathe bathymetry datandash i acquired ndash to check or gross error
Te bathymetry systems should be set up to accurately record data across the range o waterdepths expected in the survey area
Te bathymetry systems should be used in conjunction with an accurate motion sensor tocompensate or vessel motion
Water column sound velocity should be determined as a minimum at the start and end o
each project by use o a CD (Conductivity emperature and Depth probe) or direct readingsound velocity probe suitable or use in the maximum water depths expected within the surveyarea
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Water depths should be corrected or vessel draf tidal level and reerenced to an appropriatelocal vertical datum (LA MSL etc )
Te final processed digital terrain model (DM) data cell size covering the entire survey area without gaps should preerably be less than 10x10m and output in an appropriate digitalormat to allow urther imaging and analysis o the data
Side scan sonar
A dual channel dual requency side scan sonar system should be used to provide acousticseabed imagery to define man made and natural seabed eatures across the area
Systems should be operated at no less than 100kHz
Line spacing and display range should be designed to ensure a minimum o 200 coverage othe survey area in the prime survey line direction with additional urther orthogonal tie-lines
For detailed inspection o contacts or inspection o pre-determined bottom-ounded rig sitesextra lines should be run using a requency o 400kHz or greater
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be image processed to improvesubsequent computer aided analysis and mosaicing o the data Such mosaics should be outputas geo-reerenced high resolution digital models o the seabed or presentation in the finalreport
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Sub-bottom profilers
A suite o sub-bottom acoustic profilers should be operated to provide a continuous and veryhigh resolution image o the shallow geological conditions
Subject to local soil conditions the systems should be capable o achieving a resolution o 03m vertical bed separation in the upper 50m below seabed
Te systems chosen should be run simultaneously to provide imagery that penetrates to inexcess o the oundational depth o interest Tis can be considered to be equivalent to a depthequal to the greater o 30m or the anticipated spud-can penetration plus one-and-a-hal timesthe spud-can diameter or a jack-up rig or the maximum expected anchor penetration or ananchored rig
Te data should be recorded digitally to allow signal processing to urther improve data qual-
ity final export to a workstation or integrated interpretation and mapping o the data andease o data retrieval o old datasets
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Magnetometers and Gradiometers
A magnetometer can be used to measure total magnetic field strengths to investigate errousobjects lying on ndash or buried immediately beneath ndash the seafloor or to attempt to determinethe position o cables pipelines or abandoned wells that cannot be identified by acousticmeans
Te system should be capable o a sampling rate o at least 1Hz and have a sensitivity o at leastone nanotesla (1n)
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Te sensor should be towed as close to the seabed as possible and sufficiently ar away rom the vessel to isolate the sensor rom the magnetic field o the survey vessel
As magnetometers measure total magnetic field strength they cannot be used in the vicinity olarge inrastructure such as platorms which swamp the magnetic signature o smaller ea-tures
Use o a gradiometer system which measures the magnetic gradient between two or moreclosely spaced magnetometers should be considered or more precise results and surveys closeto large structures such as platorms
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be processed to allow subsequentcomputer aided analysis and modeling to be undertaken
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
A multi-channel High Resolution (HR) digital seismic survey should be conducted over proposed drilling locations to investigate top-hole geological conditions across the area Teexception to this is where the use o pre-existing exploration 3D seismic data is deemed anappropriate substitute (see Section 56 below)
Te primary interest o such surveys is rom the seabed to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m belowseabed whichever is greater
All HR seismic surveys should be designed on a site specific basis to take into account the varying conditions present and specific goals o the project but in general will conorm to theoutline specifications below
bull
Source Type surveys should make use o a seismic source that delivers a simple stableand repeatable source signature that is near to a minimum phase output and has a useablerequency content across at least the 20-250Hz band
bull Tow Depths source and streamer tow depths should be specified to be no greater than 3mand preerably less
bull Streamer Type use o digital solid streamers is preerred
bull Recording System the recording system should record at no greater than a 1 millisecondsample interval Field high-cut filters should be set no lower than 300Hz
bull Fold of cover should generally not be less than 24 or 2D HR surveys in water depths lessthan 750m
bull
Offsets the maximum offset recorded should preerably be no less than the total deptho interest below mudline that the survey is attempting to image except in water depthsgreater than 750m Te minimum offset recorded should be no greater than hal the waterdepth
bull Record Length to an equivalent two-way time o at least 200m below the preerred sur-ace casing setting depth or to a penetration o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
All seismic data acquired shall undergo ull multi-channel digital signal processing to providean optimally imaged dataset o migrated seismic data or output to and analysis on an inter-
pretation workstation
3D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Where initial review or offset drill ing experience indicates that the complexity o the shallowsection or the perceived conditions are particularly complex acquisition o a purpose designedHR 3D survey should be considered Such surveys must be designed on a site specific basis
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3338
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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1 Introduction
Tis document provides guidance or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys(hereafer reerred to as Site Surveys) Te guidelines address the conduct o geophysical andhydrographic site surveys o proposed offshore well locations and the use o exploration 3D
seismic data to enhance or to replace acquisition o a site survey
Te document does not set out to provide guidance on geotechnical engineering requirementsor design o anchoring systems the analysis o jack-up rig oundation or platorm oundationdesign neither does it address detailed guidance on environmental survey requirements Such
works require expert guidance and involvement o geotechnical or structural engineers orenvironmental scientists who are conversant in the application o appropriate industry codesor these tasks
Te document replaces the ormer UKOOA Guidelines or conduct o mobile drilling rig site surveys version 12 and Guidelines or conduct o mobile drilling rig site investigations in deep-water version 1 previously published under the auspices o the ormer UK Offshore Operators
Association (UKOOA) now Oil amp Gas UKTese guidelines describe oilfield good practice in this subject area in support o meetingcountry specific regulatory requirements While the document sets out oilfield good practiceit is impossible or the document to address all the varying regulatory requirements that are in
place in different countries around the world
Operators should make themselves aware o the local regulatory requirements that apply tomarine site surveys It is recommended that operators compare local requirements to theseguidelines and where there are differences apply the higher o the two sets o standards
Te document explains the requirements that different types o offshore drilling units have ona site survey Te document also emphasises the differing site survey requirements o shel and
deep-water environmentsTe techniques described in this document can also be applied to other types o seabedsurveys such as pipeline or cable route surveys etc While this document does not set out todirectly address planning and delivery o such projects it will be recognised that the samegeneral thought processes and practices wil l be applicable to such projects
A companion OGP document Guideline or the conduct o drilling hazard site surveys ndash techni-cal notes (hereafer ldquoTe echnical Notesrdquo) Report 373-18-2 will be published in 2011 and
will provide supporting technical inormation and background theory on the various phases oa site survey project outlined in this document
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2 Objectives o site surveys
21 General
Site surveys are perormed to minimise the risk o harm to personnel and equipment and
to protect the natural environment Te objective o any site survey is to identiy all possibleconstraints and hazards rom man-made natural and geological eatures which may affect theoperational or environmental integrity o a proposed drilling operation and to allow appropri-ate operational practices to be put in place to mitigate any risks identified In addition the pro-
posed site survey area should be o adequate coverage to plan any potential relie well locationsand provide sufficient data to ully assess potential top-hole drilling hazards at these locations
A properly conducted site survey or an offshore drilling location will require the input o anumber o different proessionals who should be suitably qualified and experienced in theirrespective disciplines Overall project management o a site survey should be assigned to anindividual who has a thorough understanding o the reasons or delivery o a site survey anintimate knowledge o how the results will be applied and first hand experience o collecting
and presenting those results
Te quality o any dataset selected or use in a site survey should be directly related to the typeso conditions expected to exist within the area o interest
Te interplay o the physical environment with the type o intended operation has a unda-mental impact on the scope and content o a site survey
22 Physical Environment
Depending on the physical environment and the intended operation a site survey may need to
review any or all o the ollowing
Table 1 conditions to be addressed by a marine site survey
Man-made features Natural seabed features Subsurface geological features
bull Platforms active abandoned or toppledbull Pipelines on or buried below the seabedbull Power and umbilical linesbull Communications cablesbull Wellheads and abandoned well locationsbull Manifolds and templatesbull Pipeline terminations valves and protection
framesbull Subsea isolation valvesbull Rock dumps
bull Scour protection materialbull Jack-up rig footprintsbull Non oil amp gas infrastructure such as navigation
buoys wind turbines etcbull Shipwrecksbull Ordnance and chemical dumping groundsbull Archaeol ogical rema insbull Miscellaneous debris
bull Seabed topography and reliefbull Seafloor sedimentsbull Sand banks waves and mega-ripplesbull Mud flows gullies volcanoes lumps lobesbull Fault escarpmentsbull Diapiric structuresbull Gas vents and pockmarksbull Unstable slopesbull Slumpsbull Collapse features
bull Fluid expulsion featuresbull Chemosynthetic communitiesbull Gas hydrate moundsbull Rock outcrops pinnacles and bouldersbull Reefsbull Hardgroundsbull Seabed channels and scours
bull Sedimentary sequencesbull Stratigraphybull Shallow gas charged intervalsbull Gas chimneysbull Shallow water flow zonesbull Over-pressure zonesbull Buried infilled channelsbull Boulder bedsbull Buried slumps and mass transport complexesbull Gas Hydrate zones and hydrated soils
bull Faultsbull Erosion and truncation surfacesbull Salt or mud diapirs and diatremes
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23 Planning fundamentals
In planning a site survey programme the interplay o rig type and its specification and the
different conditions that might be expected in the planned area o operations must be care-ully taken into account Tis must be considered as a first step in the planning stage o any sitesurvey programme
Te site survey project manager should be advised o the proposed outline drilling programmeandor the conceptual field layout by the project engineer planning the well or developmentTis should be taken into account in setting the data needs o the project
Te tables in Appendix 1 review conditions and areas o concern or the three rig type group-ings Te appropriate columns should be considered during the planning stage o a site survey
programme
Sufficient time must be allowed in delivery o a site survey programme to ensure the results areavailable in time
bull to ensure all local regulatory permitting requirements are met ahead o the o the pro- posed well spud date
bull to ensure the drilling project team can include them and properly mitigate any risk ohazards identified rom them in the final well design
Figure 1 Site clearance ndash timing guidance
Figure 1 shows a conceptual time line Te permitting period will be country specific
Generally it is recommended that a site survey programme should start six months prior toand no less than three months ahead o the proposed wellrsquos spud date
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 26
Preparation
Acquisition ampreporting
Completion ampimplementation
Elapsed time in weeks
Key events
Desk studyand project planning
Contractorprocurement
Acquisition Proce ssing Interpretation and reporting
Internal operator review
Permit documentproduction
Integration of results into well designand final operation planning
Permit submission and regulatory review
Can be performed on the vessel in parallel with aquisition could save up to 4 weeks
Can be performedin parallel with processing
Start depends on vessel availability
Using pre-existing survey data or exploration 3D data if suitable could save 6 weeks or more
Timing dependant on local regulatory requirements
Locationshort-listedfor
drilling
Locationavailable
for
spud
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24 Scope
Any site survey must include a review o all seafloor conditions and geology to a depth at least
200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a deptho 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Te identification and assessment o all relevant geological eatures should be perormed within the context o a geological model that takes into account depositional and post-deposi-tional processes
Te site survey report should include a discussion o all relevant geological andor man-madeeatures that have a direct bearing on operational risk
25 Operations type
Te type o rig to be used has a direct effect on the required scope o a site investigation Teull breadth o these effects is detailed in the table in Appendix 1 o this document Tis tableshould be used by a project manager to sense check that all potential concerns or the place-ment o a rig at a proposed location are being or have been addressed as part o the site survey
programme
251 Bottom founded and platform based rigs
Tese rigs only directly impact the seafloor over a small area immediately around the well-bore Te site survey can thereore be ocused directly upon the well location the corridor oapproach onto location and any possible stand-off locations
Te style o top-hole drilling used by these rigs is different to the other two generic rig group-ings Fundamentally the risk to the rig rom a shallow gas blowout is greater
Te risk to the rigrsquos integrity through loss o seabed support makes review o the shallow sec-tion or these rigs critical
Te analysis o jack-up rig oundation or platorm oundation design requires dedicatedintrusive geotechnical soil investigations Te investigations require expert guidance and thedirect involvement o geotechnical or structural engineers who are conversant in the applica-tion o appropriate industry codes or these tasks Minimum requirements to geotechnical soilinvestigations are covered in industry guidelines and standards eg Te Society o Naval Archi-tects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) echnical amp Research Bulletin 5-5A Site Specific
Assessment o Mobile Jack-up Units and ISO 19905-1 Petroleum and natural gas industriesSite-specific assessment o mobile offshore units Part 1 Jack-ups (in development target publi-cation date September 2011)
252 Anchored rigs
Tese rigs impact a large area o the seabed and as a result a site survey will need to be per-ormed over a larger area o the seafloor to assess anchoring conditions
Tese rigs encounter a number o different concerns not applicable to bottom ounded rigs ( see Appendix 1)
253 Dynamically positioned (DP) rigsTese rigs impact a small area o the seabed and thereore the site survey can be ocuseddirectly upon the well location and its immediate surroundings However their use in pre-dominantly deep to ultra deep water brings special requirements or a site survey programme(see Appendix 1)
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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A site survey project process can be considered to consist o our phases
31 Desk study and project planning
A project should start with a desk study that should be considered as an integral part o the planning process During this phase a decision will be made as to whether new data ndash and which types o data ndash must be acquired
In deep water areas the desk study and any ensuing acquisition may need to address a semi-regional scope to consider topographic or geological issues that may be a threat to operationsrom outside o the direct area o proposed operations
32 Data acquisitionTe second phase is the acquisition o new data coverage i such is required
33 Data processing interpretation and integration
All existing and new data are then processed or reprocessed to improve their value and inter- preted to produce an integrated geological model o the seabed and subsurace conditions
34 Reporting
Te final stage o any site survey is the production o an integrated report that describes theconditions and operational risks identified across the site and ndash specifically ndash at the proposeddrilling location
3 Site survey process
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As the first stage in survey planning a desk study ndash or review ndash o pre-existing data should be perormed to gain an understanding o the area and to highlight matters o particular concernthat need to be addressed by the investigation
41 Use of existing geoscience data
Use o exploration 3D or 2D seismic data offset well data (logs operations reports industrydatabases etc ) geotechnical boreholes offset site surveys and any other relevant public domaindata in an integrated ashion will allow an initial geological model o the seabed and shallowsection to be developed Tis can be used to design a survey programme appropriate to thelocation and rig
In some cases exploration 3D data covering the prospect area may provide sufficient inorma-tion to produce a site report such that new survey data will not be required (Section 56 below)Otherwise the data will ndash as a minimum ndash provide a good guide to definition o line directionline spacing and the areas o uncertainty that the new site survey needs to clariy
42 Pre-existing and proposed operations
An up-to-date database o offshore acilities wells platorms pipelines etc that impact uponthe operational area should be reviewed during the planning phase
A check should also be made o any proposed third party exploration or development activitiesin the area that may impact the proposed operations
43 Wrecks submarine cables sites of special interest
Local regulatory announcements databases and nautical charts should be reviewed or thelikely presence o wrecks submarine cables and sites o special interest archaeological envi-ronmental etc
4 Desk studies and project planning
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Figure 2 ndash site survey decision tree
YesNo
Carry out desk study and ascertain proposed rig typebull Identify local legal and insurance requirements for site survey delivery (see Section 1)bull Ascertain rig type to be used (see Section 23 and 25)bull Evaluate extent and quality of existing relevant data and identify all significant relevant site constraints
(see Section 31 and 4)
Bottom founded rig Anchored rig DP rig
Isexisting site survey
coverage suitable foruse
Water depth at welllocation gt750m
Areexploration 3D data
suitable for use
Acquire full new SiteSurvey (see Section 55)
ndash or ndash
Acquire supplemental datacoverage (see Sections 55
or 57)
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Yes
No
Yes
Yes No No
No
YesYes
Yes
NoNo
Complete integrated interpretation of all available dataand issue proposed drilling location site survey report
(see Section 6)
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5 Data requirements
51 General
Figure 2 presents a simple process or assessing the data needs o a project
Four general areas o practice are common within the industry
bull Use o pre-existing site survey data
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset combined with limited site survey data acquisi-tion
bull Use o a newly acquired site survey
Whatever generic approach is ollowed the data made available or interpretation must allowor analysis o the conditions and hazards listed in Section 22 and detailed in Appendix 1 tobe properly addressed or the type o rig in use
52 Area of study
Any site survey study should address the total area likely to be impacted by drilling or develop-ment related activity Te area should include any potential relie well locations
521 Bottom founded rigs and platform based rigs
Due to the physical nature o operations with this type o rig and the water depths in whichthese rigs operate data requirements must be applied more rigorously to assure operationalintegrity
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a minimum distance o 500m around the drillinglocation and the immediate line o approach onto location
Data should allow proper study o any obstructions that might be present on the seabed duringthe final transit o the rig on to location and the commencement o leg pinning activity or a
jack-up rig
ieline data should be acquired to existing geotechnical boreholes and offset wells in the vicin-ity that show similar soil stratigraphy and that allow unambiguous interpretive correlation oconditions back to the proposed location
522 Anchored rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 250m beyond the maximum likelyanchor radius at the proposed drilling location
523 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 500m beyond the maximum likelydiameter o the seabed acoustic array used to maintain the rigrsquos position on location
524 Location uncertainty
I the proposed well location has not been finalised at the time o planning the survey areashould be designed to take into account the ull positional uncertainty o the final surace
location o the well and to meet the requirements set out above (Sections 521 to 523 inclu-sive)
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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53 Total Depth of Study
Te total depth o study below seabed should be to a depth at least 200m below the preerred
setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater irrespective o rig type
Te combined dataset to be used must thereore be capable o properly imaging geologicalconditions to this depth
54 Use of a pre-existing site survey
Pre-existing site survey data should be re-used whenever possible Te quality and validity othese data should be careully assessed prior to committing to their use in producing a reportor a new drilling location
I the pre-existing survey ails to cover the ull project scope required either spatially or indepth it will need to be supplemented by data rom another source
Subject to local operator policy regulatory or insurance requirements or guidance purposesthe maximum age validity o pre-existing hydrographic and geophysical site survey data can beconsidered as
Table 2 pre-existing data validity guidance
Activity Condition Seabed Data Subsurface Data
No Activity 5 years 10 years
Engineering Activity 1 year 10 years
Well Control Incident Invalid Invalid
Subject to local conditions in a prospect area where there has been no drilling or engineering(pipe-lay etc ) activity since acquisition o a pre-existing survey the validity o seabed clearancedata should be considered to be five years and subsurace data should be considered to have aten year validity
In a prospect area where there has been drilling or engineering activity since a pre-existingsurvey was acquired validity o the data should be one year or seabed clearance data and ten
years or subsurace data
I the pre-existing data do not meet these requirements then a new survey should be acquired
At locations where a jack-up rig will be operating in close proximity to existing installationsan additional seabed survey should be carried out immediately prior to the jack-up rig installa-tion
I it is known that a rig has been installed more recently than the existing site survey data newdata should be acquired
I a well control incident (an uncontrolled underground or surace flow) has taken place on the prospect field or in an immediately adjacent area since acquisition o a pre-existing survey anyexisting seabed and subsurace data shall be considered invalid In such a case a new survey isalways required
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55 Acquisition of a new site survey
When a new site survey is considered necessary the survey should be designed to specifically
address the expected operational requirement
Te ollowing should be considered in survey design specification and delivery
551 Standard site survey data types
A new site survey will involve gathering o all o the ollowing standard data types except where specified in Section 552 below
Positioning
Surace positioning o the survey vessel should be based on augmented global navigation satel-lite systems (GNSS) eg Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS) or Clock and Orbit Corrected
GPS (also reerred to as SDGPS or Precise Point Positioning PPP) that typical ly yield sub-metre positioning accuracy It is recommended that two ully independent surace positioningsystems should be used
Te correct use o GNSS positioning is critical to the success o an offshore drilling hazard sitesurvey It is recommended that the GNSS are operated in line with the Guidelines or GNSS
Positioning in the Oil and Gas Industry issued jointly by OGP and IMCA It describes good practice or the use o global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) in among other offshoresurvey and related activities or the oil and gas industry Te guideline will be published in thespring o 2011 and can be downloaded rom wwwogporguk or wwwimca-intcom
Except in shallow water depths o less than 25m where it may be impractical or where layback
to the towed equipment is less than 50m it is recommended that the position o towed sensorsshould be determined by vessel mounted acoustic positioning system eg a tracking Ultra ShortBaseline System (USBL) that when properly calibrated typically yield a relative positioningaccuracy o better that 1 o slant range rom vessel transducer to transponder on the tow fish
Bathymetry
Bathymetry data should as a preerence be acquired using a swathe bathymetry system tomeasure accurate water depths across the area
Where swathe bathymetry data are acquired it is recommended that backscatter values romthe seabed returns are logged and processed or use in seabed characterisation to support andcomplement side scan sonar data
As a minimum however bathymetric data should be obtained using a hull mounted high-requency narrow single beam hydrographic echo sounder Data should be digitally recorded
Single beam echo sounder data should be used to veriy the results o swathe bathymetry datandash i acquired ndash to check or gross error
Te bathymetry systems should be set up to accurately record data across the range o waterdepths expected in the survey area
Te bathymetry systems should be used in conjunction with an accurate motion sensor tocompensate or vessel motion
Water column sound velocity should be determined as a minimum at the start and end o
each project by use o a CD (Conductivity emperature and Depth probe) or direct readingsound velocity probe suitable or use in the maximum water depths expected within the surveyarea
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Water depths should be corrected or vessel draf tidal level and reerenced to an appropriatelocal vertical datum (LA MSL etc )
Te final processed digital terrain model (DM) data cell size covering the entire survey area without gaps should preerably be less than 10x10m and output in an appropriate digitalormat to allow urther imaging and analysis o the data
Side scan sonar
A dual channel dual requency side scan sonar system should be used to provide acousticseabed imagery to define man made and natural seabed eatures across the area
Systems should be operated at no less than 100kHz
Line spacing and display range should be designed to ensure a minimum o 200 coverage othe survey area in the prime survey line direction with additional urther orthogonal tie-lines
For detailed inspection o contacts or inspection o pre-determined bottom-ounded rig sitesextra lines should be run using a requency o 400kHz or greater
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be image processed to improvesubsequent computer aided analysis and mosaicing o the data Such mosaics should be outputas geo-reerenced high resolution digital models o the seabed or presentation in the finalreport
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Sub-bottom profilers
A suite o sub-bottom acoustic profilers should be operated to provide a continuous and veryhigh resolution image o the shallow geological conditions
Subject to local soil conditions the systems should be capable o achieving a resolution o 03m vertical bed separation in the upper 50m below seabed
Te systems chosen should be run simultaneously to provide imagery that penetrates to inexcess o the oundational depth o interest Tis can be considered to be equivalent to a depthequal to the greater o 30m or the anticipated spud-can penetration plus one-and-a-hal timesthe spud-can diameter or a jack-up rig or the maximum expected anchor penetration or ananchored rig
Te data should be recorded digitally to allow signal processing to urther improve data qual-
ity final export to a workstation or integrated interpretation and mapping o the data andease o data retrieval o old datasets
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Magnetometers and Gradiometers
A magnetometer can be used to measure total magnetic field strengths to investigate errousobjects lying on ndash or buried immediately beneath ndash the seafloor or to attempt to determinethe position o cables pipelines or abandoned wells that cannot be identified by acousticmeans
Te system should be capable o a sampling rate o at least 1Hz and have a sensitivity o at leastone nanotesla (1n)
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Te sensor should be towed as close to the seabed as possible and sufficiently ar away rom the vessel to isolate the sensor rom the magnetic field o the survey vessel
As magnetometers measure total magnetic field strength they cannot be used in the vicinity olarge inrastructure such as platorms which swamp the magnetic signature o smaller ea-tures
Use o a gradiometer system which measures the magnetic gradient between two or moreclosely spaced magnetometers should be considered or more precise results and surveys closeto large structures such as platorms
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be processed to allow subsequentcomputer aided analysis and modeling to be undertaken
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
A multi-channel High Resolution (HR) digital seismic survey should be conducted over proposed drilling locations to investigate top-hole geological conditions across the area Teexception to this is where the use o pre-existing exploration 3D seismic data is deemed anappropriate substitute (see Section 56 below)
Te primary interest o such surveys is rom the seabed to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m belowseabed whichever is greater
All HR seismic surveys should be designed on a site specific basis to take into account the varying conditions present and specific goals o the project but in general will conorm to theoutline specifications below
bull
Source Type surveys should make use o a seismic source that delivers a simple stableand repeatable source signature that is near to a minimum phase output and has a useablerequency content across at least the 20-250Hz band
bull Tow Depths source and streamer tow depths should be specified to be no greater than 3mand preerably less
bull Streamer Type use o digital solid streamers is preerred
bull Recording System the recording system should record at no greater than a 1 millisecondsample interval Field high-cut filters should be set no lower than 300Hz
bull Fold of cover should generally not be less than 24 or 2D HR surveys in water depths lessthan 750m
bull
Offsets the maximum offset recorded should preerably be no less than the total deptho interest below mudline that the survey is attempting to image except in water depthsgreater than 750m Te minimum offset recorded should be no greater than hal the waterdepth
bull Record Length to an equivalent two-way time o at least 200m below the preerred sur-ace casing setting depth or to a penetration o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
All seismic data acquired shall undergo ull multi-channel digital signal processing to providean optimally imaged dataset o migrated seismic data or output to and analysis on an inter-
pretation workstation
3D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Where initial review or offset drill ing experience indicates that the complexity o the shallowsection or the perceived conditions are particularly complex acquisition o a purpose designedHR 3D survey should be considered Such surveys must be designed on a site specific basis
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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2 Objectives o site surveys
21 General
Site surveys are perormed to minimise the risk o harm to personnel and equipment and
to protect the natural environment Te objective o any site survey is to identiy all possibleconstraints and hazards rom man-made natural and geological eatures which may affect theoperational or environmental integrity o a proposed drilling operation and to allow appropri-ate operational practices to be put in place to mitigate any risks identified In addition the pro-
posed site survey area should be o adequate coverage to plan any potential relie well locationsand provide sufficient data to ully assess potential top-hole drilling hazards at these locations
A properly conducted site survey or an offshore drilling location will require the input o anumber o different proessionals who should be suitably qualified and experienced in theirrespective disciplines Overall project management o a site survey should be assigned to anindividual who has a thorough understanding o the reasons or delivery o a site survey anintimate knowledge o how the results will be applied and first hand experience o collecting
and presenting those results
Te quality o any dataset selected or use in a site survey should be directly related to the typeso conditions expected to exist within the area o interest
Te interplay o the physical environment with the type o intended operation has a unda-mental impact on the scope and content o a site survey
22 Physical Environment
Depending on the physical environment and the intended operation a site survey may need to
review any or all o the ollowing
Table 1 conditions to be addressed by a marine site survey
Man-made features Natural seabed features Subsurface geological features
bull Platforms active abandoned or toppledbull Pipelines on or buried below the seabedbull Power and umbilical linesbull Communications cablesbull Wellheads and abandoned well locationsbull Manifolds and templatesbull Pipeline terminations valves and protection
framesbull Subsea isolation valvesbull Rock dumps
bull Scour protection materialbull Jack-up rig footprintsbull Non oil amp gas infrastructure such as navigation
buoys wind turbines etcbull Shipwrecksbull Ordnance and chemical dumping groundsbull Archaeol ogical rema insbull Miscellaneous debris
bull Seabed topography and reliefbull Seafloor sedimentsbull Sand banks waves and mega-ripplesbull Mud flows gullies volcanoes lumps lobesbull Fault escarpmentsbull Diapiric structuresbull Gas vents and pockmarksbull Unstable slopesbull Slumpsbull Collapse features
bull Fluid expulsion featuresbull Chemosynthetic communitiesbull Gas hydrate moundsbull Rock outcrops pinnacles and bouldersbull Reefsbull Hardgroundsbull Seabed channels and scours
bull Sedimentary sequencesbull Stratigraphybull Shallow gas charged intervalsbull Gas chimneysbull Shallow water flow zonesbull Over-pressure zonesbull Buried infilled channelsbull Boulder bedsbull Buried slumps and mass transport complexesbull Gas Hydrate zones and hydrated soils
bull Faultsbull Erosion and truncation surfacesbull Salt or mud diapirs and diatremes
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23 Planning fundamentals
In planning a site survey programme the interplay o rig type and its specification and the
different conditions that might be expected in the planned area o operations must be care-ully taken into account Tis must be considered as a first step in the planning stage o any sitesurvey programme
Te site survey project manager should be advised o the proposed outline drilling programmeandor the conceptual field layout by the project engineer planning the well or developmentTis should be taken into account in setting the data needs o the project
Te tables in Appendix 1 review conditions and areas o concern or the three rig type group-ings Te appropriate columns should be considered during the planning stage o a site survey
programme
Sufficient time must be allowed in delivery o a site survey programme to ensure the results areavailable in time
bull to ensure all local regulatory permitting requirements are met ahead o the o the pro- posed well spud date
bull to ensure the drilling project team can include them and properly mitigate any risk ohazards identified rom them in the final well design
Figure 1 Site clearance ndash timing guidance
Figure 1 shows a conceptual time line Te permitting period will be country specific
Generally it is recommended that a site survey programme should start six months prior toand no less than three months ahead o the proposed wellrsquos spud date
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 26
Preparation
Acquisition ampreporting
Completion ampimplementation
Elapsed time in weeks
Key events
Desk studyand project planning
Contractorprocurement
Acquisition Proce ssing Interpretation and reporting
Internal operator review
Permit documentproduction
Integration of results into well designand final operation planning
Permit submission and regulatory review
Can be performed on the vessel in parallel with aquisition could save up to 4 weeks
Can be performedin parallel with processing
Start depends on vessel availability
Using pre-existing survey data or exploration 3D data if suitable could save 6 weeks or more
Timing dependant on local regulatory requirements
Locationshort-listedfor
drilling
Locationavailable
for
spud
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24 Scope
Any site survey must include a review o all seafloor conditions and geology to a depth at least
200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a deptho 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Te identification and assessment o all relevant geological eatures should be perormed within the context o a geological model that takes into account depositional and post-deposi-tional processes
Te site survey report should include a discussion o all relevant geological andor man-madeeatures that have a direct bearing on operational risk
25 Operations type
Te type o rig to be used has a direct effect on the required scope o a site investigation Teull breadth o these effects is detailed in the table in Appendix 1 o this document Tis tableshould be used by a project manager to sense check that all potential concerns or the place-ment o a rig at a proposed location are being or have been addressed as part o the site survey
programme
251 Bottom founded and platform based rigs
Tese rigs only directly impact the seafloor over a small area immediately around the well-bore Te site survey can thereore be ocused directly upon the well location the corridor oapproach onto location and any possible stand-off locations
Te style o top-hole drilling used by these rigs is different to the other two generic rig group-ings Fundamentally the risk to the rig rom a shallow gas blowout is greater
Te risk to the rigrsquos integrity through loss o seabed support makes review o the shallow sec-tion or these rigs critical
Te analysis o jack-up rig oundation or platorm oundation design requires dedicatedintrusive geotechnical soil investigations Te investigations require expert guidance and thedirect involvement o geotechnical or structural engineers who are conversant in the applica-tion o appropriate industry codes or these tasks Minimum requirements to geotechnical soilinvestigations are covered in industry guidelines and standards eg Te Society o Naval Archi-tects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) echnical amp Research Bulletin 5-5A Site Specific
Assessment o Mobile Jack-up Units and ISO 19905-1 Petroleum and natural gas industriesSite-specific assessment o mobile offshore units Part 1 Jack-ups (in development target publi-cation date September 2011)
252 Anchored rigs
Tese rigs impact a large area o the seabed and as a result a site survey will need to be per-ormed over a larger area o the seafloor to assess anchoring conditions
Tese rigs encounter a number o different concerns not applicable to bottom ounded rigs ( see Appendix 1)
253 Dynamically positioned (DP) rigsTese rigs impact a small area o the seabed and thereore the site survey can be ocuseddirectly upon the well location and its immediate surroundings However their use in pre-dominantly deep to ultra deep water brings special requirements or a site survey programme(see Appendix 1)
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A site survey project process can be considered to consist o our phases
31 Desk study and project planning
A project should start with a desk study that should be considered as an integral part o the planning process During this phase a decision will be made as to whether new data ndash and which types o data ndash must be acquired
In deep water areas the desk study and any ensuing acquisition may need to address a semi-regional scope to consider topographic or geological issues that may be a threat to operationsrom outside o the direct area o proposed operations
32 Data acquisitionTe second phase is the acquisition o new data coverage i such is required
33 Data processing interpretation and integration
All existing and new data are then processed or reprocessed to improve their value and inter- preted to produce an integrated geological model o the seabed and subsurace conditions
34 Reporting
Te final stage o any site survey is the production o an integrated report that describes theconditions and operational risks identified across the site and ndash specifically ndash at the proposeddrilling location
3 Site survey process
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As the first stage in survey planning a desk study ndash or review ndash o pre-existing data should be perormed to gain an understanding o the area and to highlight matters o particular concernthat need to be addressed by the investigation
41 Use of existing geoscience data
Use o exploration 3D or 2D seismic data offset well data (logs operations reports industrydatabases etc ) geotechnical boreholes offset site surveys and any other relevant public domaindata in an integrated ashion will allow an initial geological model o the seabed and shallowsection to be developed Tis can be used to design a survey programme appropriate to thelocation and rig
In some cases exploration 3D data covering the prospect area may provide sufficient inorma-tion to produce a site report such that new survey data will not be required (Section 56 below)Otherwise the data will ndash as a minimum ndash provide a good guide to definition o line directionline spacing and the areas o uncertainty that the new site survey needs to clariy
42 Pre-existing and proposed operations
An up-to-date database o offshore acilities wells platorms pipelines etc that impact uponthe operational area should be reviewed during the planning phase
A check should also be made o any proposed third party exploration or development activitiesin the area that may impact the proposed operations
43 Wrecks submarine cables sites of special interest
Local regulatory announcements databases and nautical charts should be reviewed or thelikely presence o wrecks submarine cables and sites o special interest archaeological envi-ronmental etc
4 Desk studies and project planning
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Figure 2 ndash site survey decision tree
YesNo
Carry out desk study and ascertain proposed rig typebull Identify local legal and insurance requirements for site survey delivery (see Section 1)bull Ascertain rig type to be used (see Section 23 and 25)bull Evaluate extent and quality of existing relevant data and identify all significant relevant site constraints
(see Section 31 and 4)
Bottom founded rig Anchored rig DP rig
Isexisting site survey
coverage suitable foruse
Water depth at welllocation gt750m
Areexploration 3D data
suitable for use
Acquire full new SiteSurvey (see Section 55)
ndash or ndash
Acquire supplemental datacoverage (see Sections 55
or 57)
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Yes
No
Yes
Yes No No
No
YesYes
Yes
NoNo
Complete integrated interpretation of all available dataand issue proposed drilling location site survey report
(see Section 6)
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 12388
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5 Data requirements
51 General
Figure 2 presents a simple process or assessing the data needs o a project
Four general areas o practice are common within the industry
bull Use o pre-existing site survey data
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset combined with limited site survey data acquisi-tion
bull Use o a newly acquired site survey
Whatever generic approach is ollowed the data made available or interpretation must allowor analysis o the conditions and hazards listed in Section 22 and detailed in Appendix 1 tobe properly addressed or the type o rig in use
52 Area of study
Any site survey study should address the total area likely to be impacted by drilling or develop-ment related activity Te area should include any potential relie well locations
521 Bottom founded rigs and platform based rigs
Due to the physical nature o operations with this type o rig and the water depths in whichthese rigs operate data requirements must be applied more rigorously to assure operationalintegrity
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a minimum distance o 500m around the drillinglocation and the immediate line o approach onto location
Data should allow proper study o any obstructions that might be present on the seabed duringthe final transit o the rig on to location and the commencement o leg pinning activity or a
jack-up rig
ieline data should be acquired to existing geotechnical boreholes and offset wells in the vicin-ity that show similar soil stratigraphy and that allow unambiguous interpretive correlation oconditions back to the proposed location
522 Anchored rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 250m beyond the maximum likelyanchor radius at the proposed drilling location
523 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 500m beyond the maximum likelydiameter o the seabed acoustic array used to maintain the rigrsquos position on location
524 Location uncertainty
I the proposed well location has not been finalised at the time o planning the survey areashould be designed to take into account the ull positional uncertainty o the final surace
location o the well and to meet the requirements set out above (Sections 521 to 523 inclu-sive)
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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53 Total Depth of Study
Te total depth o study below seabed should be to a depth at least 200m below the preerred
setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater irrespective o rig type
Te combined dataset to be used must thereore be capable o properly imaging geologicalconditions to this depth
54 Use of a pre-existing site survey
Pre-existing site survey data should be re-used whenever possible Te quality and validity othese data should be careully assessed prior to committing to their use in producing a reportor a new drilling location
I the pre-existing survey ails to cover the ull project scope required either spatially or indepth it will need to be supplemented by data rom another source
Subject to local operator policy regulatory or insurance requirements or guidance purposesthe maximum age validity o pre-existing hydrographic and geophysical site survey data can beconsidered as
Table 2 pre-existing data validity guidance
Activity Condition Seabed Data Subsurface Data
No Activity 5 years 10 years
Engineering Activity 1 year 10 years
Well Control Incident Invalid Invalid
Subject to local conditions in a prospect area where there has been no drilling or engineering(pipe-lay etc ) activity since acquisition o a pre-existing survey the validity o seabed clearancedata should be considered to be five years and subsurace data should be considered to have aten year validity
In a prospect area where there has been drilling or engineering activity since a pre-existingsurvey was acquired validity o the data should be one year or seabed clearance data and ten
years or subsurace data
I the pre-existing data do not meet these requirements then a new survey should be acquired
At locations where a jack-up rig will be operating in close proximity to existing installationsan additional seabed survey should be carried out immediately prior to the jack-up rig installa-tion
I it is known that a rig has been installed more recently than the existing site survey data newdata should be acquired
I a well control incident (an uncontrolled underground or surace flow) has taken place on the prospect field or in an immediately adjacent area since acquisition o a pre-existing survey anyexisting seabed and subsurace data shall be considered invalid In such a case a new survey isalways required
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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55 Acquisition of a new site survey
When a new site survey is considered necessary the survey should be designed to specifically
address the expected operational requirement
Te ollowing should be considered in survey design specification and delivery
551 Standard site survey data types
A new site survey will involve gathering o all o the ollowing standard data types except where specified in Section 552 below
Positioning
Surace positioning o the survey vessel should be based on augmented global navigation satel-lite systems (GNSS) eg Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS) or Clock and Orbit Corrected
GPS (also reerred to as SDGPS or Precise Point Positioning PPP) that typical ly yield sub-metre positioning accuracy It is recommended that two ully independent surace positioningsystems should be used
Te correct use o GNSS positioning is critical to the success o an offshore drilling hazard sitesurvey It is recommended that the GNSS are operated in line with the Guidelines or GNSS
Positioning in the Oil and Gas Industry issued jointly by OGP and IMCA It describes good practice or the use o global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) in among other offshoresurvey and related activities or the oil and gas industry Te guideline will be published in thespring o 2011 and can be downloaded rom wwwogporguk or wwwimca-intcom
Except in shallow water depths o less than 25m where it may be impractical or where layback
to the towed equipment is less than 50m it is recommended that the position o towed sensorsshould be determined by vessel mounted acoustic positioning system eg a tracking Ultra ShortBaseline System (USBL) that when properly calibrated typically yield a relative positioningaccuracy o better that 1 o slant range rom vessel transducer to transponder on the tow fish
Bathymetry
Bathymetry data should as a preerence be acquired using a swathe bathymetry system tomeasure accurate water depths across the area
Where swathe bathymetry data are acquired it is recommended that backscatter values romthe seabed returns are logged and processed or use in seabed characterisation to support andcomplement side scan sonar data
As a minimum however bathymetric data should be obtained using a hull mounted high-requency narrow single beam hydrographic echo sounder Data should be digitally recorded
Single beam echo sounder data should be used to veriy the results o swathe bathymetry datandash i acquired ndash to check or gross error
Te bathymetry systems should be set up to accurately record data across the range o waterdepths expected in the survey area
Te bathymetry systems should be used in conjunction with an accurate motion sensor tocompensate or vessel motion
Water column sound velocity should be determined as a minimum at the start and end o
each project by use o a CD (Conductivity emperature and Depth probe) or direct readingsound velocity probe suitable or use in the maximum water depths expected within the surveyarea
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Water depths should be corrected or vessel draf tidal level and reerenced to an appropriatelocal vertical datum (LA MSL etc )
Te final processed digital terrain model (DM) data cell size covering the entire survey area without gaps should preerably be less than 10x10m and output in an appropriate digitalormat to allow urther imaging and analysis o the data
Side scan sonar
A dual channel dual requency side scan sonar system should be used to provide acousticseabed imagery to define man made and natural seabed eatures across the area
Systems should be operated at no less than 100kHz
Line spacing and display range should be designed to ensure a minimum o 200 coverage othe survey area in the prime survey line direction with additional urther orthogonal tie-lines
For detailed inspection o contacts or inspection o pre-determined bottom-ounded rig sitesextra lines should be run using a requency o 400kHz or greater
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be image processed to improvesubsequent computer aided analysis and mosaicing o the data Such mosaics should be outputas geo-reerenced high resolution digital models o the seabed or presentation in the finalreport
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Sub-bottom profilers
A suite o sub-bottom acoustic profilers should be operated to provide a continuous and veryhigh resolution image o the shallow geological conditions
Subject to local soil conditions the systems should be capable o achieving a resolution o 03m vertical bed separation in the upper 50m below seabed
Te systems chosen should be run simultaneously to provide imagery that penetrates to inexcess o the oundational depth o interest Tis can be considered to be equivalent to a depthequal to the greater o 30m or the anticipated spud-can penetration plus one-and-a-hal timesthe spud-can diameter or a jack-up rig or the maximum expected anchor penetration or ananchored rig
Te data should be recorded digitally to allow signal processing to urther improve data qual-
ity final export to a workstation or integrated interpretation and mapping o the data andease o data retrieval o old datasets
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Magnetometers and Gradiometers
A magnetometer can be used to measure total magnetic field strengths to investigate errousobjects lying on ndash or buried immediately beneath ndash the seafloor or to attempt to determinethe position o cables pipelines or abandoned wells that cannot be identified by acousticmeans
Te system should be capable o a sampling rate o at least 1Hz and have a sensitivity o at leastone nanotesla (1n)
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Te sensor should be towed as close to the seabed as possible and sufficiently ar away rom the vessel to isolate the sensor rom the magnetic field o the survey vessel
As magnetometers measure total magnetic field strength they cannot be used in the vicinity olarge inrastructure such as platorms which swamp the magnetic signature o smaller ea-tures
Use o a gradiometer system which measures the magnetic gradient between two or moreclosely spaced magnetometers should be considered or more precise results and surveys closeto large structures such as platorms
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be processed to allow subsequentcomputer aided analysis and modeling to be undertaken
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
A multi-channel High Resolution (HR) digital seismic survey should be conducted over proposed drilling locations to investigate top-hole geological conditions across the area Teexception to this is where the use o pre-existing exploration 3D seismic data is deemed anappropriate substitute (see Section 56 below)
Te primary interest o such surveys is rom the seabed to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m belowseabed whichever is greater
All HR seismic surveys should be designed on a site specific basis to take into account the varying conditions present and specific goals o the project but in general will conorm to theoutline specifications below
bull
Source Type surveys should make use o a seismic source that delivers a simple stableand repeatable source signature that is near to a minimum phase output and has a useablerequency content across at least the 20-250Hz band
bull Tow Depths source and streamer tow depths should be specified to be no greater than 3mand preerably less
bull Streamer Type use o digital solid streamers is preerred
bull Recording System the recording system should record at no greater than a 1 millisecondsample interval Field high-cut filters should be set no lower than 300Hz
bull Fold of cover should generally not be less than 24 or 2D HR surveys in water depths lessthan 750m
bull
Offsets the maximum offset recorded should preerably be no less than the total deptho interest below mudline that the survey is attempting to image except in water depthsgreater than 750m Te minimum offset recorded should be no greater than hal the waterdepth
bull Record Length to an equivalent two-way time o at least 200m below the preerred sur-ace casing setting depth or to a penetration o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
All seismic data acquired shall undergo ull multi-channel digital signal processing to providean optimally imaged dataset o migrated seismic data or output to and analysis on an inter-
pretation workstation
3D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Where initial review or offset drill ing experience indicates that the complexity o the shallowsection or the perceived conditions are particularly complex acquisition o a purpose designedHR 3D survey should be considered Such surveys must be designed on a site specific basis
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3338
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 363832
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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23 Planning fundamentals
In planning a site survey programme the interplay o rig type and its specification and the
different conditions that might be expected in the planned area o operations must be care-ully taken into account Tis must be considered as a first step in the planning stage o any sitesurvey programme
Te site survey project manager should be advised o the proposed outline drilling programmeandor the conceptual field layout by the project engineer planning the well or developmentTis should be taken into account in setting the data needs o the project
Te tables in Appendix 1 review conditions and areas o concern or the three rig type group-ings Te appropriate columns should be considered during the planning stage o a site survey
programme
Sufficient time must be allowed in delivery o a site survey programme to ensure the results areavailable in time
bull to ensure all local regulatory permitting requirements are met ahead o the o the pro- posed well spud date
bull to ensure the drilling project team can include them and properly mitigate any risk ohazards identified rom them in the final well design
Figure 1 Site clearance ndash timing guidance
Figure 1 shows a conceptual time line Te permitting period will be country specific
Generally it is recommended that a site survey programme should start six months prior toand no less than three months ahead o the proposed wellrsquos spud date
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 26
Preparation
Acquisition ampreporting
Completion ampimplementation
Elapsed time in weeks
Key events
Desk studyand project planning
Contractorprocurement
Acquisition Proce ssing Interpretation and reporting
Internal operator review
Permit documentproduction
Integration of results into well designand final operation planning
Permit submission and regulatory review
Can be performed on the vessel in parallel with aquisition could save up to 4 weeks
Can be performedin parallel with processing
Start depends on vessel availability
Using pre-existing survey data or exploration 3D data if suitable could save 6 weeks or more
Timing dependant on local regulatory requirements
Locationshort-listedfor
drilling
Locationavailable
for
spud
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24 Scope
Any site survey must include a review o all seafloor conditions and geology to a depth at least
200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a deptho 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Te identification and assessment o all relevant geological eatures should be perormed within the context o a geological model that takes into account depositional and post-deposi-tional processes
Te site survey report should include a discussion o all relevant geological andor man-madeeatures that have a direct bearing on operational risk
25 Operations type
Te type o rig to be used has a direct effect on the required scope o a site investigation Teull breadth o these effects is detailed in the table in Appendix 1 o this document Tis tableshould be used by a project manager to sense check that all potential concerns or the place-ment o a rig at a proposed location are being or have been addressed as part o the site survey
programme
251 Bottom founded and platform based rigs
Tese rigs only directly impact the seafloor over a small area immediately around the well-bore Te site survey can thereore be ocused directly upon the well location the corridor oapproach onto location and any possible stand-off locations
Te style o top-hole drilling used by these rigs is different to the other two generic rig group-ings Fundamentally the risk to the rig rom a shallow gas blowout is greater
Te risk to the rigrsquos integrity through loss o seabed support makes review o the shallow sec-tion or these rigs critical
Te analysis o jack-up rig oundation or platorm oundation design requires dedicatedintrusive geotechnical soil investigations Te investigations require expert guidance and thedirect involvement o geotechnical or structural engineers who are conversant in the applica-tion o appropriate industry codes or these tasks Minimum requirements to geotechnical soilinvestigations are covered in industry guidelines and standards eg Te Society o Naval Archi-tects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) echnical amp Research Bulletin 5-5A Site Specific
Assessment o Mobile Jack-up Units and ISO 19905-1 Petroleum and natural gas industriesSite-specific assessment o mobile offshore units Part 1 Jack-ups (in development target publi-cation date September 2011)
252 Anchored rigs
Tese rigs impact a large area o the seabed and as a result a site survey will need to be per-ormed over a larger area o the seafloor to assess anchoring conditions
Tese rigs encounter a number o different concerns not applicable to bottom ounded rigs ( see Appendix 1)
253 Dynamically positioned (DP) rigsTese rigs impact a small area o the seabed and thereore the site survey can be ocuseddirectly upon the well location and its immediate surroundings However their use in pre-dominantly deep to ultra deep water brings special requirements or a site survey programme(see Appendix 1)
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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A site survey project process can be considered to consist o our phases
31 Desk study and project planning
A project should start with a desk study that should be considered as an integral part o the planning process During this phase a decision will be made as to whether new data ndash and which types o data ndash must be acquired
In deep water areas the desk study and any ensuing acquisition may need to address a semi-regional scope to consider topographic or geological issues that may be a threat to operationsrom outside o the direct area o proposed operations
32 Data acquisitionTe second phase is the acquisition o new data coverage i such is required
33 Data processing interpretation and integration
All existing and new data are then processed or reprocessed to improve their value and inter- preted to produce an integrated geological model o the seabed and subsurace conditions
34 Reporting
Te final stage o any site survey is the production o an integrated report that describes theconditions and operational risks identified across the site and ndash specifically ndash at the proposeddrilling location
3 Site survey process
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As the first stage in survey planning a desk study ndash or review ndash o pre-existing data should be perormed to gain an understanding o the area and to highlight matters o particular concernthat need to be addressed by the investigation
41 Use of existing geoscience data
Use o exploration 3D or 2D seismic data offset well data (logs operations reports industrydatabases etc ) geotechnical boreholes offset site surveys and any other relevant public domaindata in an integrated ashion will allow an initial geological model o the seabed and shallowsection to be developed Tis can be used to design a survey programme appropriate to thelocation and rig
In some cases exploration 3D data covering the prospect area may provide sufficient inorma-tion to produce a site report such that new survey data will not be required (Section 56 below)Otherwise the data will ndash as a minimum ndash provide a good guide to definition o line directionline spacing and the areas o uncertainty that the new site survey needs to clariy
42 Pre-existing and proposed operations
An up-to-date database o offshore acilities wells platorms pipelines etc that impact uponthe operational area should be reviewed during the planning phase
A check should also be made o any proposed third party exploration or development activitiesin the area that may impact the proposed operations
43 Wrecks submarine cables sites of special interest
Local regulatory announcements databases and nautical charts should be reviewed or thelikely presence o wrecks submarine cables and sites o special interest archaeological envi-ronmental etc
4 Desk studies and project planning
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Figure 2 ndash site survey decision tree
YesNo
Carry out desk study and ascertain proposed rig typebull Identify local legal and insurance requirements for site survey delivery (see Section 1)bull Ascertain rig type to be used (see Section 23 and 25)bull Evaluate extent and quality of existing relevant data and identify all significant relevant site constraints
(see Section 31 and 4)
Bottom founded rig Anchored rig DP rig
Isexisting site survey
coverage suitable foruse
Water depth at welllocation gt750m
Areexploration 3D data
suitable for use
Acquire full new SiteSurvey (see Section 55)
ndash or ndash
Acquire supplemental datacoverage (see Sections 55
or 57)
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Yes
No
Yes
Yes No No
No
YesYes
Yes
NoNo
Complete integrated interpretation of all available dataand issue proposed drilling location site survey report
(see Section 6)
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5 Data requirements
51 General
Figure 2 presents a simple process or assessing the data needs o a project
Four general areas o practice are common within the industry
bull Use o pre-existing site survey data
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset combined with limited site survey data acquisi-tion
bull Use o a newly acquired site survey
Whatever generic approach is ollowed the data made available or interpretation must allowor analysis o the conditions and hazards listed in Section 22 and detailed in Appendix 1 tobe properly addressed or the type o rig in use
52 Area of study
Any site survey study should address the total area likely to be impacted by drilling or develop-ment related activity Te area should include any potential relie well locations
521 Bottom founded rigs and platform based rigs
Due to the physical nature o operations with this type o rig and the water depths in whichthese rigs operate data requirements must be applied more rigorously to assure operationalintegrity
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a minimum distance o 500m around the drillinglocation and the immediate line o approach onto location
Data should allow proper study o any obstructions that might be present on the seabed duringthe final transit o the rig on to location and the commencement o leg pinning activity or a
jack-up rig
ieline data should be acquired to existing geotechnical boreholes and offset wells in the vicin-ity that show similar soil stratigraphy and that allow unambiguous interpretive correlation oconditions back to the proposed location
522 Anchored rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 250m beyond the maximum likelyanchor radius at the proposed drilling location
523 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 500m beyond the maximum likelydiameter o the seabed acoustic array used to maintain the rigrsquos position on location
524 Location uncertainty
I the proposed well location has not been finalised at the time o planning the survey areashould be designed to take into account the ull positional uncertainty o the final surace
location o the well and to meet the requirements set out above (Sections 521 to 523 inclu-sive)
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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53 Total Depth of Study
Te total depth o study below seabed should be to a depth at least 200m below the preerred
setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater irrespective o rig type
Te combined dataset to be used must thereore be capable o properly imaging geologicalconditions to this depth
54 Use of a pre-existing site survey
Pre-existing site survey data should be re-used whenever possible Te quality and validity othese data should be careully assessed prior to committing to their use in producing a reportor a new drilling location
I the pre-existing survey ails to cover the ull project scope required either spatially or indepth it will need to be supplemented by data rom another source
Subject to local operator policy regulatory or insurance requirements or guidance purposesthe maximum age validity o pre-existing hydrographic and geophysical site survey data can beconsidered as
Table 2 pre-existing data validity guidance
Activity Condition Seabed Data Subsurface Data
No Activity 5 years 10 years
Engineering Activity 1 year 10 years
Well Control Incident Invalid Invalid
Subject to local conditions in a prospect area where there has been no drilling or engineering(pipe-lay etc ) activity since acquisition o a pre-existing survey the validity o seabed clearancedata should be considered to be five years and subsurace data should be considered to have aten year validity
In a prospect area where there has been drilling or engineering activity since a pre-existingsurvey was acquired validity o the data should be one year or seabed clearance data and ten
years or subsurace data
I the pre-existing data do not meet these requirements then a new survey should be acquired
At locations where a jack-up rig will be operating in close proximity to existing installationsan additional seabed survey should be carried out immediately prior to the jack-up rig installa-tion
I it is known that a rig has been installed more recently than the existing site survey data newdata should be acquired
I a well control incident (an uncontrolled underground or surace flow) has taken place on the prospect field or in an immediately adjacent area since acquisition o a pre-existing survey anyexisting seabed and subsurace data shall be considered invalid In such a case a new survey isalways required
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55 Acquisition of a new site survey
When a new site survey is considered necessary the survey should be designed to specifically
address the expected operational requirement
Te ollowing should be considered in survey design specification and delivery
551 Standard site survey data types
A new site survey will involve gathering o all o the ollowing standard data types except where specified in Section 552 below
Positioning
Surace positioning o the survey vessel should be based on augmented global navigation satel-lite systems (GNSS) eg Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS) or Clock and Orbit Corrected
GPS (also reerred to as SDGPS or Precise Point Positioning PPP) that typical ly yield sub-metre positioning accuracy It is recommended that two ully independent surace positioningsystems should be used
Te correct use o GNSS positioning is critical to the success o an offshore drilling hazard sitesurvey It is recommended that the GNSS are operated in line with the Guidelines or GNSS
Positioning in the Oil and Gas Industry issued jointly by OGP and IMCA It describes good practice or the use o global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) in among other offshoresurvey and related activities or the oil and gas industry Te guideline will be published in thespring o 2011 and can be downloaded rom wwwogporguk or wwwimca-intcom
Except in shallow water depths o less than 25m where it may be impractical or where layback
to the towed equipment is less than 50m it is recommended that the position o towed sensorsshould be determined by vessel mounted acoustic positioning system eg a tracking Ultra ShortBaseline System (USBL) that when properly calibrated typically yield a relative positioningaccuracy o better that 1 o slant range rom vessel transducer to transponder on the tow fish
Bathymetry
Bathymetry data should as a preerence be acquired using a swathe bathymetry system tomeasure accurate water depths across the area
Where swathe bathymetry data are acquired it is recommended that backscatter values romthe seabed returns are logged and processed or use in seabed characterisation to support andcomplement side scan sonar data
As a minimum however bathymetric data should be obtained using a hull mounted high-requency narrow single beam hydrographic echo sounder Data should be digitally recorded
Single beam echo sounder data should be used to veriy the results o swathe bathymetry datandash i acquired ndash to check or gross error
Te bathymetry systems should be set up to accurately record data across the range o waterdepths expected in the survey area
Te bathymetry systems should be used in conjunction with an accurate motion sensor tocompensate or vessel motion
Water column sound velocity should be determined as a minimum at the start and end o
each project by use o a CD (Conductivity emperature and Depth probe) or direct readingsound velocity probe suitable or use in the maximum water depths expected within the surveyarea
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Water depths should be corrected or vessel draf tidal level and reerenced to an appropriatelocal vertical datum (LA MSL etc )
Te final processed digital terrain model (DM) data cell size covering the entire survey area without gaps should preerably be less than 10x10m and output in an appropriate digitalormat to allow urther imaging and analysis o the data
Side scan sonar
A dual channel dual requency side scan sonar system should be used to provide acousticseabed imagery to define man made and natural seabed eatures across the area
Systems should be operated at no less than 100kHz
Line spacing and display range should be designed to ensure a minimum o 200 coverage othe survey area in the prime survey line direction with additional urther orthogonal tie-lines
For detailed inspection o contacts or inspection o pre-determined bottom-ounded rig sitesextra lines should be run using a requency o 400kHz or greater
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be image processed to improvesubsequent computer aided analysis and mosaicing o the data Such mosaics should be outputas geo-reerenced high resolution digital models o the seabed or presentation in the finalreport
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Sub-bottom profilers
A suite o sub-bottom acoustic profilers should be operated to provide a continuous and veryhigh resolution image o the shallow geological conditions
Subject to local soil conditions the systems should be capable o achieving a resolution o 03m vertical bed separation in the upper 50m below seabed
Te systems chosen should be run simultaneously to provide imagery that penetrates to inexcess o the oundational depth o interest Tis can be considered to be equivalent to a depthequal to the greater o 30m or the anticipated spud-can penetration plus one-and-a-hal timesthe spud-can diameter or a jack-up rig or the maximum expected anchor penetration or ananchored rig
Te data should be recorded digitally to allow signal processing to urther improve data qual-
ity final export to a workstation or integrated interpretation and mapping o the data andease o data retrieval o old datasets
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Magnetometers and Gradiometers
A magnetometer can be used to measure total magnetic field strengths to investigate errousobjects lying on ndash or buried immediately beneath ndash the seafloor or to attempt to determinethe position o cables pipelines or abandoned wells that cannot be identified by acousticmeans
Te system should be capable o a sampling rate o at least 1Hz and have a sensitivity o at leastone nanotesla (1n)
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Te sensor should be towed as close to the seabed as possible and sufficiently ar away rom the vessel to isolate the sensor rom the magnetic field o the survey vessel
As magnetometers measure total magnetic field strength they cannot be used in the vicinity olarge inrastructure such as platorms which swamp the magnetic signature o smaller ea-tures
Use o a gradiometer system which measures the magnetic gradient between two or moreclosely spaced magnetometers should be considered or more precise results and surveys closeto large structures such as platorms
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be processed to allow subsequentcomputer aided analysis and modeling to be undertaken
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
A multi-channel High Resolution (HR) digital seismic survey should be conducted over proposed drilling locations to investigate top-hole geological conditions across the area Teexception to this is where the use o pre-existing exploration 3D seismic data is deemed anappropriate substitute (see Section 56 below)
Te primary interest o such surveys is rom the seabed to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m belowseabed whichever is greater
All HR seismic surveys should be designed on a site specific basis to take into account the varying conditions present and specific goals o the project but in general will conorm to theoutline specifications below
bull
Source Type surveys should make use o a seismic source that delivers a simple stableand repeatable source signature that is near to a minimum phase output and has a useablerequency content across at least the 20-250Hz band
bull Tow Depths source and streamer tow depths should be specified to be no greater than 3mand preerably less
bull Streamer Type use o digital solid streamers is preerred
bull Recording System the recording system should record at no greater than a 1 millisecondsample interval Field high-cut filters should be set no lower than 300Hz
bull Fold of cover should generally not be less than 24 or 2D HR surveys in water depths lessthan 750m
bull
Offsets the maximum offset recorded should preerably be no less than the total deptho interest below mudline that the survey is attempting to image except in water depthsgreater than 750m Te minimum offset recorded should be no greater than hal the waterdepth
bull Record Length to an equivalent two-way time o at least 200m below the preerred sur-ace casing setting depth or to a penetration o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
All seismic data acquired shall undergo ull multi-channel digital signal processing to providean optimally imaged dataset o migrated seismic data or output to and analysis on an inter-
pretation workstation
3D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Where initial review or offset drill ing experience indicates that the complexity o the shallowsection or the perceived conditions are particularly complex acquisition o a purpose designedHR 3D survey should be considered Such surveys must be designed on a site specific basis
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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24 Scope
Any site survey must include a review o all seafloor conditions and geology to a depth at least
200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a deptho 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Te identification and assessment o all relevant geological eatures should be perormed within the context o a geological model that takes into account depositional and post-deposi-tional processes
Te site survey report should include a discussion o all relevant geological andor man-madeeatures that have a direct bearing on operational risk
25 Operations type
Te type o rig to be used has a direct effect on the required scope o a site investigation Teull breadth o these effects is detailed in the table in Appendix 1 o this document Tis tableshould be used by a project manager to sense check that all potential concerns or the place-ment o a rig at a proposed location are being or have been addressed as part o the site survey
programme
251 Bottom founded and platform based rigs
Tese rigs only directly impact the seafloor over a small area immediately around the well-bore Te site survey can thereore be ocused directly upon the well location the corridor oapproach onto location and any possible stand-off locations
Te style o top-hole drilling used by these rigs is different to the other two generic rig group-ings Fundamentally the risk to the rig rom a shallow gas blowout is greater
Te risk to the rigrsquos integrity through loss o seabed support makes review o the shallow sec-tion or these rigs critical
Te analysis o jack-up rig oundation or platorm oundation design requires dedicatedintrusive geotechnical soil investigations Te investigations require expert guidance and thedirect involvement o geotechnical or structural engineers who are conversant in the applica-tion o appropriate industry codes or these tasks Minimum requirements to geotechnical soilinvestigations are covered in industry guidelines and standards eg Te Society o Naval Archi-tects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) echnical amp Research Bulletin 5-5A Site Specific
Assessment o Mobile Jack-up Units and ISO 19905-1 Petroleum and natural gas industriesSite-specific assessment o mobile offshore units Part 1 Jack-ups (in development target publi-cation date September 2011)
252 Anchored rigs
Tese rigs impact a large area o the seabed and as a result a site survey will need to be per-ormed over a larger area o the seafloor to assess anchoring conditions
Tese rigs encounter a number o different concerns not applicable to bottom ounded rigs ( see Appendix 1)
253 Dynamically positioned (DP) rigsTese rigs impact a small area o the seabed and thereore the site survey can be ocuseddirectly upon the well location and its immediate surroundings However their use in pre-dominantly deep to ultra deep water brings special requirements or a site survey programme(see Appendix 1)
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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A site survey project process can be considered to consist o our phases
31 Desk study and project planning
A project should start with a desk study that should be considered as an integral part o the planning process During this phase a decision will be made as to whether new data ndash and which types o data ndash must be acquired
In deep water areas the desk study and any ensuing acquisition may need to address a semi-regional scope to consider topographic or geological issues that may be a threat to operationsrom outside o the direct area o proposed operations
32 Data acquisitionTe second phase is the acquisition o new data coverage i such is required
33 Data processing interpretation and integration
All existing and new data are then processed or reprocessed to improve their value and inter- preted to produce an integrated geological model o the seabed and subsurace conditions
34 Reporting
Te final stage o any site survey is the production o an integrated report that describes theconditions and operational risks identified across the site and ndash specifically ndash at the proposeddrilling location
3 Site survey process
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As the first stage in survey planning a desk study ndash or review ndash o pre-existing data should be perormed to gain an understanding o the area and to highlight matters o particular concernthat need to be addressed by the investigation
41 Use of existing geoscience data
Use o exploration 3D or 2D seismic data offset well data (logs operations reports industrydatabases etc ) geotechnical boreholes offset site surveys and any other relevant public domaindata in an integrated ashion will allow an initial geological model o the seabed and shallowsection to be developed Tis can be used to design a survey programme appropriate to thelocation and rig
In some cases exploration 3D data covering the prospect area may provide sufficient inorma-tion to produce a site report such that new survey data will not be required (Section 56 below)Otherwise the data will ndash as a minimum ndash provide a good guide to definition o line directionline spacing and the areas o uncertainty that the new site survey needs to clariy
42 Pre-existing and proposed operations
An up-to-date database o offshore acilities wells platorms pipelines etc that impact uponthe operational area should be reviewed during the planning phase
A check should also be made o any proposed third party exploration or development activitiesin the area that may impact the proposed operations
43 Wrecks submarine cables sites of special interest
Local regulatory announcements databases and nautical charts should be reviewed or thelikely presence o wrecks submarine cables and sites o special interest archaeological envi-ronmental etc
4 Desk studies and project planning
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Figure 2 ndash site survey decision tree
YesNo
Carry out desk study and ascertain proposed rig typebull Identify local legal and insurance requirements for site survey delivery (see Section 1)bull Ascertain rig type to be used (see Section 23 and 25)bull Evaluate extent and quality of existing relevant data and identify all significant relevant site constraints
(see Section 31 and 4)
Bottom founded rig Anchored rig DP rig
Isexisting site survey
coverage suitable foruse
Water depth at welllocation gt750m
Areexploration 3D data
suitable for use
Acquire full new SiteSurvey (see Section 55)
ndash or ndash
Acquire supplemental datacoverage (see Sections 55
or 57)
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Yes
No
Yes
Yes No No
No
YesYes
Yes
NoNo
Complete integrated interpretation of all available dataand issue proposed drilling location site survey report
(see Section 6)
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5 Data requirements
51 General
Figure 2 presents a simple process or assessing the data needs o a project
Four general areas o practice are common within the industry
bull Use o pre-existing site survey data
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset combined with limited site survey data acquisi-tion
bull Use o a newly acquired site survey
Whatever generic approach is ollowed the data made available or interpretation must allowor analysis o the conditions and hazards listed in Section 22 and detailed in Appendix 1 tobe properly addressed or the type o rig in use
52 Area of study
Any site survey study should address the total area likely to be impacted by drilling or develop-ment related activity Te area should include any potential relie well locations
521 Bottom founded rigs and platform based rigs
Due to the physical nature o operations with this type o rig and the water depths in whichthese rigs operate data requirements must be applied more rigorously to assure operationalintegrity
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a minimum distance o 500m around the drillinglocation and the immediate line o approach onto location
Data should allow proper study o any obstructions that might be present on the seabed duringthe final transit o the rig on to location and the commencement o leg pinning activity or a
jack-up rig
ieline data should be acquired to existing geotechnical boreholes and offset wells in the vicin-ity that show similar soil stratigraphy and that allow unambiguous interpretive correlation oconditions back to the proposed location
522 Anchored rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 250m beyond the maximum likelyanchor radius at the proposed drilling location
523 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 500m beyond the maximum likelydiameter o the seabed acoustic array used to maintain the rigrsquos position on location
524 Location uncertainty
I the proposed well location has not been finalised at the time o planning the survey areashould be designed to take into account the ull positional uncertainty o the final surace
location o the well and to meet the requirements set out above (Sections 521 to 523 inclu-sive)
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53 Total Depth of Study
Te total depth o study below seabed should be to a depth at least 200m below the preerred
setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater irrespective o rig type
Te combined dataset to be used must thereore be capable o properly imaging geologicalconditions to this depth
54 Use of a pre-existing site survey
Pre-existing site survey data should be re-used whenever possible Te quality and validity othese data should be careully assessed prior to committing to their use in producing a reportor a new drilling location
I the pre-existing survey ails to cover the ull project scope required either spatially or indepth it will need to be supplemented by data rom another source
Subject to local operator policy regulatory or insurance requirements or guidance purposesthe maximum age validity o pre-existing hydrographic and geophysical site survey data can beconsidered as
Table 2 pre-existing data validity guidance
Activity Condition Seabed Data Subsurface Data
No Activity 5 years 10 years
Engineering Activity 1 year 10 years
Well Control Incident Invalid Invalid
Subject to local conditions in a prospect area where there has been no drilling or engineering(pipe-lay etc ) activity since acquisition o a pre-existing survey the validity o seabed clearancedata should be considered to be five years and subsurace data should be considered to have aten year validity
In a prospect area where there has been drilling or engineering activity since a pre-existingsurvey was acquired validity o the data should be one year or seabed clearance data and ten
years or subsurace data
I the pre-existing data do not meet these requirements then a new survey should be acquired
At locations where a jack-up rig will be operating in close proximity to existing installationsan additional seabed survey should be carried out immediately prior to the jack-up rig installa-tion
I it is known that a rig has been installed more recently than the existing site survey data newdata should be acquired
I a well control incident (an uncontrolled underground or surace flow) has taken place on the prospect field or in an immediately adjacent area since acquisition o a pre-existing survey anyexisting seabed and subsurace data shall be considered invalid In such a case a new survey isalways required
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55 Acquisition of a new site survey
When a new site survey is considered necessary the survey should be designed to specifically
address the expected operational requirement
Te ollowing should be considered in survey design specification and delivery
551 Standard site survey data types
A new site survey will involve gathering o all o the ollowing standard data types except where specified in Section 552 below
Positioning
Surace positioning o the survey vessel should be based on augmented global navigation satel-lite systems (GNSS) eg Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS) or Clock and Orbit Corrected
GPS (also reerred to as SDGPS or Precise Point Positioning PPP) that typical ly yield sub-metre positioning accuracy It is recommended that two ully independent surace positioningsystems should be used
Te correct use o GNSS positioning is critical to the success o an offshore drilling hazard sitesurvey It is recommended that the GNSS are operated in line with the Guidelines or GNSS
Positioning in the Oil and Gas Industry issued jointly by OGP and IMCA It describes good practice or the use o global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) in among other offshoresurvey and related activities or the oil and gas industry Te guideline will be published in thespring o 2011 and can be downloaded rom wwwogporguk or wwwimca-intcom
Except in shallow water depths o less than 25m where it may be impractical or where layback
to the towed equipment is less than 50m it is recommended that the position o towed sensorsshould be determined by vessel mounted acoustic positioning system eg a tracking Ultra ShortBaseline System (USBL) that when properly calibrated typically yield a relative positioningaccuracy o better that 1 o slant range rom vessel transducer to transponder on the tow fish
Bathymetry
Bathymetry data should as a preerence be acquired using a swathe bathymetry system tomeasure accurate water depths across the area
Where swathe bathymetry data are acquired it is recommended that backscatter values romthe seabed returns are logged and processed or use in seabed characterisation to support andcomplement side scan sonar data
As a minimum however bathymetric data should be obtained using a hull mounted high-requency narrow single beam hydrographic echo sounder Data should be digitally recorded
Single beam echo sounder data should be used to veriy the results o swathe bathymetry datandash i acquired ndash to check or gross error
Te bathymetry systems should be set up to accurately record data across the range o waterdepths expected in the survey area
Te bathymetry systems should be used in conjunction with an accurate motion sensor tocompensate or vessel motion
Water column sound velocity should be determined as a minimum at the start and end o
each project by use o a CD (Conductivity emperature and Depth probe) or direct readingsound velocity probe suitable or use in the maximum water depths expected within the surveyarea
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Water depths should be corrected or vessel draf tidal level and reerenced to an appropriatelocal vertical datum (LA MSL etc )
Te final processed digital terrain model (DM) data cell size covering the entire survey area without gaps should preerably be less than 10x10m and output in an appropriate digitalormat to allow urther imaging and analysis o the data
Side scan sonar
A dual channel dual requency side scan sonar system should be used to provide acousticseabed imagery to define man made and natural seabed eatures across the area
Systems should be operated at no less than 100kHz
Line spacing and display range should be designed to ensure a minimum o 200 coverage othe survey area in the prime survey line direction with additional urther orthogonal tie-lines
For detailed inspection o contacts or inspection o pre-determined bottom-ounded rig sitesextra lines should be run using a requency o 400kHz or greater
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be image processed to improvesubsequent computer aided analysis and mosaicing o the data Such mosaics should be outputas geo-reerenced high resolution digital models o the seabed or presentation in the finalreport
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Sub-bottom profilers
A suite o sub-bottom acoustic profilers should be operated to provide a continuous and veryhigh resolution image o the shallow geological conditions
Subject to local soil conditions the systems should be capable o achieving a resolution o 03m vertical bed separation in the upper 50m below seabed
Te systems chosen should be run simultaneously to provide imagery that penetrates to inexcess o the oundational depth o interest Tis can be considered to be equivalent to a depthequal to the greater o 30m or the anticipated spud-can penetration plus one-and-a-hal timesthe spud-can diameter or a jack-up rig or the maximum expected anchor penetration or ananchored rig
Te data should be recorded digitally to allow signal processing to urther improve data qual-
ity final export to a workstation or integrated interpretation and mapping o the data andease o data retrieval o old datasets
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Magnetometers and Gradiometers
A magnetometer can be used to measure total magnetic field strengths to investigate errousobjects lying on ndash or buried immediately beneath ndash the seafloor or to attempt to determinethe position o cables pipelines or abandoned wells that cannot be identified by acousticmeans
Te system should be capable o a sampling rate o at least 1Hz and have a sensitivity o at leastone nanotesla (1n)
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Te sensor should be towed as close to the seabed as possible and sufficiently ar away rom the vessel to isolate the sensor rom the magnetic field o the survey vessel
As magnetometers measure total magnetic field strength they cannot be used in the vicinity olarge inrastructure such as platorms which swamp the magnetic signature o smaller ea-tures
Use o a gradiometer system which measures the magnetic gradient between two or moreclosely spaced magnetometers should be considered or more precise results and surveys closeto large structures such as platorms
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be processed to allow subsequentcomputer aided analysis and modeling to be undertaken
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
A multi-channel High Resolution (HR) digital seismic survey should be conducted over proposed drilling locations to investigate top-hole geological conditions across the area Teexception to this is where the use o pre-existing exploration 3D seismic data is deemed anappropriate substitute (see Section 56 below)
Te primary interest o such surveys is rom the seabed to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m belowseabed whichever is greater
All HR seismic surveys should be designed on a site specific basis to take into account the varying conditions present and specific goals o the project but in general will conorm to theoutline specifications below
bull
Source Type surveys should make use o a seismic source that delivers a simple stableand repeatable source signature that is near to a minimum phase output and has a useablerequency content across at least the 20-250Hz band
bull Tow Depths source and streamer tow depths should be specified to be no greater than 3mand preerably less
bull Streamer Type use o digital solid streamers is preerred
bull Recording System the recording system should record at no greater than a 1 millisecondsample interval Field high-cut filters should be set no lower than 300Hz
bull Fold of cover should generally not be less than 24 or 2D HR surveys in water depths lessthan 750m
bull
Offsets the maximum offset recorded should preerably be no less than the total deptho interest below mudline that the survey is attempting to image except in water depthsgreater than 750m Te minimum offset recorded should be no greater than hal the waterdepth
bull Record Length to an equivalent two-way time o at least 200m below the preerred sur-ace casing setting depth or to a penetration o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
All seismic data acquired shall undergo ull multi-channel digital signal processing to providean optimally imaged dataset o migrated seismic data or output to and analysis on an inter-
pretation workstation
3D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Where initial review or offset drill ing experience indicates that the complexity o the shallowsection or the perceived conditions are particularly complex acquisition o a purpose designedHR 3D survey should be considered Such surveys must be designed on a site specific basis
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3338
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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A site survey project process can be considered to consist o our phases
31 Desk study and project planning
A project should start with a desk study that should be considered as an integral part o the planning process During this phase a decision will be made as to whether new data ndash and which types o data ndash must be acquired
In deep water areas the desk study and any ensuing acquisition may need to address a semi-regional scope to consider topographic or geological issues that may be a threat to operationsrom outside o the direct area o proposed operations
32 Data acquisitionTe second phase is the acquisition o new data coverage i such is required
33 Data processing interpretation and integration
All existing and new data are then processed or reprocessed to improve their value and inter- preted to produce an integrated geological model o the seabed and subsurace conditions
34 Reporting
Te final stage o any site survey is the production o an integrated report that describes theconditions and operational risks identified across the site and ndash specifically ndash at the proposeddrilling location
3 Site survey process
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As the first stage in survey planning a desk study ndash or review ndash o pre-existing data should be perormed to gain an understanding o the area and to highlight matters o particular concernthat need to be addressed by the investigation
41 Use of existing geoscience data
Use o exploration 3D or 2D seismic data offset well data (logs operations reports industrydatabases etc ) geotechnical boreholes offset site surveys and any other relevant public domaindata in an integrated ashion will allow an initial geological model o the seabed and shallowsection to be developed Tis can be used to design a survey programme appropriate to thelocation and rig
In some cases exploration 3D data covering the prospect area may provide sufficient inorma-tion to produce a site report such that new survey data will not be required (Section 56 below)Otherwise the data will ndash as a minimum ndash provide a good guide to definition o line directionline spacing and the areas o uncertainty that the new site survey needs to clariy
42 Pre-existing and proposed operations
An up-to-date database o offshore acilities wells platorms pipelines etc that impact uponthe operational area should be reviewed during the planning phase
A check should also be made o any proposed third party exploration or development activitiesin the area that may impact the proposed operations
43 Wrecks submarine cables sites of special interest
Local regulatory announcements databases and nautical charts should be reviewed or thelikely presence o wrecks submarine cables and sites o special interest archaeological envi-ronmental etc
4 Desk studies and project planning
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Figure 2 ndash site survey decision tree
YesNo
Carry out desk study and ascertain proposed rig typebull Identify local legal and insurance requirements for site survey delivery (see Section 1)bull Ascertain rig type to be used (see Section 23 and 25)bull Evaluate extent and quality of existing relevant data and identify all significant relevant site constraints
(see Section 31 and 4)
Bottom founded rig Anchored rig DP rig
Isexisting site survey
coverage suitable foruse
Water depth at welllocation gt750m
Areexploration 3D data
suitable for use
Acquire full new SiteSurvey (see Section 55)
ndash or ndash
Acquire supplemental datacoverage (see Sections 55
or 57)
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Yes
No
Yes
Yes No No
No
YesYes
Yes
NoNo
Complete integrated interpretation of all available dataand issue proposed drilling location site survey report
(see Section 6)
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5 Data requirements
51 General
Figure 2 presents a simple process or assessing the data needs o a project
Four general areas o practice are common within the industry
bull Use o pre-existing site survey data
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset combined with limited site survey data acquisi-tion
bull Use o a newly acquired site survey
Whatever generic approach is ollowed the data made available or interpretation must allowor analysis o the conditions and hazards listed in Section 22 and detailed in Appendix 1 tobe properly addressed or the type o rig in use
52 Area of study
Any site survey study should address the total area likely to be impacted by drilling or develop-ment related activity Te area should include any potential relie well locations
521 Bottom founded rigs and platform based rigs
Due to the physical nature o operations with this type o rig and the water depths in whichthese rigs operate data requirements must be applied more rigorously to assure operationalintegrity
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a minimum distance o 500m around the drillinglocation and the immediate line o approach onto location
Data should allow proper study o any obstructions that might be present on the seabed duringthe final transit o the rig on to location and the commencement o leg pinning activity or a
jack-up rig
ieline data should be acquired to existing geotechnical boreholes and offset wells in the vicin-ity that show similar soil stratigraphy and that allow unambiguous interpretive correlation oconditions back to the proposed location
522 Anchored rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 250m beyond the maximum likelyanchor radius at the proposed drilling location
523 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 500m beyond the maximum likelydiameter o the seabed acoustic array used to maintain the rigrsquos position on location
524 Location uncertainty
I the proposed well location has not been finalised at the time o planning the survey areashould be designed to take into account the ull positional uncertainty o the final surace
location o the well and to meet the requirements set out above (Sections 521 to 523 inclu-sive)
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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53 Total Depth of Study
Te total depth o study below seabed should be to a depth at least 200m below the preerred
setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater irrespective o rig type
Te combined dataset to be used must thereore be capable o properly imaging geologicalconditions to this depth
54 Use of a pre-existing site survey
Pre-existing site survey data should be re-used whenever possible Te quality and validity othese data should be careully assessed prior to committing to their use in producing a reportor a new drilling location
I the pre-existing survey ails to cover the ull project scope required either spatially or indepth it will need to be supplemented by data rom another source
Subject to local operator policy regulatory or insurance requirements or guidance purposesthe maximum age validity o pre-existing hydrographic and geophysical site survey data can beconsidered as
Table 2 pre-existing data validity guidance
Activity Condition Seabed Data Subsurface Data
No Activity 5 years 10 years
Engineering Activity 1 year 10 years
Well Control Incident Invalid Invalid
Subject to local conditions in a prospect area where there has been no drilling or engineering(pipe-lay etc ) activity since acquisition o a pre-existing survey the validity o seabed clearancedata should be considered to be five years and subsurace data should be considered to have aten year validity
In a prospect area where there has been drilling or engineering activity since a pre-existingsurvey was acquired validity o the data should be one year or seabed clearance data and ten
years or subsurace data
I the pre-existing data do not meet these requirements then a new survey should be acquired
At locations where a jack-up rig will be operating in close proximity to existing installationsan additional seabed survey should be carried out immediately prior to the jack-up rig installa-tion
I it is known that a rig has been installed more recently than the existing site survey data newdata should be acquired
I a well control incident (an uncontrolled underground or surace flow) has taken place on the prospect field or in an immediately adjacent area since acquisition o a pre-existing survey anyexisting seabed and subsurace data shall be considered invalid In such a case a new survey isalways required
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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55 Acquisition of a new site survey
When a new site survey is considered necessary the survey should be designed to specifically
address the expected operational requirement
Te ollowing should be considered in survey design specification and delivery
551 Standard site survey data types
A new site survey will involve gathering o all o the ollowing standard data types except where specified in Section 552 below
Positioning
Surace positioning o the survey vessel should be based on augmented global navigation satel-lite systems (GNSS) eg Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS) or Clock and Orbit Corrected
GPS (also reerred to as SDGPS or Precise Point Positioning PPP) that typical ly yield sub-metre positioning accuracy It is recommended that two ully independent surace positioningsystems should be used
Te correct use o GNSS positioning is critical to the success o an offshore drilling hazard sitesurvey It is recommended that the GNSS are operated in line with the Guidelines or GNSS
Positioning in the Oil and Gas Industry issued jointly by OGP and IMCA It describes good practice or the use o global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) in among other offshoresurvey and related activities or the oil and gas industry Te guideline will be published in thespring o 2011 and can be downloaded rom wwwogporguk or wwwimca-intcom
Except in shallow water depths o less than 25m where it may be impractical or where layback
to the towed equipment is less than 50m it is recommended that the position o towed sensorsshould be determined by vessel mounted acoustic positioning system eg a tracking Ultra ShortBaseline System (USBL) that when properly calibrated typically yield a relative positioningaccuracy o better that 1 o slant range rom vessel transducer to transponder on the tow fish
Bathymetry
Bathymetry data should as a preerence be acquired using a swathe bathymetry system tomeasure accurate water depths across the area
Where swathe bathymetry data are acquired it is recommended that backscatter values romthe seabed returns are logged and processed or use in seabed characterisation to support andcomplement side scan sonar data
As a minimum however bathymetric data should be obtained using a hull mounted high-requency narrow single beam hydrographic echo sounder Data should be digitally recorded
Single beam echo sounder data should be used to veriy the results o swathe bathymetry datandash i acquired ndash to check or gross error
Te bathymetry systems should be set up to accurately record data across the range o waterdepths expected in the survey area
Te bathymetry systems should be used in conjunction with an accurate motion sensor tocompensate or vessel motion
Water column sound velocity should be determined as a minimum at the start and end o
each project by use o a CD (Conductivity emperature and Depth probe) or direct readingsound velocity probe suitable or use in the maximum water depths expected within the surveyarea
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Water depths should be corrected or vessel draf tidal level and reerenced to an appropriatelocal vertical datum (LA MSL etc )
Te final processed digital terrain model (DM) data cell size covering the entire survey area without gaps should preerably be less than 10x10m and output in an appropriate digitalormat to allow urther imaging and analysis o the data
Side scan sonar
A dual channel dual requency side scan sonar system should be used to provide acousticseabed imagery to define man made and natural seabed eatures across the area
Systems should be operated at no less than 100kHz
Line spacing and display range should be designed to ensure a minimum o 200 coverage othe survey area in the prime survey line direction with additional urther orthogonal tie-lines
For detailed inspection o contacts or inspection o pre-determined bottom-ounded rig sitesextra lines should be run using a requency o 400kHz or greater
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be image processed to improvesubsequent computer aided analysis and mosaicing o the data Such mosaics should be outputas geo-reerenced high resolution digital models o the seabed or presentation in the finalreport
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Sub-bottom profilers
A suite o sub-bottom acoustic profilers should be operated to provide a continuous and veryhigh resolution image o the shallow geological conditions
Subject to local soil conditions the systems should be capable o achieving a resolution o 03m vertical bed separation in the upper 50m below seabed
Te systems chosen should be run simultaneously to provide imagery that penetrates to inexcess o the oundational depth o interest Tis can be considered to be equivalent to a depthequal to the greater o 30m or the anticipated spud-can penetration plus one-and-a-hal timesthe spud-can diameter or a jack-up rig or the maximum expected anchor penetration or ananchored rig
Te data should be recorded digitally to allow signal processing to urther improve data qual-
ity final export to a workstation or integrated interpretation and mapping o the data andease o data retrieval o old datasets
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Magnetometers and Gradiometers
A magnetometer can be used to measure total magnetic field strengths to investigate errousobjects lying on ndash or buried immediately beneath ndash the seafloor or to attempt to determinethe position o cables pipelines or abandoned wells that cannot be identified by acousticmeans
Te system should be capable o a sampling rate o at least 1Hz and have a sensitivity o at leastone nanotesla (1n)
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Te sensor should be towed as close to the seabed as possible and sufficiently ar away rom the vessel to isolate the sensor rom the magnetic field o the survey vessel
As magnetometers measure total magnetic field strength they cannot be used in the vicinity olarge inrastructure such as platorms which swamp the magnetic signature o smaller ea-tures
Use o a gradiometer system which measures the magnetic gradient between two or moreclosely spaced magnetometers should be considered or more precise results and surveys closeto large structures such as platorms
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be processed to allow subsequentcomputer aided analysis and modeling to be undertaken
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
A multi-channel High Resolution (HR) digital seismic survey should be conducted over proposed drilling locations to investigate top-hole geological conditions across the area Teexception to this is where the use o pre-existing exploration 3D seismic data is deemed anappropriate substitute (see Section 56 below)
Te primary interest o such surveys is rom the seabed to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m belowseabed whichever is greater
All HR seismic surveys should be designed on a site specific basis to take into account the varying conditions present and specific goals o the project but in general will conorm to theoutline specifications below
bull
Source Type surveys should make use o a seismic source that delivers a simple stableand repeatable source signature that is near to a minimum phase output and has a useablerequency content across at least the 20-250Hz band
bull Tow Depths source and streamer tow depths should be specified to be no greater than 3mand preerably less
bull Streamer Type use o digital solid streamers is preerred
bull Recording System the recording system should record at no greater than a 1 millisecondsample interval Field high-cut filters should be set no lower than 300Hz
bull Fold of cover should generally not be less than 24 or 2D HR surveys in water depths lessthan 750m
bull
Offsets the maximum offset recorded should preerably be no less than the total deptho interest below mudline that the survey is attempting to image except in water depthsgreater than 750m Te minimum offset recorded should be no greater than hal the waterdepth
bull Record Length to an equivalent two-way time o at least 200m below the preerred sur-ace casing setting depth or to a penetration o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
All seismic data acquired shall undergo ull multi-channel digital signal processing to providean optimally imaged dataset o migrated seismic data or output to and analysis on an inter-
pretation workstation
3D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Where initial review or offset drill ing experience indicates that the complexity o the shallowsection or the perceived conditions are particularly complex acquisition o a purpose designedHR 3D survey should be considered Such surveys must be designed on a site specific basis
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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As the first stage in survey planning a desk study ndash or review ndash o pre-existing data should be perormed to gain an understanding o the area and to highlight matters o particular concernthat need to be addressed by the investigation
41 Use of existing geoscience data
Use o exploration 3D or 2D seismic data offset well data (logs operations reports industrydatabases etc ) geotechnical boreholes offset site surveys and any other relevant public domaindata in an integrated ashion will allow an initial geological model o the seabed and shallowsection to be developed Tis can be used to design a survey programme appropriate to thelocation and rig
In some cases exploration 3D data covering the prospect area may provide sufficient inorma-tion to produce a site report such that new survey data will not be required (Section 56 below)Otherwise the data will ndash as a minimum ndash provide a good guide to definition o line directionline spacing and the areas o uncertainty that the new site survey needs to clariy
42 Pre-existing and proposed operations
An up-to-date database o offshore acilities wells platorms pipelines etc that impact uponthe operational area should be reviewed during the planning phase
A check should also be made o any proposed third party exploration or development activitiesin the area that may impact the proposed operations
43 Wrecks submarine cables sites of special interest
Local regulatory announcements databases and nautical charts should be reviewed or thelikely presence o wrecks submarine cables and sites o special interest archaeological envi-ronmental etc
4 Desk studies and project planning
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Figure 2 ndash site survey decision tree
YesNo
Carry out desk study and ascertain proposed rig typebull Identify local legal and insurance requirements for site survey delivery (see Section 1)bull Ascertain rig type to be used (see Section 23 and 25)bull Evaluate extent and quality of existing relevant data and identify all significant relevant site constraints
(see Section 31 and 4)
Bottom founded rig Anchored rig DP rig
Isexisting site survey
coverage suitable foruse
Water depth at welllocation gt750m
Areexploration 3D data
suitable for use
Acquire full new SiteSurvey (see Section 55)
ndash or ndash
Acquire supplemental datacoverage (see Sections 55
or 57)
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Yes
No
Yes
Yes No No
No
YesYes
Yes
NoNo
Complete integrated interpretation of all available dataand issue proposed drilling location site survey report
(see Section 6)
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5 Data requirements
51 General
Figure 2 presents a simple process or assessing the data needs o a project
Four general areas o practice are common within the industry
bull Use o pre-existing site survey data
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset combined with limited site survey data acquisi-tion
bull Use o a newly acquired site survey
Whatever generic approach is ollowed the data made available or interpretation must allowor analysis o the conditions and hazards listed in Section 22 and detailed in Appendix 1 tobe properly addressed or the type o rig in use
52 Area of study
Any site survey study should address the total area likely to be impacted by drilling or develop-ment related activity Te area should include any potential relie well locations
521 Bottom founded rigs and platform based rigs
Due to the physical nature o operations with this type o rig and the water depths in whichthese rigs operate data requirements must be applied more rigorously to assure operationalintegrity
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a minimum distance o 500m around the drillinglocation and the immediate line o approach onto location
Data should allow proper study o any obstructions that might be present on the seabed duringthe final transit o the rig on to location and the commencement o leg pinning activity or a
jack-up rig
ieline data should be acquired to existing geotechnical boreholes and offset wells in the vicin-ity that show similar soil stratigraphy and that allow unambiguous interpretive correlation oconditions back to the proposed location
522 Anchored rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 250m beyond the maximum likelyanchor radius at the proposed drilling location
523 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 500m beyond the maximum likelydiameter o the seabed acoustic array used to maintain the rigrsquos position on location
524 Location uncertainty
I the proposed well location has not been finalised at the time o planning the survey areashould be designed to take into account the ull positional uncertainty o the final surace
location o the well and to meet the requirements set out above (Sections 521 to 523 inclu-sive)
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53 Total Depth of Study
Te total depth o study below seabed should be to a depth at least 200m below the preerred
setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater irrespective o rig type
Te combined dataset to be used must thereore be capable o properly imaging geologicalconditions to this depth
54 Use of a pre-existing site survey
Pre-existing site survey data should be re-used whenever possible Te quality and validity othese data should be careully assessed prior to committing to their use in producing a reportor a new drilling location
I the pre-existing survey ails to cover the ull project scope required either spatially or indepth it will need to be supplemented by data rom another source
Subject to local operator policy regulatory or insurance requirements or guidance purposesthe maximum age validity o pre-existing hydrographic and geophysical site survey data can beconsidered as
Table 2 pre-existing data validity guidance
Activity Condition Seabed Data Subsurface Data
No Activity 5 years 10 years
Engineering Activity 1 year 10 years
Well Control Incident Invalid Invalid
Subject to local conditions in a prospect area where there has been no drilling or engineering(pipe-lay etc ) activity since acquisition o a pre-existing survey the validity o seabed clearancedata should be considered to be five years and subsurace data should be considered to have aten year validity
In a prospect area where there has been drilling or engineering activity since a pre-existingsurvey was acquired validity o the data should be one year or seabed clearance data and ten
years or subsurace data
I the pre-existing data do not meet these requirements then a new survey should be acquired
At locations where a jack-up rig will be operating in close proximity to existing installationsan additional seabed survey should be carried out immediately prior to the jack-up rig installa-tion
I it is known that a rig has been installed more recently than the existing site survey data newdata should be acquired
I a well control incident (an uncontrolled underground or surace flow) has taken place on the prospect field or in an immediately adjacent area since acquisition o a pre-existing survey anyexisting seabed and subsurace data shall be considered invalid In such a case a new survey isalways required
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55 Acquisition of a new site survey
When a new site survey is considered necessary the survey should be designed to specifically
address the expected operational requirement
Te ollowing should be considered in survey design specification and delivery
551 Standard site survey data types
A new site survey will involve gathering o all o the ollowing standard data types except where specified in Section 552 below
Positioning
Surace positioning o the survey vessel should be based on augmented global navigation satel-lite systems (GNSS) eg Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS) or Clock and Orbit Corrected
GPS (also reerred to as SDGPS or Precise Point Positioning PPP) that typical ly yield sub-metre positioning accuracy It is recommended that two ully independent surace positioningsystems should be used
Te correct use o GNSS positioning is critical to the success o an offshore drilling hazard sitesurvey It is recommended that the GNSS are operated in line with the Guidelines or GNSS
Positioning in the Oil and Gas Industry issued jointly by OGP and IMCA It describes good practice or the use o global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) in among other offshoresurvey and related activities or the oil and gas industry Te guideline will be published in thespring o 2011 and can be downloaded rom wwwogporguk or wwwimca-intcom
Except in shallow water depths o less than 25m where it may be impractical or where layback
to the towed equipment is less than 50m it is recommended that the position o towed sensorsshould be determined by vessel mounted acoustic positioning system eg a tracking Ultra ShortBaseline System (USBL) that when properly calibrated typically yield a relative positioningaccuracy o better that 1 o slant range rom vessel transducer to transponder on the tow fish
Bathymetry
Bathymetry data should as a preerence be acquired using a swathe bathymetry system tomeasure accurate water depths across the area
Where swathe bathymetry data are acquired it is recommended that backscatter values romthe seabed returns are logged and processed or use in seabed characterisation to support andcomplement side scan sonar data
As a minimum however bathymetric data should be obtained using a hull mounted high-requency narrow single beam hydrographic echo sounder Data should be digitally recorded
Single beam echo sounder data should be used to veriy the results o swathe bathymetry datandash i acquired ndash to check or gross error
Te bathymetry systems should be set up to accurately record data across the range o waterdepths expected in the survey area
Te bathymetry systems should be used in conjunction with an accurate motion sensor tocompensate or vessel motion
Water column sound velocity should be determined as a minimum at the start and end o
each project by use o a CD (Conductivity emperature and Depth probe) or direct readingsound velocity probe suitable or use in the maximum water depths expected within the surveyarea
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Water depths should be corrected or vessel draf tidal level and reerenced to an appropriatelocal vertical datum (LA MSL etc )
Te final processed digital terrain model (DM) data cell size covering the entire survey area without gaps should preerably be less than 10x10m and output in an appropriate digitalormat to allow urther imaging and analysis o the data
Side scan sonar
A dual channel dual requency side scan sonar system should be used to provide acousticseabed imagery to define man made and natural seabed eatures across the area
Systems should be operated at no less than 100kHz
Line spacing and display range should be designed to ensure a minimum o 200 coverage othe survey area in the prime survey line direction with additional urther orthogonal tie-lines
For detailed inspection o contacts or inspection o pre-determined bottom-ounded rig sitesextra lines should be run using a requency o 400kHz or greater
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be image processed to improvesubsequent computer aided analysis and mosaicing o the data Such mosaics should be outputas geo-reerenced high resolution digital models o the seabed or presentation in the finalreport
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Sub-bottom profilers
A suite o sub-bottom acoustic profilers should be operated to provide a continuous and veryhigh resolution image o the shallow geological conditions
Subject to local soil conditions the systems should be capable o achieving a resolution o 03m vertical bed separation in the upper 50m below seabed
Te systems chosen should be run simultaneously to provide imagery that penetrates to inexcess o the oundational depth o interest Tis can be considered to be equivalent to a depthequal to the greater o 30m or the anticipated spud-can penetration plus one-and-a-hal timesthe spud-can diameter or a jack-up rig or the maximum expected anchor penetration or ananchored rig
Te data should be recorded digitally to allow signal processing to urther improve data qual-
ity final export to a workstation or integrated interpretation and mapping o the data andease o data retrieval o old datasets
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Magnetometers and Gradiometers
A magnetometer can be used to measure total magnetic field strengths to investigate errousobjects lying on ndash or buried immediately beneath ndash the seafloor or to attempt to determinethe position o cables pipelines or abandoned wells that cannot be identified by acousticmeans
Te system should be capable o a sampling rate o at least 1Hz and have a sensitivity o at leastone nanotesla (1n)
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Te sensor should be towed as close to the seabed as possible and sufficiently ar away rom the vessel to isolate the sensor rom the magnetic field o the survey vessel
As magnetometers measure total magnetic field strength they cannot be used in the vicinity olarge inrastructure such as platorms which swamp the magnetic signature o smaller ea-tures
Use o a gradiometer system which measures the magnetic gradient between two or moreclosely spaced magnetometers should be considered or more precise results and surveys closeto large structures such as platorms
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be processed to allow subsequentcomputer aided analysis and modeling to be undertaken
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
A multi-channel High Resolution (HR) digital seismic survey should be conducted over proposed drilling locations to investigate top-hole geological conditions across the area Teexception to this is where the use o pre-existing exploration 3D seismic data is deemed anappropriate substitute (see Section 56 below)
Te primary interest o such surveys is rom the seabed to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m belowseabed whichever is greater
All HR seismic surveys should be designed on a site specific basis to take into account the varying conditions present and specific goals o the project but in general will conorm to theoutline specifications below
bull
Source Type surveys should make use o a seismic source that delivers a simple stableand repeatable source signature that is near to a minimum phase output and has a useablerequency content across at least the 20-250Hz band
bull Tow Depths source and streamer tow depths should be specified to be no greater than 3mand preerably less
bull Streamer Type use o digital solid streamers is preerred
bull Recording System the recording system should record at no greater than a 1 millisecondsample interval Field high-cut filters should be set no lower than 300Hz
bull Fold of cover should generally not be less than 24 or 2D HR surveys in water depths lessthan 750m
bull
Offsets the maximum offset recorded should preerably be no less than the total deptho interest below mudline that the survey is attempting to image except in water depthsgreater than 750m Te minimum offset recorded should be no greater than hal the waterdepth
bull Record Length to an equivalent two-way time o at least 200m below the preerred sur-ace casing setting depth or to a penetration o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
All seismic data acquired shall undergo ull multi-channel digital signal processing to providean optimally imaged dataset o migrated seismic data or output to and analysis on an inter-
pretation workstation
3D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Where initial review or offset drill ing experience indicates that the complexity o the shallowsection or the perceived conditions are particularly complex acquisition o a purpose designedHR 3D survey should be considered Such surveys must be designed on a site specific basis
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Figure 2 ndash site survey decision tree
YesNo
Carry out desk study and ascertain proposed rig typebull Identify local legal and insurance requirements for site survey delivery (see Section 1)bull Ascertain rig type to be used (see Section 23 and 25)bull Evaluate extent and quality of existing relevant data and identify all significant relevant site constraints
(see Section 31 and 4)
Bottom founded rig Anchored rig DP rig
Isexisting site survey
coverage suitable foruse
Water depth at welllocation gt750m
Areexploration 3D data
suitable for use
Acquire full new SiteSurvey (see Section 55)
ndash or ndash
Acquire supplemental datacoverage (see Sections 55
or 57)
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Arethe shallow geologyand geohazards well
understood
Is aseabed clearancesurvey required
Yes
No
Yes
Yes No No
No
YesYes
Yes
NoNo
Complete integrated interpretation of all available dataand issue proposed drilling location site survey report
(see Section 6)
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5 Data requirements
51 General
Figure 2 presents a simple process or assessing the data needs o a project
Four general areas o practice are common within the industry
bull Use o pre-existing site survey data
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset combined with limited site survey data acquisi-tion
bull Use o a newly acquired site survey
Whatever generic approach is ollowed the data made available or interpretation must allowor analysis o the conditions and hazards listed in Section 22 and detailed in Appendix 1 tobe properly addressed or the type o rig in use
52 Area of study
Any site survey study should address the total area likely to be impacted by drilling or develop-ment related activity Te area should include any potential relie well locations
521 Bottom founded rigs and platform based rigs
Due to the physical nature o operations with this type o rig and the water depths in whichthese rigs operate data requirements must be applied more rigorously to assure operationalintegrity
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a minimum distance o 500m around the drillinglocation and the immediate line o approach onto location
Data should allow proper study o any obstructions that might be present on the seabed duringthe final transit o the rig on to location and the commencement o leg pinning activity or a
jack-up rig
ieline data should be acquired to existing geotechnical boreholes and offset wells in the vicin-ity that show similar soil stratigraphy and that allow unambiguous interpretive correlation oconditions back to the proposed location
522 Anchored rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 250m beyond the maximum likelyanchor radius at the proposed drilling location
523 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 500m beyond the maximum likelydiameter o the seabed acoustic array used to maintain the rigrsquos position on location
524 Location uncertainty
I the proposed well location has not been finalised at the time o planning the survey areashould be designed to take into account the ull positional uncertainty o the final surace
location o the well and to meet the requirements set out above (Sections 521 to 523 inclu-sive)
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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53 Total Depth of Study
Te total depth o study below seabed should be to a depth at least 200m below the preerred
setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater irrespective o rig type
Te combined dataset to be used must thereore be capable o properly imaging geologicalconditions to this depth
54 Use of a pre-existing site survey
Pre-existing site survey data should be re-used whenever possible Te quality and validity othese data should be careully assessed prior to committing to their use in producing a reportor a new drilling location
I the pre-existing survey ails to cover the ull project scope required either spatially or indepth it will need to be supplemented by data rom another source
Subject to local operator policy regulatory or insurance requirements or guidance purposesthe maximum age validity o pre-existing hydrographic and geophysical site survey data can beconsidered as
Table 2 pre-existing data validity guidance
Activity Condition Seabed Data Subsurface Data
No Activity 5 years 10 years
Engineering Activity 1 year 10 years
Well Control Incident Invalid Invalid
Subject to local conditions in a prospect area where there has been no drilling or engineering(pipe-lay etc ) activity since acquisition o a pre-existing survey the validity o seabed clearancedata should be considered to be five years and subsurace data should be considered to have aten year validity
In a prospect area where there has been drilling or engineering activity since a pre-existingsurvey was acquired validity o the data should be one year or seabed clearance data and ten
years or subsurace data
I the pre-existing data do not meet these requirements then a new survey should be acquired
At locations where a jack-up rig will be operating in close proximity to existing installationsan additional seabed survey should be carried out immediately prior to the jack-up rig installa-tion
I it is known that a rig has been installed more recently than the existing site survey data newdata should be acquired
I a well control incident (an uncontrolled underground or surace flow) has taken place on the prospect field or in an immediately adjacent area since acquisition o a pre-existing survey anyexisting seabed and subsurace data shall be considered invalid In such a case a new survey isalways required
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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55 Acquisition of a new site survey
When a new site survey is considered necessary the survey should be designed to specifically
address the expected operational requirement
Te ollowing should be considered in survey design specification and delivery
551 Standard site survey data types
A new site survey will involve gathering o all o the ollowing standard data types except where specified in Section 552 below
Positioning
Surace positioning o the survey vessel should be based on augmented global navigation satel-lite systems (GNSS) eg Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS) or Clock and Orbit Corrected
GPS (also reerred to as SDGPS or Precise Point Positioning PPP) that typical ly yield sub-metre positioning accuracy It is recommended that two ully independent surace positioningsystems should be used
Te correct use o GNSS positioning is critical to the success o an offshore drilling hazard sitesurvey It is recommended that the GNSS are operated in line with the Guidelines or GNSS
Positioning in the Oil and Gas Industry issued jointly by OGP and IMCA It describes good practice or the use o global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) in among other offshoresurvey and related activities or the oil and gas industry Te guideline will be published in thespring o 2011 and can be downloaded rom wwwogporguk or wwwimca-intcom
Except in shallow water depths o less than 25m where it may be impractical or where layback
to the towed equipment is less than 50m it is recommended that the position o towed sensorsshould be determined by vessel mounted acoustic positioning system eg a tracking Ultra ShortBaseline System (USBL) that when properly calibrated typically yield a relative positioningaccuracy o better that 1 o slant range rom vessel transducer to transponder on the tow fish
Bathymetry
Bathymetry data should as a preerence be acquired using a swathe bathymetry system tomeasure accurate water depths across the area
Where swathe bathymetry data are acquired it is recommended that backscatter values romthe seabed returns are logged and processed or use in seabed characterisation to support andcomplement side scan sonar data
As a minimum however bathymetric data should be obtained using a hull mounted high-requency narrow single beam hydrographic echo sounder Data should be digitally recorded
Single beam echo sounder data should be used to veriy the results o swathe bathymetry datandash i acquired ndash to check or gross error
Te bathymetry systems should be set up to accurately record data across the range o waterdepths expected in the survey area
Te bathymetry systems should be used in conjunction with an accurate motion sensor tocompensate or vessel motion
Water column sound velocity should be determined as a minimum at the start and end o
each project by use o a CD (Conductivity emperature and Depth probe) or direct readingsound velocity probe suitable or use in the maximum water depths expected within the surveyarea
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Water depths should be corrected or vessel draf tidal level and reerenced to an appropriatelocal vertical datum (LA MSL etc )
Te final processed digital terrain model (DM) data cell size covering the entire survey area without gaps should preerably be less than 10x10m and output in an appropriate digitalormat to allow urther imaging and analysis o the data
Side scan sonar
A dual channel dual requency side scan sonar system should be used to provide acousticseabed imagery to define man made and natural seabed eatures across the area
Systems should be operated at no less than 100kHz
Line spacing and display range should be designed to ensure a minimum o 200 coverage othe survey area in the prime survey line direction with additional urther orthogonal tie-lines
For detailed inspection o contacts or inspection o pre-determined bottom-ounded rig sitesextra lines should be run using a requency o 400kHz or greater
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be image processed to improvesubsequent computer aided analysis and mosaicing o the data Such mosaics should be outputas geo-reerenced high resolution digital models o the seabed or presentation in the finalreport
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Sub-bottom profilers
A suite o sub-bottom acoustic profilers should be operated to provide a continuous and veryhigh resolution image o the shallow geological conditions
Subject to local soil conditions the systems should be capable o achieving a resolution o 03m vertical bed separation in the upper 50m below seabed
Te systems chosen should be run simultaneously to provide imagery that penetrates to inexcess o the oundational depth o interest Tis can be considered to be equivalent to a depthequal to the greater o 30m or the anticipated spud-can penetration plus one-and-a-hal timesthe spud-can diameter or a jack-up rig or the maximum expected anchor penetration or ananchored rig
Te data should be recorded digitally to allow signal processing to urther improve data qual-
ity final export to a workstation or integrated interpretation and mapping o the data andease o data retrieval o old datasets
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Magnetometers and Gradiometers
A magnetometer can be used to measure total magnetic field strengths to investigate errousobjects lying on ndash or buried immediately beneath ndash the seafloor or to attempt to determinethe position o cables pipelines or abandoned wells that cannot be identified by acousticmeans
Te system should be capable o a sampling rate o at least 1Hz and have a sensitivity o at leastone nanotesla (1n)
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Te sensor should be towed as close to the seabed as possible and sufficiently ar away rom the vessel to isolate the sensor rom the magnetic field o the survey vessel
As magnetometers measure total magnetic field strength they cannot be used in the vicinity olarge inrastructure such as platorms which swamp the magnetic signature o smaller ea-tures
Use o a gradiometer system which measures the magnetic gradient between two or moreclosely spaced magnetometers should be considered or more precise results and surveys closeto large structures such as platorms
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be processed to allow subsequentcomputer aided analysis and modeling to be undertaken
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
A multi-channel High Resolution (HR) digital seismic survey should be conducted over proposed drilling locations to investigate top-hole geological conditions across the area Teexception to this is where the use o pre-existing exploration 3D seismic data is deemed anappropriate substitute (see Section 56 below)
Te primary interest o such surveys is rom the seabed to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m belowseabed whichever is greater
All HR seismic surveys should be designed on a site specific basis to take into account the varying conditions present and specific goals o the project but in general will conorm to theoutline specifications below
bull
Source Type surveys should make use o a seismic source that delivers a simple stableand repeatable source signature that is near to a minimum phase output and has a useablerequency content across at least the 20-250Hz band
bull Tow Depths source and streamer tow depths should be specified to be no greater than 3mand preerably less
bull Streamer Type use o digital solid streamers is preerred
bull Recording System the recording system should record at no greater than a 1 millisecondsample interval Field high-cut filters should be set no lower than 300Hz
bull Fold of cover should generally not be less than 24 or 2D HR surveys in water depths lessthan 750m
bull
Offsets the maximum offset recorded should preerably be no less than the total deptho interest below mudline that the survey is attempting to image except in water depthsgreater than 750m Te minimum offset recorded should be no greater than hal the waterdepth
bull Record Length to an equivalent two-way time o at least 200m below the preerred sur-ace casing setting depth or to a penetration o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
All seismic data acquired shall undergo ull multi-channel digital signal processing to providean optimally imaged dataset o migrated seismic data or output to and analysis on an inter-
pretation workstation
3D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Where initial review or offset drill ing experience indicates that the complexity o the shallowsection or the perceived conditions are particularly complex acquisition o a purpose designedHR 3D survey should be considered Such surveys must be designed on a site specific basis
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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5 Data requirements
51 General
Figure 2 presents a simple process or assessing the data needs o a project
Four general areas o practice are common within the industry
bull Use o pre-existing site survey data
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset
bull Use o an exploration 3D seismic dataset combined with limited site survey data acquisi-tion
bull Use o a newly acquired site survey
Whatever generic approach is ollowed the data made available or interpretation must allowor analysis o the conditions and hazards listed in Section 22 and detailed in Appendix 1 tobe properly addressed or the type o rig in use
52 Area of study
Any site survey study should address the total area likely to be impacted by drilling or develop-ment related activity Te area should include any potential relie well locations
521 Bottom founded rigs and platform based rigs
Due to the physical nature o operations with this type o rig and the water depths in whichthese rigs operate data requirements must be applied more rigorously to assure operationalintegrity
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a minimum distance o 500m around the drillinglocation and the immediate line o approach onto location
Data should allow proper study o any obstructions that might be present on the seabed duringthe final transit o the rig on to location and the commencement o leg pinning activity or a
jack-up rig
ieline data should be acquired to existing geotechnical boreholes and offset wells in the vicin-ity that show similar soil stratigraphy and that allow unambiguous interpretive correlation oconditions back to the proposed location
522 Anchored rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 250m beyond the maximum likelyanchor radius at the proposed drilling location
523 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Data coverage should provide ull cover to a distance o 500m beyond the maximum likelydiameter o the seabed acoustic array used to maintain the rigrsquos position on location
524 Location uncertainty
I the proposed well location has not been finalised at the time o planning the survey areashould be designed to take into account the ull positional uncertainty o the final surace
location o the well and to meet the requirements set out above (Sections 521 to 523 inclu-sive)
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53 Total Depth of Study
Te total depth o study below seabed should be to a depth at least 200m below the preerred
setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater irrespective o rig type
Te combined dataset to be used must thereore be capable o properly imaging geologicalconditions to this depth
54 Use of a pre-existing site survey
Pre-existing site survey data should be re-used whenever possible Te quality and validity othese data should be careully assessed prior to committing to their use in producing a reportor a new drilling location
I the pre-existing survey ails to cover the ull project scope required either spatially or indepth it will need to be supplemented by data rom another source
Subject to local operator policy regulatory or insurance requirements or guidance purposesthe maximum age validity o pre-existing hydrographic and geophysical site survey data can beconsidered as
Table 2 pre-existing data validity guidance
Activity Condition Seabed Data Subsurface Data
No Activity 5 years 10 years
Engineering Activity 1 year 10 years
Well Control Incident Invalid Invalid
Subject to local conditions in a prospect area where there has been no drilling or engineering(pipe-lay etc ) activity since acquisition o a pre-existing survey the validity o seabed clearancedata should be considered to be five years and subsurace data should be considered to have aten year validity
In a prospect area where there has been drilling or engineering activity since a pre-existingsurvey was acquired validity o the data should be one year or seabed clearance data and ten
years or subsurace data
I the pre-existing data do not meet these requirements then a new survey should be acquired
At locations where a jack-up rig will be operating in close proximity to existing installationsan additional seabed survey should be carried out immediately prior to the jack-up rig installa-tion
I it is known that a rig has been installed more recently than the existing site survey data newdata should be acquired
I a well control incident (an uncontrolled underground or surace flow) has taken place on the prospect field or in an immediately adjacent area since acquisition o a pre-existing survey anyexisting seabed and subsurace data shall be considered invalid In such a case a new survey isalways required
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55 Acquisition of a new site survey
When a new site survey is considered necessary the survey should be designed to specifically
address the expected operational requirement
Te ollowing should be considered in survey design specification and delivery
551 Standard site survey data types
A new site survey will involve gathering o all o the ollowing standard data types except where specified in Section 552 below
Positioning
Surace positioning o the survey vessel should be based on augmented global navigation satel-lite systems (GNSS) eg Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS) or Clock and Orbit Corrected
GPS (also reerred to as SDGPS or Precise Point Positioning PPP) that typical ly yield sub-metre positioning accuracy It is recommended that two ully independent surace positioningsystems should be used
Te correct use o GNSS positioning is critical to the success o an offshore drilling hazard sitesurvey It is recommended that the GNSS are operated in line with the Guidelines or GNSS
Positioning in the Oil and Gas Industry issued jointly by OGP and IMCA It describes good practice or the use o global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) in among other offshoresurvey and related activities or the oil and gas industry Te guideline will be published in thespring o 2011 and can be downloaded rom wwwogporguk or wwwimca-intcom
Except in shallow water depths o less than 25m where it may be impractical or where layback
to the towed equipment is less than 50m it is recommended that the position o towed sensorsshould be determined by vessel mounted acoustic positioning system eg a tracking Ultra ShortBaseline System (USBL) that when properly calibrated typically yield a relative positioningaccuracy o better that 1 o slant range rom vessel transducer to transponder on the tow fish
Bathymetry
Bathymetry data should as a preerence be acquired using a swathe bathymetry system tomeasure accurate water depths across the area
Where swathe bathymetry data are acquired it is recommended that backscatter values romthe seabed returns are logged and processed or use in seabed characterisation to support andcomplement side scan sonar data
As a minimum however bathymetric data should be obtained using a hull mounted high-requency narrow single beam hydrographic echo sounder Data should be digitally recorded
Single beam echo sounder data should be used to veriy the results o swathe bathymetry datandash i acquired ndash to check or gross error
Te bathymetry systems should be set up to accurately record data across the range o waterdepths expected in the survey area
Te bathymetry systems should be used in conjunction with an accurate motion sensor tocompensate or vessel motion
Water column sound velocity should be determined as a minimum at the start and end o
each project by use o a CD (Conductivity emperature and Depth probe) or direct readingsound velocity probe suitable or use in the maximum water depths expected within the surveyarea
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Water depths should be corrected or vessel draf tidal level and reerenced to an appropriatelocal vertical datum (LA MSL etc )
Te final processed digital terrain model (DM) data cell size covering the entire survey area without gaps should preerably be less than 10x10m and output in an appropriate digitalormat to allow urther imaging and analysis o the data
Side scan sonar
A dual channel dual requency side scan sonar system should be used to provide acousticseabed imagery to define man made and natural seabed eatures across the area
Systems should be operated at no less than 100kHz
Line spacing and display range should be designed to ensure a minimum o 200 coverage othe survey area in the prime survey line direction with additional urther orthogonal tie-lines
For detailed inspection o contacts or inspection o pre-determined bottom-ounded rig sitesextra lines should be run using a requency o 400kHz or greater
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be image processed to improvesubsequent computer aided analysis and mosaicing o the data Such mosaics should be outputas geo-reerenced high resolution digital models o the seabed or presentation in the finalreport
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Sub-bottom profilers
A suite o sub-bottom acoustic profilers should be operated to provide a continuous and veryhigh resolution image o the shallow geological conditions
Subject to local soil conditions the systems should be capable o achieving a resolution o 03m vertical bed separation in the upper 50m below seabed
Te systems chosen should be run simultaneously to provide imagery that penetrates to inexcess o the oundational depth o interest Tis can be considered to be equivalent to a depthequal to the greater o 30m or the anticipated spud-can penetration plus one-and-a-hal timesthe spud-can diameter or a jack-up rig or the maximum expected anchor penetration or ananchored rig
Te data should be recorded digitally to allow signal processing to urther improve data qual-
ity final export to a workstation or integrated interpretation and mapping o the data andease o data retrieval o old datasets
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Magnetometers and Gradiometers
A magnetometer can be used to measure total magnetic field strengths to investigate errousobjects lying on ndash or buried immediately beneath ndash the seafloor or to attempt to determinethe position o cables pipelines or abandoned wells that cannot be identified by acousticmeans
Te system should be capable o a sampling rate o at least 1Hz and have a sensitivity o at leastone nanotesla (1n)
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Te sensor should be towed as close to the seabed as possible and sufficiently ar away rom the vessel to isolate the sensor rom the magnetic field o the survey vessel
As magnetometers measure total magnetic field strength they cannot be used in the vicinity olarge inrastructure such as platorms which swamp the magnetic signature o smaller ea-tures
Use o a gradiometer system which measures the magnetic gradient between two or moreclosely spaced magnetometers should be considered or more precise results and surveys closeto large structures such as platorms
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be processed to allow subsequentcomputer aided analysis and modeling to be undertaken
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
A multi-channel High Resolution (HR) digital seismic survey should be conducted over proposed drilling locations to investigate top-hole geological conditions across the area Teexception to this is where the use o pre-existing exploration 3D seismic data is deemed anappropriate substitute (see Section 56 below)
Te primary interest o such surveys is rom the seabed to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m belowseabed whichever is greater
All HR seismic surveys should be designed on a site specific basis to take into account the varying conditions present and specific goals o the project but in general will conorm to theoutline specifications below
bull
Source Type surveys should make use o a seismic source that delivers a simple stableand repeatable source signature that is near to a minimum phase output and has a useablerequency content across at least the 20-250Hz band
bull Tow Depths source and streamer tow depths should be specified to be no greater than 3mand preerably less
bull Streamer Type use o digital solid streamers is preerred
bull Recording System the recording system should record at no greater than a 1 millisecondsample interval Field high-cut filters should be set no lower than 300Hz
bull Fold of cover should generally not be less than 24 or 2D HR surveys in water depths lessthan 750m
bull
Offsets the maximum offset recorded should preerably be no less than the total deptho interest below mudline that the survey is attempting to image except in water depthsgreater than 750m Te minimum offset recorded should be no greater than hal the waterdepth
bull Record Length to an equivalent two-way time o at least 200m below the preerred sur-ace casing setting depth or to a penetration o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
All seismic data acquired shall undergo ull multi-channel digital signal processing to providean optimally imaged dataset o migrated seismic data or output to and analysis on an inter-
pretation workstation
3D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Where initial review or offset drill ing experience indicates that the complexity o the shallowsection or the perceived conditions are particularly complex acquisition o a purpose designedHR 3D survey should be considered Such surveys must be designed on a site specific basis
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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53 Total Depth of Study
Te total depth o study below seabed should be to a depth at least 200m below the preerred
setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater irrespective o rig type
Te combined dataset to be used must thereore be capable o properly imaging geologicalconditions to this depth
54 Use of a pre-existing site survey
Pre-existing site survey data should be re-used whenever possible Te quality and validity othese data should be careully assessed prior to committing to their use in producing a reportor a new drilling location
I the pre-existing survey ails to cover the ull project scope required either spatially or indepth it will need to be supplemented by data rom another source
Subject to local operator policy regulatory or insurance requirements or guidance purposesthe maximum age validity o pre-existing hydrographic and geophysical site survey data can beconsidered as
Table 2 pre-existing data validity guidance
Activity Condition Seabed Data Subsurface Data
No Activity 5 years 10 years
Engineering Activity 1 year 10 years
Well Control Incident Invalid Invalid
Subject to local conditions in a prospect area where there has been no drilling or engineering(pipe-lay etc ) activity since acquisition o a pre-existing survey the validity o seabed clearancedata should be considered to be five years and subsurace data should be considered to have aten year validity
In a prospect area where there has been drilling or engineering activity since a pre-existingsurvey was acquired validity o the data should be one year or seabed clearance data and ten
years or subsurace data
I the pre-existing data do not meet these requirements then a new survey should be acquired
At locations where a jack-up rig will be operating in close proximity to existing installationsan additional seabed survey should be carried out immediately prior to the jack-up rig installa-tion
I it is known that a rig has been installed more recently than the existing site survey data newdata should be acquired
I a well control incident (an uncontrolled underground or surace flow) has taken place on the prospect field or in an immediately adjacent area since acquisition o a pre-existing survey anyexisting seabed and subsurace data shall be considered invalid In such a case a new survey isalways required
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55 Acquisition of a new site survey
When a new site survey is considered necessary the survey should be designed to specifically
address the expected operational requirement
Te ollowing should be considered in survey design specification and delivery
551 Standard site survey data types
A new site survey will involve gathering o all o the ollowing standard data types except where specified in Section 552 below
Positioning
Surace positioning o the survey vessel should be based on augmented global navigation satel-lite systems (GNSS) eg Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS) or Clock and Orbit Corrected
GPS (also reerred to as SDGPS or Precise Point Positioning PPP) that typical ly yield sub-metre positioning accuracy It is recommended that two ully independent surace positioningsystems should be used
Te correct use o GNSS positioning is critical to the success o an offshore drilling hazard sitesurvey It is recommended that the GNSS are operated in line with the Guidelines or GNSS
Positioning in the Oil and Gas Industry issued jointly by OGP and IMCA It describes good practice or the use o global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) in among other offshoresurvey and related activities or the oil and gas industry Te guideline will be published in thespring o 2011 and can be downloaded rom wwwogporguk or wwwimca-intcom
Except in shallow water depths o less than 25m where it may be impractical or where layback
to the towed equipment is less than 50m it is recommended that the position o towed sensorsshould be determined by vessel mounted acoustic positioning system eg a tracking Ultra ShortBaseline System (USBL) that when properly calibrated typically yield a relative positioningaccuracy o better that 1 o slant range rom vessel transducer to transponder on the tow fish
Bathymetry
Bathymetry data should as a preerence be acquired using a swathe bathymetry system tomeasure accurate water depths across the area
Where swathe bathymetry data are acquired it is recommended that backscatter values romthe seabed returns are logged and processed or use in seabed characterisation to support andcomplement side scan sonar data
As a minimum however bathymetric data should be obtained using a hull mounted high-requency narrow single beam hydrographic echo sounder Data should be digitally recorded
Single beam echo sounder data should be used to veriy the results o swathe bathymetry datandash i acquired ndash to check or gross error
Te bathymetry systems should be set up to accurately record data across the range o waterdepths expected in the survey area
Te bathymetry systems should be used in conjunction with an accurate motion sensor tocompensate or vessel motion
Water column sound velocity should be determined as a minimum at the start and end o
each project by use o a CD (Conductivity emperature and Depth probe) or direct readingsound velocity probe suitable or use in the maximum water depths expected within the surveyarea
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Water depths should be corrected or vessel draf tidal level and reerenced to an appropriatelocal vertical datum (LA MSL etc )
Te final processed digital terrain model (DM) data cell size covering the entire survey area without gaps should preerably be less than 10x10m and output in an appropriate digitalormat to allow urther imaging and analysis o the data
Side scan sonar
A dual channel dual requency side scan sonar system should be used to provide acousticseabed imagery to define man made and natural seabed eatures across the area
Systems should be operated at no less than 100kHz
Line spacing and display range should be designed to ensure a minimum o 200 coverage othe survey area in the prime survey line direction with additional urther orthogonal tie-lines
For detailed inspection o contacts or inspection o pre-determined bottom-ounded rig sitesextra lines should be run using a requency o 400kHz or greater
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be image processed to improvesubsequent computer aided analysis and mosaicing o the data Such mosaics should be outputas geo-reerenced high resolution digital models o the seabed or presentation in the finalreport
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Sub-bottom profilers
A suite o sub-bottom acoustic profilers should be operated to provide a continuous and veryhigh resolution image o the shallow geological conditions
Subject to local soil conditions the systems should be capable o achieving a resolution o 03m vertical bed separation in the upper 50m below seabed
Te systems chosen should be run simultaneously to provide imagery that penetrates to inexcess o the oundational depth o interest Tis can be considered to be equivalent to a depthequal to the greater o 30m or the anticipated spud-can penetration plus one-and-a-hal timesthe spud-can diameter or a jack-up rig or the maximum expected anchor penetration or ananchored rig
Te data should be recorded digitally to allow signal processing to urther improve data qual-
ity final export to a workstation or integrated interpretation and mapping o the data andease o data retrieval o old datasets
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Magnetometers and Gradiometers
A magnetometer can be used to measure total magnetic field strengths to investigate errousobjects lying on ndash or buried immediately beneath ndash the seafloor or to attempt to determinethe position o cables pipelines or abandoned wells that cannot be identified by acousticmeans
Te system should be capable o a sampling rate o at least 1Hz and have a sensitivity o at leastone nanotesla (1n)
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Te sensor should be towed as close to the seabed as possible and sufficiently ar away rom the vessel to isolate the sensor rom the magnetic field o the survey vessel
As magnetometers measure total magnetic field strength they cannot be used in the vicinity olarge inrastructure such as platorms which swamp the magnetic signature o smaller ea-tures
Use o a gradiometer system which measures the magnetic gradient between two or moreclosely spaced magnetometers should be considered or more precise results and surveys closeto large structures such as platorms
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be processed to allow subsequentcomputer aided analysis and modeling to be undertaken
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
A multi-channel High Resolution (HR) digital seismic survey should be conducted over proposed drilling locations to investigate top-hole geological conditions across the area Teexception to this is where the use o pre-existing exploration 3D seismic data is deemed anappropriate substitute (see Section 56 below)
Te primary interest o such surveys is rom the seabed to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m belowseabed whichever is greater
All HR seismic surveys should be designed on a site specific basis to take into account the varying conditions present and specific goals o the project but in general will conorm to theoutline specifications below
bull
Source Type surveys should make use o a seismic source that delivers a simple stableand repeatable source signature that is near to a minimum phase output and has a useablerequency content across at least the 20-250Hz band
bull Tow Depths source and streamer tow depths should be specified to be no greater than 3mand preerably less
bull Streamer Type use o digital solid streamers is preerred
bull Recording System the recording system should record at no greater than a 1 millisecondsample interval Field high-cut filters should be set no lower than 300Hz
bull Fold of cover should generally not be less than 24 or 2D HR surveys in water depths lessthan 750m
bull
Offsets the maximum offset recorded should preerably be no less than the total deptho interest below mudline that the survey is attempting to image except in water depthsgreater than 750m Te minimum offset recorded should be no greater than hal the waterdepth
bull Record Length to an equivalent two-way time o at least 200m below the preerred sur-ace casing setting depth or to a penetration o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
All seismic data acquired shall undergo ull multi-channel digital signal processing to providean optimally imaged dataset o migrated seismic data or output to and analysis on an inter-
pretation workstation
3D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Where initial review or offset drill ing experience indicates that the complexity o the shallowsection or the perceived conditions are particularly complex acquisition o a purpose designedHR 3D survey should be considered Such surveys must be designed on a site specific basis
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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55 Acquisition of a new site survey
When a new site survey is considered necessary the survey should be designed to specifically
address the expected operational requirement
Te ollowing should be considered in survey design specification and delivery
551 Standard site survey data types
A new site survey will involve gathering o all o the ollowing standard data types except where specified in Section 552 below
Positioning
Surace positioning o the survey vessel should be based on augmented global navigation satel-lite systems (GNSS) eg Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS) or Clock and Orbit Corrected
GPS (also reerred to as SDGPS or Precise Point Positioning PPP) that typical ly yield sub-metre positioning accuracy It is recommended that two ully independent surace positioningsystems should be used
Te correct use o GNSS positioning is critical to the success o an offshore drilling hazard sitesurvey It is recommended that the GNSS are operated in line with the Guidelines or GNSS
Positioning in the Oil and Gas Industry issued jointly by OGP and IMCA It describes good practice or the use o global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) in among other offshoresurvey and related activities or the oil and gas industry Te guideline will be published in thespring o 2011 and can be downloaded rom wwwogporguk or wwwimca-intcom
Except in shallow water depths o less than 25m where it may be impractical or where layback
to the towed equipment is less than 50m it is recommended that the position o towed sensorsshould be determined by vessel mounted acoustic positioning system eg a tracking Ultra ShortBaseline System (USBL) that when properly calibrated typically yield a relative positioningaccuracy o better that 1 o slant range rom vessel transducer to transponder on the tow fish
Bathymetry
Bathymetry data should as a preerence be acquired using a swathe bathymetry system tomeasure accurate water depths across the area
Where swathe bathymetry data are acquired it is recommended that backscatter values romthe seabed returns are logged and processed or use in seabed characterisation to support andcomplement side scan sonar data
As a minimum however bathymetric data should be obtained using a hull mounted high-requency narrow single beam hydrographic echo sounder Data should be digitally recorded
Single beam echo sounder data should be used to veriy the results o swathe bathymetry datandash i acquired ndash to check or gross error
Te bathymetry systems should be set up to accurately record data across the range o waterdepths expected in the survey area
Te bathymetry systems should be used in conjunction with an accurate motion sensor tocompensate or vessel motion
Water column sound velocity should be determined as a minimum at the start and end o
each project by use o a CD (Conductivity emperature and Depth probe) or direct readingsound velocity probe suitable or use in the maximum water depths expected within the surveyarea
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Water depths should be corrected or vessel draf tidal level and reerenced to an appropriatelocal vertical datum (LA MSL etc )
Te final processed digital terrain model (DM) data cell size covering the entire survey area without gaps should preerably be less than 10x10m and output in an appropriate digitalormat to allow urther imaging and analysis o the data
Side scan sonar
A dual channel dual requency side scan sonar system should be used to provide acousticseabed imagery to define man made and natural seabed eatures across the area
Systems should be operated at no less than 100kHz
Line spacing and display range should be designed to ensure a minimum o 200 coverage othe survey area in the prime survey line direction with additional urther orthogonal tie-lines
For detailed inspection o contacts or inspection o pre-determined bottom-ounded rig sitesextra lines should be run using a requency o 400kHz or greater
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be image processed to improvesubsequent computer aided analysis and mosaicing o the data Such mosaics should be outputas geo-reerenced high resolution digital models o the seabed or presentation in the finalreport
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Sub-bottom profilers
A suite o sub-bottom acoustic profilers should be operated to provide a continuous and veryhigh resolution image o the shallow geological conditions
Subject to local soil conditions the systems should be capable o achieving a resolution o 03m vertical bed separation in the upper 50m below seabed
Te systems chosen should be run simultaneously to provide imagery that penetrates to inexcess o the oundational depth o interest Tis can be considered to be equivalent to a depthequal to the greater o 30m or the anticipated spud-can penetration plus one-and-a-hal timesthe spud-can diameter or a jack-up rig or the maximum expected anchor penetration or ananchored rig
Te data should be recorded digitally to allow signal processing to urther improve data qual-
ity final export to a workstation or integrated interpretation and mapping o the data andease o data retrieval o old datasets
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Magnetometers and Gradiometers
A magnetometer can be used to measure total magnetic field strengths to investigate errousobjects lying on ndash or buried immediately beneath ndash the seafloor or to attempt to determinethe position o cables pipelines or abandoned wells that cannot be identified by acousticmeans
Te system should be capable o a sampling rate o at least 1Hz and have a sensitivity o at leastone nanotesla (1n)
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Te sensor should be towed as close to the seabed as possible and sufficiently ar away rom the vessel to isolate the sensor rom the magnetic field o the survey vessel
As magnetometers measure total magnetic field strength they cannot be used in the vicinity olarge inrastructure such as platorms which swamp the magnetic signature o smaller ea-tures
Use o a gradiometer system which measures the magnetic gradient between two or moreclosely spaced magnetometers should be considered or more precise results and surveys closeto large structures such as platorms
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be processed to allow subsequentcomputer aided analysis and modeling to be undertaken
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
A multi-channel High Resolution (HR) digital seismic survey should be conducted over proposed drilling locations to investigate top-hole geological conditions across the area Teexception to this is where the use o pre-existing exploration 3D seismic data is deemed anappropriate substitute (see Section 56 below)
Te primary interest o such surveys is rom the seabed to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m belowseabed whichever is greater
All HR seismic surveys should be designed on a site specific basis to take into account the varying conditions present and specific goals o the project but in general will conorm to theoutline specifications below
bull
Source Type surveys should make use o a seismic source that delivers a simple stableand repeatable source signature that is near to a minimum phase output and has a useablerequency content across at least the 20-250Hz band
bull Tow Depths source and streamer tow depths should be specified to be no greater than 3mand preerably less
bull Streamer Type use o digital solid streamers is preerred
bull Recording System the recording system should record at no greater than a 1 millisecondsample interval Field high-cut filters should be set no lower than 300Hz
bull Fold of cover should generally not be less than 24 or 2D HR surveys in water depths lessthan 750m
bull
Offsets the maximum offset recorded should preerably be no less than the total deptho interest below mudline that the survey is attempting to image except in water depthsgreater than 750m Te minimum offset recorded should be no greater than hal the waterdepth
bull Record Length to an equivalent two-way time o at least 200m below the preerred sur-ace casing setting depth or to a penetration o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
All seismic data acquired shall undergo ull multi-channel digital signal processing to providean optimally imaged dataset o migrated seismic data or output to and analysis on an inter-
pretation workstation
3D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Where initial review or offset drill ing experience indicates that the complexity o the shallowsection or the perceived conditions are particularly complex acquisition o a purpose designedHR 3D survey should be considered Such surveys must be designed on a site specific basis
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3338
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Water depths should be corrected or vessel draf tidal level and reerenced to an appropriatelocal vertical datum (LA MSL etc )
Te final processed digital terrain model (DM) data cell size covering the entire survey area without gaps should preerably be less than 10x10m and output in an appropriate digitalormat to allow urther imaging and analysis o the data
Side scan sonar
A dual channel dual requency side scan sonar system should be used to provide acousticseabed imagery to define man made and natural seabed eatures across the area
Systems should be operated at no less than 100kHz
Line spacing and display range should be designed to ensure a minimum o 200 coverage othe survey area in the prime survey line direction with additional urther orthogonal tie-lines
For detailed inspection o contacts or inspection o pre-determined bottom-ounded rig sitesextra lines should be run using a requency o 400kHz or greater
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be image processed to improvesubsequent computer aided analysis and mosaicing o the data Such mosaics should be outputas geo-reerenced high resolution digital models o the seabed or presentation in the finalreport
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Sub-bottom profilers
A suite o sub-bottom acoustic profilers should be operated to provide a continuous and veryhigh resolution image o the shallow geological conditions
Subject to local soil conditions the systems should be capable o achieving a resolution o 03m vertical bed separation in the upper 50m below seabed
Te systems chosen should be run simultaneously to provide imagery that penetrates to inexcess o the oundational depth o interest Tis can be considered to be equivalent to a depthequal to the greater o 30m or the anticipated spud-can penetration plus one-and-a-hal timesthe spud-can diameter or a jack-up rig or the maximum expected anchor penetration or ananchored rig
Te data should be recorded digitally to allow signal processing to urther improve data qual-
ity final export to a workstation or integrated interpretation and mapping o the data andease o data retrieval o old datasets
Data may also be displayed on a graphic recorder in the field or quality control and to providea hard copy back-up
Magnetometers and Gradiometers
A magnetometer can be used to measure total magnetic field strengths to investigate errousobjects lying on ndash or buried immediately beneath ndash the seafloor or to attempt to determinethe position o cables pipelines or abandoned wells that cannot be identified by acousticmeans
Te system should be capable o a sampling rate o at least 1Hz and have a sensitivity o at leastone nanotesla (1n)
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Te sensor should be towed as close to the seabed as possible and sufficiently ar away rom the vessel to isolate the sensor rom the magnetic field o the survey vessel
As magnetometers measure total magnetic field strength they cannot be used in the vicinity olarge inrastructure such as platorms which swamp the magnetic signature o smaller ea-tures
Use o a gradiometer system which measures the magnetic gradient between two or moreclosely spaced magnetometers should be considered or more precise results and surveys closeto large structures such as platorms
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be processed to allow subsequentcomputer aided analysis and modeling to be undertaken
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
A multi-channel High Resolution (HR) digital seismic survey should be conducted over proposed drilling locations to investigate top-hole geological conditions across the area Teexception to this is where the use o pre-existing exploration 3D seismic data is deemed anappropriate substitute (see Section 56 below)
Te primary interest o such surveys is rom the seabed to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m belowseabed whichever is greater
All HR seismic surveys should be designed on a site specific basis to take into account the varying conditions present and specific goals o the project but in general will conorm to theoutline specifications below
bull
Source Type surveys should make use o a seismic source that delivers a simple stableand repeatable source signature that is near to a minimum phase output and has a useablerequency content across at least the 20-250Hz band
bull Tow Depths source and streamer tow depths should be specified to be no greater than 3mand preerably less
bull Streamer Type use o digital solid streamers is preerred
bull Recording System the recording system should record at no greater than a 1 millisecondsample interval Field high-cut filters should be set no lower than 300Hz
bull Fold of cover should generally not be less than 24 or 2D HR surveys in water depths lessthan 750m
bull
Offsets the maximum offset recorded should preerably be no less than the total deptho interest below mudline that the survey is attempting to image except in water depthsgreater than 750m Te minimum offset recorded should be no greater than hal the waterdepth
bull Record Length to an equivalent two-way time o at least 200m below the preerred sur-ace casing setting depth or to a penetration o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
All seismic data acquired shall undergo ull multi-channel digital signal processing to providean optimally imaged dataset o migrated seismic data or output to and analysis on an inter-
pretation workstation
3D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Where initial review or offset drill ing experience indicates that the complexity o the shallowsection or the perceived conditions are particularly complex acquisition o a purpose designedHR 3D survey should be considered Such surveys must be designed on a site specific basis
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Te sensor should be towed as close to the seabed as possible and sufficiently ar away rom the vessel to isolate the sensor rom the magnetic field o the survey vessel
As magnetometers measure total magnetic field strength they cannot be used in the vicinity olarge inrastructure such as platorms which swamp the magnetic signature o smaller ea-tures
Use o a gradiometer system which measures the magnetic gradient between two or moreclosely spaced magnetometers should be considered or more precise results and surveys closeto large structures such as platorms
Data should be recorded digitally Recorded data should be processed to allow subsequentcomputer aided analysis and modeling to be undertaken
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
A multi-channel High Resolution (HR) digital seismic survey should be conducted over proposed drilling locations to investigate top-hole geological conditions across the area Teexception to this is where the use o pre-existing exploration 3D seismic data is deemed anappropriate substitute (see Section 56 below)
Te primary interest o such surveys is rom the seabed to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m belowseabed whichever is greater
All HR seismic surveys should be designed on a site specific basis to take into account the varying conditions present and specific goals o the project but in general will conorm to theoutline specifications below
bull
Source Type surveys should make use o a seismic source that delivers a simple stableand repeatable source signature that is near to a minimum phase output and has a useablerequency content across at least the 20-250Hz band
bull Tow Depths source and streamer tow depths should be specified to be no greater than 3mand preerably less
bull Streamer Type use o digital solid streamers is preerred
bull Recording System the recording system should record at no greater than a 1 millisecondsample interval Field high-cut filters should be set no lower than 300Hz
bull Fold of cover should generally not be less than 24 or 2D HR surveys in water depths lessthan 750m
bull
Offsets the maximum offset recorded should preerably be no less than the total deptho interest below mudline that the survey is attempting to image except in water depthsgreater than 750m Te minimum offset recorded should be no greater than hal the waterdepth
bull Record Length to an equivalent two-way time o at least 200m below the preerred sur-ace casing setting depth or to a penetration o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
All seismic data acquired shall undergo ull multi-channel digital signal processing to providean optimally imaged dataset o migrated seismic data or output to and analysis on an inter-
pretation workstation
3D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Where initial review or offset drill ing experience indicates that the complexity o the shallowsection or the perceived conditions are particularly complex acquisition o a purpose designedHR 3D survey should be considered Such surveys must be designed on a site specific basis
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3338
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Seabed samples
Samples should be acquired to ground truth seabed and shallow soil provinces that are definedduring the site survey or that have been pre-defined during the desk study
For an anchored rig it may be necessary to acquire shallow seabed soil evaluation data usinga suite o tools appropriate to the soil conditions (grab box corer piston corer gravity corer
vibro-corer or CP) Samples retrieved should be comprehensively logged and may need to besent ashore or analysis
I sampling is aimed at defining suspected sensitive environments care should be taken toacquire a control sample away rom the suspect target area
Seabed photographs
Where appropriate seabed photographs andor video ootage using equipment suited to theseabed type tidal conditions and visibility expected in the area (drop camera ROV or AUVmounted towed sledge or resh-water lens) may aid in ground truthing o acoustic data andallow investigation o discrete areas o concern that are identified during a survey
Particular attention should be given to potential sensitive seabed environments including
bull unusual bedorms
bull gasfluid escape eatures
bull shallow sand banks
bull gravel beds or coarse gravel banks
bull benthic communities
Seabed imagery may also be used to establish an absence o sensitive eatures or habitats prior
to use o invasive sampling techniques
552 Water depth control on acquisition parameters
Water depth affects the appropriateness o certain types o equipment and the way in whichthey are deployed Te acquisition scope should be modified accordingly
bull Water depths less than 25m A ull suite o data should be acquired using vesselmounted or towed equipment as detailed above
bull Water depths of greater than 25m to 150m a ull suite o data should be acquired using vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above owed sensors should always be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data
bull Water depths of greater than 150m to 750m a ull suite o data should be acquiredusing vessel mounted or towed equipment as detailed above Deep tow sensors shouldalways be positioned by acoustic means to allow accurate positioning o all data Consid-eration in water depths greater than 500m should be given towards use o AutonomousUnderwater Vehicle (AUV) deployed sensors rather than towed systems
bull Water depths of greater than 750m depending on operational type in these waterdepths a ul l suite o data may not need to be acquired however preerence is or the useo AUV deployed swathe bathymetry side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler systemsover surace towed or hull mounted equipment
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 243820
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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553 Survey line spacing
Survey line spacing will depend on the type o programme being acquired However as a basicguide main direction line spacing can be considered to be as ollows
Table 3 Main line spacing guidance
Data type Water depth range
lt25m 25m to 150m 150m to 750m gt750m
Swathe bahymetry le50m 50m ndash 150m 200m 150m (AUV)
Side scan sonarprofiler 50m 100m 200m300m (Deep Tow)
150m (AUV)
2D HR seismic 25m ndash 50m 50m 50m ndash 100m ge150m
Additional cross lines should be acquired normal to the main line direction at an increased
spacing (as a guide three to five times the spacing o the main line direction spacing) to provideties or interpretation and processing
I the final drilling location is known at the time o the survey thought should be given toacquiring closer line spacings either side o the location in both line directions
Wherever possible to support interpretation tie line(s) should be acquired to relevant offset wells geotechnical boreholes or other data calibration points
56 Use of exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis
Te use o exploration 3D seismic data on a standalone basis as a replacement or acquisition
o a site survey or deep water well locations is a generally acceptable practice within certainlimits (Section 562 below) assuming data are appropriately processed or reprocessed or the
purpose (Section 563 below) On this basis exploration 3D seismic data can be used to derivebathymetric geological and geohazards inormation
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or side scan sonar data or the detection andmapping o objects and obstructions on the seabed that may interere with anchoring For thisreason special consideration will need to be given or anchored rigs in deep water where a sidescan sonar survey possibly acquired using an AUV may be needed as a supplement to a studybased on exploration 3D data
Exploration 3D seismic data is not a substitute or sub bottom profiler data or the identifica-
tion and mapping o shallow geology and hazards in the top 100m o the seabed and is not areplacement or a site survey when using a bottom ounded drilling rig
Not all exploration 3D seismic data lend themselves to this type o study and an acceptabledataset can be rendered unsuitable through trace or sample decimation etc
Data should be reviewed careully at the outset o a project to study the complexity o the loca-tionrsquos setting as part o a preliminary hazards severity assessment or desk study Te results osuch a study might indicate
bull Tat the data clearly indicate that the setting o the study area is so complex as to require asupporting site survey
bull Te data ail to meet minimum data acceptability criteria set out below and may require
reprocessing or replacement or be supplemented by acquisition o a site survey that pro- vides a better basis or study
bull Te data are adequate or use as a site survey replacement and meet the minimum dataacceptability criteria set out below
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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561 Exploration 3D seismic data types
For site survey studies generally only exploration 3D seismic data acquired using conventionaltow methods are considered acceptable or studying the shallow section
Other orms o exploration 3D seismic data through their acquisition geometry are less likelyto provide an appropriate continuous image o the seabed or shallow section For example
wide azimuth ocean bottom cable and node based 3D seismic datasets are unlikely to beacceptable or site survey application
562 Minimum exploration 3D seismic data acceptability criteria
Exploration 3D data to be used or site survey studies should be used at their optimum spatialtemporal bit resolution and sampling interval
Data shall be loaded to a workstation at no less than 16- and preerably 32-bit data resolutionData should be unscaled
Te dataset to be used shall provide a sufficiently resolute image o the seabed and shallow sec-tion to allow an accurate analysis o conditions to be made
A preliminary review o the exploration 3D dataset under consideration should indicate that itulfils the ollowing basic standards
bull Frequency content Te dataset should preerably possess a useable requency content upto and preerably beyond 60Hz to the ull depth o interest below seabed
bull Seafloor reflection should be ree o gaps and defined by a wavelet o stable shape and phase to allow auto-tracking o the seabed event with minimum user intervention andguidance
bull Acquisition artifacts such as cross-line statics andor amplitude striping though possiblyidentifiable in the shallow section should not detract rom the overall interpretation oa picked event when mapped in time or amplitude Similarly time slices or windowedattribute extractions should be devoid o or show minimal acquisition artiacts to thedetriment o their interpretation
bull Merge points between datasets o differing origin or vintage that cross a study areashould be marked by minimal ndash and preerably no ndash time or phase shifs and amplitudechanges across the joins that might otherwise be to the detriment o the interpretation
bull Bin sizes processed bin sizes should preerably be less than 25m in both the inline andcrossline direction
bull Sample interval Processed output sample interval should preerably be 2 milliseconds andcertainly be no more than 4 milliseconds Tis may be achieved by extracting a near offsetcube rom the original volume
bull Imaging Attention to definition o an accurate velocity model in the shallow section in processing shall have allowed optimum structural and stratigraphic resolution to havebeen achieved in the migrated volume Te shallow section shall show no indication ounder or over migration artiacts
bull Multiple energy shall either be unidentifiable or at a level that does not interere with theanalysis o the shallow section
bull Data coverage the available exploration seismic data coverage shall ully meet therequirements or data coverage set out in Section 52 above
In shallow water depths o less than 300 metres the above criteria are generally not metbecause o the requency content o the data and the long seismic recording offsets Explora-tion 3D seismic data is thereore not a suitable replacement or a site survey when a jack-up orbottom ounded rig is to be used or when seabed clearance is required or an anchored rig
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Depending on data quality exploration 3D seismic data may however still be adequate orthe identification o deeper drilling hazards and may thereore in some cases in these waterdepths replace the acquisition o high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data to identiy
drilling hazards Tis should however be decided on a case-by-case basis and only aferdetailed review o the 3D seismic data by geohazard and 3D seismic specialists
563 Use of targeted exploration 3D seismic data reprocessing
Reprocessing o an exploration 3D volume either through production o a near trace or shortoffset cube or by simply spectral whitening o the original volume can deliver significantimprovements in resolution and data quality Tis should be considered especially i the origi-nal exploration 3D dataset ails to meet the minimum data acceptability criteria set out above
57 Enhancing the value of an exploration 3D seismic dataset Where review o exploration 3D seismic data leaves some uncertainty on site conditions theacquisition o a ocused survey programme to calibrate the results o the review o the explora-tion 3D seismic dataset can assist in reducing interpretational risk or uncertainty
Such work may entail the acquisition o various types o data
571 Seabed samples
Tese can be acquired to calibrate variation in exploration 3D seabed reflection amplitude orappearance to variation in shallow soils
572 Targeted 2D high resolution seismic dataTe acquisition o a grid o tie-lines across particular eatures o interest or to directly tie inthe top-hole section o any available relevant offset wells to a proposed location can signifi-cantly assist in confirming interpretation and improving analyses perormed otherwise solelyon the basis o exploration 3D data
573 Side scan sonar data
I the exploration 3D data indicate the presence o potentially sensitive seabed conditionsor public inormation suggests the presence o existing inrastructure (submarine cables etc )dumping grounds or wrecks in the area the acquisition o side scan sonar data to ensure a clearseabed should be considered
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3338
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
copy OGP
58 Use of exploration 3D seismic data in a development scenario
In the case o a field development use o an exploration 3D dataset will normally provide an
excellent basis or an initial field-wide desk study to support initial field layout concept screen-ing
Use o such data will also assist in design decisions or any subsequent engineering qualitybathymetric and geophysical site investigation data acquisition campaign
Tereore use o exploration 3D datasets should be considered as an integral part in the phased development o an integrated geological model o the seabed and shallow subsuraceor the field under development to complement and fill in any gaps in bathymetric or geo-
physical site survey data coverage
However field development project geohazard decisions should not be based solely on the useo standalone exploration 3D data Acquisition o bathymetric and geophysical site survey data
should always be acquired to ensure a clear site prior to installation to affirm the long termintegrity o the locations selected and to record the baseline seafloor environmental conditionsin the area
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3338
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 363832
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
Seismic interpretation the identification and analysis o potential geohazards and the writ-ing o technical reports to convey results to the end users should be perormed by a qualifiedexperienced and skilled geoscientist who has specialised in high resolution geophysics
61 Purpose of the report
Te reportrsquos purpose is to describe and assess seafloor and top-hole geological conditions tohelp plan sae and efficient rig emplacement amp drilling operations and to assist in identiying
potentially sensitive seabed environments
Te report is the permanent record o the site investigation
Te site survey report or an offshore drilling location is the means by which inormation thathas been collected and analysed is communicated to the end users through the provision o
maps cross-sections figures text etc
62 Scope of reporting
Site survey reports should provide an integrated assessment o all seafloor constraints upon theemplacement o the rig at the proposed location and top-hole geological conditions to a depthat least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m whichever is greater
Constraints to the proposed drilling operations including man made eatures should beassessed and described
It is recommended that a summary is provided at the start o the report in order to present theessential findings and conclusions about the site in an easily accessible orm
Reports should draw upon all relevant existing and newly acquired data or the site in ques-tion Tis may include or make reerence to
bull desk study reports
bull pre-existing site survey reports
bull exploration 2D or 3D seismic data
bull top-hole logs rom offset wells
bull geotechnical soil investigation data
bull inormation about man-made eatures such as existing wells shipwrecks and oil fieldinrastructure
bull newly acquired hydrographic and geophysical data
bull environmental data including benthic samples and seabed photographs
It is important that any links with environmental or geotechnical investigations are identifiedand there is consistency o results between the reports
Te content o the report should be careully planned with the operational objectives in mindand adjusted on the basis o the site conditions encountered during the survey
Pre-drilling site survey reports should be concise objective and user-riendly they should be
clearly understandable regardless o the technical background o the readerA suggested table o contents or a site survey report is enclosed in the echnical Notes
6 Geohazards analysis and reporting
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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63 Identifying sources of risk
A key objective o a site survey is to assess geohazards and to enable the risk posed to drilling
operations by the seabed and geological conditions to be managed and reduced
Te presence o hazards must be determined through rigorous and consistent analysis andclearly reported in the text maps and other graphics that make up the site survey report Foreach hazard identified hazard potential should be stated in terms o the likelihood that the
particular condition exists at a specific locality
Te echnical Notes provide interpretation guidelines or the assessment o some key geohaz-ards that may be identified during site survey
64 Consideration by rig type
Te site survey report should address three phases o the drilling operation
bull bringing the rig onto location and stabilising it beore spudding-in
bull spudding the well
bull top-hole drilling to a depth at least 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
I the rig type is not known at the time the site survey report is prepared the report shouldaddress concerns or all the rig types that could be used or the proposed drilling operation
641 Bottom-founded rigs and platform based rigs
Reports or bottom-ounded rigs should address the shallow oundation conditions or rig legemplacement to whichever is greater 30m below seabed or the expected leg penetration depth
plus one-and-a-hal times the diameter o the spud can It should address the expected drillingconditions across the top-hole section to whichever is greater 200m below the preerred set-ting depth o the first pressure containment string or to a depth o 1000m below seabed
Te report should also consider the seabed conditions within a 200m radius o the proposed wellsite or sites along the approach route to location and around any temporary stand-offlocations
642 Anchored rigs
Reports or anchored rigs should ocus on the seafloor and shallow soil conditions to a dis-tance 250m beyond the maximum likely anchor radius and the top-hole drilling conditions orthe proposed location
I anchor locations are known special attention should be paid to the anchor and catenarytouchdown area where the seafloor will be disturbed by anchor chain andor wire ropeTe expected type and strength o the seabed soils where the anchors will be set should bedescribed
For spud-in and top-hole dril ling the report should consider the seabed conditions in a 200mradius around the proposed wellsite and the expected drilling conditions across the top-holesection to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string orto a depth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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643 Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs
Reports or DP rigs should consider the expected drilling conditions across the top-hole sec-tion to 200m below the preerred setting depth o the first pressure containment string or to adepth o 1000m below seabed whichever is greater
Special attention should be paid to the immediate vicinity o the proposed wellsite within aradius o 200m or out to the maximum distance that the DP rigrsquos seabed acoustic reerencenetwork shall be laid rom the well
65 Deliverables
Report deliverables can be provided in both digital media and paper orms
Integrated digital methods o compiling presenting and delivery o report inormation are
encouraged In particular GIS and web-based methods allow ease o retrieval or uture reer-ence results integration with other types o inormation and rapid archiving and retrieval
OGP have published a Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to define an industry standard GISdata model or seabed surveys Tis model can be used as a deliverable standard between opera-tors and survey contractors as well as a data model or managing seabed survey data withinoperator companies Te SSDM was published as beta version late 2010 or testing and willbe finalised in 2011 Te SSDM documentation and supporting material can be downloadedrom wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
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983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
copy OGP
2D multi-channel high resolution seismic
Seismic reflection data designed to image the shallow sectionand detect drilling hazards such as shallow gas
3D migrated 983158olume
Te end product o a ully processed 3D seismic survey
Acoustic seabed imagery
Images derived rom acoustic reflection data processed toillustrate seabed topography eatures and changes in texture
Acquisition arteacts
Noise on seismic data that is a unction o the data acquisition process rather than geology
Anchor radius o a semi-submersible rig
Te radius o the smallest circle that includes all the seabedanchor positions or a semi-submersible rig
Archaeological remains
Objects that are o historical interest Tese may be man-made or example shipwrecks or human or animal remainso any age
Auto-tracking
Te process by which seismic horizons are automaticallytracked in a seismic dataset by an interactive seismic interpre-tation system
AUV
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle A sel propelled unteth-ered underwater vehicle that is able to be programmed to flyalong a predefined survey track at a predefined height abovethe seabed to collect data rom sensors installed on it
Backscatter
Te amplitude o the acoustic echo sounder energy reflectedby the seabed that may be processed into maps that provideinormation about seabed eatures and texture
Benthic samples
Seabed samples recovered by grabs or corers that are nor-mally taken or environmental investigations
Bottom ounded rig
Mobile drilling rig such as a jack-up rig or a drilling barge thatrelies on a seabed oundation or stability during drilling
Boulder beds
Accumulations o boulder sized material greater than 10cmacross buried in sediments ypically ound in the base oburied channels or within glacial sediments
Box corer
Seabed sampling system designed to recover a cube o seabedsediment Generally used or sof seabed sediments
Buried infilled channels
Ancient eroded channels that have subsequently been infilledand buried by sediment
Buried slumps
Ancient submarine landslides that have been buried by sedi-ment
Chemosynthetic communities
Discrete lie orms normally in the vicinity o the seabed thatexist only because o specific localized chemical conditions
Clock and orbit corrected GPS
Corrections applied to the clock and orbit ephemerides datathat has been uploaded to each GPS satellite Corrections are
broadcast at 1 Hz to the NASA GDGPS systemCommunications cables
Cables on or beneath the seabed laid either between conti-nents and islands or to offshore installations
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
Generic term or satellite based navigation systems like GPSGlonass and others that provide autonomous global position-ing o GNSS receivers
CPT
Cone Penetration est In-situ soil strength testing device
that makes real time measurements as it is pushed into theseabed by mechanical means
Crossline direction
Azimuth bearing o subordinate lines in a marine survey
CTD
Conductivity emperature and Depth meter Device ormaking real time measurements o conductivity temperatureagainst depth over the ull water column to derive the speedo sound in water to calibrate eg echo sounder and USBLobservations
Desk studyExercise to derive as much inormation as possible aboutthe site conditions in an area rom existing data and publicdomain inormation
Diapiric structures
Positive geological structures ormed by the deormation o plastic material or example salt or clays Tey can be associ-ated with hydrocarbon accumulations and may also have asurace expression that in the marine case would result in abathymetric high
Diatreme
A volcanic or injective eature piercing sedimentary strata
Glossary
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Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
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Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
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Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
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Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
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Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
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C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 363832
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
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International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
Differentially Corrected GPS (DGPS)
A method o improving GPS solution or position in plan andheight by applying corrections to satellite ranges Corrections
are calculated between observed and calculated ranges atreerence station(s) o known position
DTM
Digital errain Model Digital representation o a mappedsurace usually defined by xyz values or defined cells
Dynamically Positioned (DP) rig
Mobile drilling rig that relies on thrusters automatically con-trolled by a dynamic positioning system or stability duringdrilling
Engineering activity
Any construction or maintenance activity that could result inchanges to acilities at the seabed deormation o the seabedor dropping o debris items
Erosion and truncation surace
Geological interace that marks the lower limit o erosion andon which deposition has subsequently taken place Erosionand truncation suraces thereore mark unconormities in thesequence o geological deposition
Exploration 3D seismic data
3D seismic reflection data collected or the purpose o explor-
ing or oil and gas rather than studying geohazards and theshallow section
Fault escarpments
Bathymetric ridges on the seabed aligned with underlyinggeological aults
First pressure containment string
Te first casing to be installed in a well that will enable the pressure inside the well to be controlled
Fluid expulsion eatures
Seabed depressions such as pockmarks believed to have been
caused by the expulsion o pore water or gas
Fold o cover
Te number o seismic traces each recorded at a differentsource to receiver offset that are combined together in multi-channel seismic reflection profiling
Foundational depth
Te maximum depth below seabed o interest or oundationdesign and installation
Gas chimney
A zone within the sub-seabed section where the verticalmigration o gas is taking place Tis is ofen characterized byenergy scattering and absorption on seismic reflection dataand a lack o coherent reflectors
Gas hydrate mounds
Accumulations or build ups o gas hydrate at seabed normallyover a seabed seep in deep water or at high latitudes
Gas hydrate zones
Parts o the sub-seabed section where gas hydrate is present
Gas vents
See Fluid Expulsion Features
Geohazard
Geological condition that has the potential to cause harm toman or damage to property
Geological model
Computerised representation o subsurace geology
Geotechnical boreholes
Boreholes drilled into the seabed or the purposes o carry-ing out in-situ geotechnical testing or to collect samples orgeotechnical laboratory testing and analysis
Geotechnical engineering
Te branch o civil engineering concerned with the engineer-ing behaviour o earth materials
GIS
Geographic Inormation System A system that captures
stores analyzes manages and presents data that are directlylinked to the coordinates o the datarsquos origin
Grab
Seabed sampling device
Gradiometers
A system which measures the magnetic gradient using two ormore closely spaced magnetometers
Gravity corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by its own weight o momentum
Ground truthing
Calibration o geological interaces interpreted rom seismicdata using seabed samples
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area inhabited by a particularanimal or plant species
Hardgrounds
Hard material such as cemented sediment coral or rock atseabed
HR 3D survey3D seismic reflection survey designed to image the shallowsection in great detail by recording high requencies
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 273823
Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
copy OGP
Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 283824
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 293825
Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
copy OGP
Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 303826
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3138
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 323828
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3338
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 363832
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 273823
Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
copy OGP
Inline direction
Azimuth bearing o primary lines in a marine survey
Jack-up rig oundationTe seabed conditions where a jack-up rig leg impacts theseabed
Jack-up rig ootprint
Depression lef on the seabed afer a jack-up rig leg has been withdrawn
Layback to towed equipment
Horizontal distance rom the survey vessel to a towed sensor
Local vertical datum
A vertical datum that has been chosen or a project wherea standard datum such as LA may not be appropriate orexample on a platorm or jack-up rig superstructure
Magnetometer
An instrument used to measure the strength and or direc-tion o the magnetic field in the vicinity o the instrument
Maniolds and templates
Examples o acilities placed on the seabed or the purposes odrilling and or production
Mass transport complexes
MCs see Slump Maximum offset
Te maximum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Mega-ripples
Current ripples normally present on a sandy seabed having a wavelength o greater than 05 metre
Minimum offset
Te minimum horizontal source to receiver offset in a multi-channel seismic survey
Minimum phase output
Te output o a seismic source where the energy is ront-endloaded in the first energy peak o the pulse and is not ollowedby a larger peak
Mosaic
Compilation o side scan sonar records to orm a geo-reer-enced seabed map
Motion sensor
An instrument or measuring horizontal and vertical motionand attitude o or example a survey vessel Te inormation isneeded to correct eg multi or single beam echo sounder dataand USBL data or vessel motion
Mud 983158olcano
Formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases SeeDiatreme
Mudflow
See Slumping
Mudline
Seabed erm ofen used when the seabed is composed o particularly sof water saturated sediment
Multi-beam echo sounder
See Swathe Bathymetry System
Multi-channel digital signal processing
Te process by which field recordings rom multi-channelseismic reflection surveys are enhanced and converted tointerpretable sections or volumes
Multiple energ y
Noise on seismic records caused by reverberations betweenstrong reflecting interaces such as the seabed and the seasurace
Near offset cube
A processed 3D seismic dataset that uses only traces recordedby the receivers positioned closest to the seismic source withmost vertical incidence angle Te data will contain the
highest requencies and thus the best vertical resolution but will be a ffected by noise especial ly in the deeper part o thesection
Ocean bottom cable
Seismic recording cable placed on the seabed with ourcomponent receivers that will have the capability to recordS-waves as well as P-waves
Offset well
Existing well rom which inormation is available to tie backto and assist with making predictions about conditions at a proposed well location
Offshore drilling unit
Facility rom which offshore wells are drilled For example amobile dril ling unit
Operator
Company having responsibility or drilling an offshore well
Over-pressure zone
Sub-seabed layer having a pressure above normal hydrostatic pressure
Pinning up activity or a jack-up rig
Procedure by which jack-up rig legs are initially lowered tocontact with the seabed to secure the rig to the seabed andmake it resistant to lateral movement
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 283824
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 293825
Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
copy OGP
Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 303826
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3138
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 323828
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3338
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 363832
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 283824
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
Piston corer
Seabed sampling device best suited to sof sediments where a piston helps draw sediment into the core barrel
Platorm based rig
Drilling rig mounted on a fixed platorm
Project engineer
Te Operatorrsquos Project Engineer responsible or overall wellor development planning and interace to the Site SurveyProject Manager
Project manager
Can reer to either or both o the Operator staff memberresponsible or planning and delivery o the Site Survey and
the Contractor Representative responsible or actioning theOperatorrsquos plans
Protection fames
Structure placed over a seabed installation normally to pro-tect it rom trawl nets or dropped objects
Record length
Te length o time that seismic signals are recorded ollowingthe firing o a seismic source
Recording system
Instrument or recording seismic signals
Rees
Sedimentary eatures built by the interaction o organismsand their environment that have synoptic relie and whosebiotic composition differs rom that ound on and beneaththe surrounding sea floor or example a coral ree
Relie well
Well designed to provide intervention in the event o incur-ring a well control incident at depth
Responder
Same as ransponder (see below) An electronic acoustic
device that produces an acoustic response when it receives atrigger signal through an umbilical between eg a vessel andtowed equipment
Rock dump
Mound o rock or gravel placed on the seafloor or example tostabilise a pipeline or submarine cable
Salt or mud diapirs
See Diapiric Structures and Diatremes
Sample decimation
Resampling o digital seismic data at a longer interval thanoriginally used
Sample interval
ime interval between successive samples in a digital seismicrecord
Sandwave
Mobile submarine sand dune created by currents ypicallyup to 10 metres high but occasionally higher
Seabed acoustic array
A number o acoustic transponders strategically placed on theseabed to position either surace vessels or example drillingrigs or sub-sea installations
Seabed characterisation
Classification o seabed topography and sediments through
investigationSeabed clearance data
Dataset that enables objects and obstructions on the seabed tobe located and identified
Sedimentary sequence
Succession o sediments that makes up the geologicalsequence
Seismic source
Source o controlled seismic energy that is used in reflectionand reraction seismic surveys
Seismic streamer
Receiving system or marine seismic surveys that is towedbehind a survey vessel Usually consists o a large number ohydrophones arranged in groups and may extend to severalkm in length
Semi-regional
Area o study extending beyond a single well to include sev-eral wells prospects or developments
Shallow gas blowout
Uncontrolled egress o shallow gas rom a well
Shallow section
Te geological section above the setting depth o the first pressure containment string in a well
Shallow water flow zone
Overpressured geological interval rom which pore waterflows into a well causing difficulties in well control and effec-tive cementing o casing
Side scan sonar
Instrument or scanning the seabed to either side o a surveyline using acoustic pulses Can detect objects on the seabedand variations in seabed topography and seabed sedimenttype
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 293825
Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
copy OGP
Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 303826
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3138
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 323828
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3338
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 363832
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 293825
Guidelines or the conduct o offshore drilling hazard site surveys
copy OGP
Single beam hydrographic echo sounder
Instrument or measuring water depth immediately below asurvey vessel
Slump
Movement o a sediment mass under the influence o gravityAn example is the outflow o sediment rom a seabed expul-sion eature such as a mud volcano Also known as Gravityransport
Source signature
Output wavelet or waveshape o a particular seismic sourcerom which requency output power and phase may be deter-mined
Spatial resolution
Te lateral size o a eature that can be detected by the seismicmethod Usually defined as the radius o the Fresnel zone at a particular depth On migrated data the Fresnel zone radius isrelated to approximately one quarter o the signal wavelength
Spud can
Base o a jack-up rig leg
Stand-off location
Area o seabed that has been surveyed and established as asae place or a rig to be placed while waiting to move onto anintended drilling location
Stratigraphy
A branch o geology that studies rock layers and layering(stratification) primarily used in the study o sedimentaryrocks
Sub-bottom profiler
Seismic reflection instrument or investigating the upper ewtens o metres o the sub-seabed with as high a vertical resolu-tion as possible
Subsea isolation valves
Valves on submarine pipelines that automatically cut off
the flow in the event o an emergency Tey are ofen placed within a ew hundred metres o a platorm
Subsurace data
Geophysical and geotechnical data or investigating sub-seabed geology
Swathe bathymetry system
Instrument or measuring water depths within a definedswathe either side o a survey vessel track
Time slice
Horizontal section through a 3D seismic volume that displaysinormation at the same two way reflection time
Top-hole drilling hazards
Geological conditions that impact on drilling operations inthe top-hole section o a well
Top-hole section
Te shallow geological section above the setting depth o thefirst pressure containment string in a well
Topography
Te study o Earthrsquos surace shape and eatures
Tow fish
Vehicle on which survey sensors are mounted that is towedbehind a survey vessel
Towed sensors
Survey sensors mounted on a tow fish and towed behind asurvey vessel
Trace decimation
Reducing the number o seismic traces in a seismic record inorder to reduce its volume
Transponder
An electronic acoustic device that produces an acousticresponse when it receives an acoustic signal rom eg a vesselmounted transducer or another transponder
USBLUltra Short Baseline System a subsea acoustic positioningsystem used to determine the position o towed or deployedsensors in the water column A transponder or responder ismounted on the sensor to be positioned and interrogatedrom a transducer o known position
Unscaled
A processed seismic section in which the magnitude o reflec-tion amplitudes is preserved in a meaningul way and may beused or example in the identification o shallow gas
Unstable slopes
Submarine slopes that have the potential to ail
UUV
Untethered Underwater Vehicle see AUV
Velocity model
Te assignment o different seismic velocities to certain dis-crete geological or reflection time intervals
Velocity probe
Instrument or making real time measurements o the speedo sound in water to calibrate echo sounder readings
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 303826
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3138
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 323828
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3338
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 363832
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 303826
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
Vessel mounted acoustic positioning system
A subsea acoustic positioning system that is permanentlyinstalled on a vessel Tis system can either determine the
relative position o acoustic transponders or respondersmounted on other equipment (eg tow fish) or absolute posi-tions within a network o seabed acoustic transponders
Vessel transducer
A transducer to transmit and receive acoustic signals that iseither permanently installed in the hull o a vessel or deployedrom the vessel or the acquisition o different data types water depth (echo sounder) shallow geophysical data (subbottom profiler) range and bearing to towed equipment(acoustic positioning system)
Vibro-corer
Seabed sampling device that penetrates the seabed using orceexerted by a vibrating motor mounted on top o a coringbarrel
Wavelet
A seismic pulse usually consisting o one and a hal to twocycles
Wellhead
A general term used to describe the pressure containing com- ponent at the surace o an oil or gas well that provides theinterace or drilling and production equipment
Windowed attribute extractions
Analysis o the reflection amplitudes or other seismic attrib-utes over a specific reflection time window carried out usingan interactive seismic interpretation system
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3138
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 323828
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3338
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 363832
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3138
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 323828
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3338
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 363832
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 323828
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
C o n s t r a i n t
h a z a r d o r c o n c e r n
I m p a c t o n o p
e r a t i o n s
I n v e s t i g a t o r y d a t a r e q u i r e m e n t
B o t t o m f o u n d e
d r i g o r p l a t f o r m
A n c h o r e d r i g
D y n a m i c a l l y p o s i t i o
n e d r i g
E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
e n v i r o n m e n t s
T o i n c l u d e b u t
n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull M a r i n e S a n c t u a r i e s
bull F i s h s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s
bull C o l d w a t e r c o r a l s
bull C h e m o s y n t h e t i c c o m m u n i t i e s
C h o i c e o f
bull E m e r g e n c y t r a n s i t l o c a t i o n s
bull S t a n d - o
f f L o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n
m e n t a l l y
n e u t r a l
bull L o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r L o c a t i o n s
bull C a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y n e u t r a l
w e l l l o c a t i o n
P r e s e n c e i d e n t i f i e d f r o m a d
e s k s t u d y
r e v i e w o f
bull L o c a l l a w s r e g u l a t i o n s a n d p u b l i c a n
n o u n c e m e n t s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s f o r t h e a r e a
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
O t h e r w i s e d e f i n e d u s i n g s i m i l a r
m e t h o d s t o ldquo N a t u r a l S e a b e
d
F e a t u r e s rdquo a b o v e a n d i n k e e
p i n g w i t h
s e c t i o n 5 5 1
S h i p p i n g a n d m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g a r e a s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o a n d d e p a r t u r e f r o m
l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
A s d e f i n e d o n p u b l i s h e d n a
u t i c a l
c h a r t s ( s e e s e c t i o n 4 )
A r c h a e o l o g i c a
l f e a t u r e s
T o i n c l u d e b u t n o t b e l i m i t e d t o
bull W r e c k s
bull W a r d e b r i s ( m i n e
s e t c )
bull P o s s i b l e s u b m e r g
e d c o m m u n i t i e s o r h u m a n
e n v i r o n m e n t s
C h o i c e o f
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull S t a n d - o
f f l o c a t i o n s
bull D i r e c t i o n o f a p p r o a c h o n t o l o c a t i o n
C h o i c e o f s a f e
bull W e l l l o c a t i o n
bull A n c h o r l o c a t i o n s a n d c a t e n a r y t o u c h d o w n p o i n t s
C h o i c e o f w e l l l o c a t i o n
D e f i n e d b y
bull L o c a l L a w s a n d l i s t i n g s
bull N a u t i c a l c h a r t s
S e e S e c t i o n 1 a n d 4
M a p p e d f r o m t h e i n t e g r a t e d u s e o f
bull S i d e s c a n s o n a r d a t a
bull T o w e d m a g n e t o m e t e r
bull d a t a
bull P r o f i l e r d a t a
S e e S e c t i o n 5 5 1
W h e n t h e a b o v e d a t a a r e n o t
a c q u i r e d i n w a t e r d e p t h s g r e a t e r
t h a n 7 5 0 m
t h e w e l l l o c a t i o
n s h o u l d
b e v i s u a l l y i n s p e c t e d b y t h e
r i g rsquo s
R O V i m m e d i a t e l y p r i o r t o a n d
d u r i n g s p u d d i n g o f t h e w e l l
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3338
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 363832
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
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8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3338
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 363832
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3438
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 363832
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3538
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 363832
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 363832
International Association o Oil amp Gas Producers
copy OGP
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3738
For further information and publicationsplease visit our website at
wwwogporguk
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl
8122019 OGP Guidlines 373-18-1
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullogp-guidlines-373-18-1 3838
983090983088983097-983090983089983093 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE983089 983096NLUnited KingdomTelephone +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983088983090983095983090Fax +983092983092 (983088)983090983088 983095983094983091983091 983090983091983093983088
983089983094983093 Bd du Souverain
th Fl