Fugro has developed a proven approach to mapping free-floating and grounded icebergs for use in ice
engineering and ice management applications.
Mitigating Risk in Arctic Waters
Icebergs pose significant risk to vessels and oil and gas
structures operating in arctic and northern regions and they
are routinely towed away from such development fields. Ice
risk mitigation and management is essential to oil and gas
activities in the region. Fugro has developed an integrated
approach to mapping icebergs above and below the water
surface for creation of a 3D model to aid in a multitude of
Arctic offshore activities.
Multi-beam system being launched for subsea imaging.
An Integrated Approach
Fugro’s 3D iceberg imaging approach involves the use of high
precision subsea imaging systems, vessel or ROV based,
combined with simultaneously acquired above-water imaging
techniques (3D photogrammetry) to generate high resolution 3D
models of icebergs.
To create the 3D models, we use ROVs fitted with INS and multibeam sonar to circumnavigate the iceberg. The multi-beam sonar
acquires a time series of vertical profiles of the full iceberg wall while
the Echoscope® provides overlapping 3D acoustic snapshots of
Above-water imaging is collected using vessel-mounted cameras for
photogrammetric iceberg mapping.
‘patches’ of the wall. While the ROV is mapping the iceberg keel,
high definition photographs taken from the vessel are used to map
the iceberg sails.
Resultant data sets are processed and blended to form a single
high density 3D model of the iceberg, for use in ice engineering,
impact modelling, drift calculations, stability calculations, seabed
contact models and a range of ice-related analyses relevant to
offshore oil and gas developments.
Motion measurements and processing algorithms are applied to
compensate for iceberg movement during the survey.
Offshore Survey Services
Integrated 3D Iceberg Mapping
Integrated 3D Iceberg Mapping
Iceberg Mapping Applications
The ability to acquire highly detailed iceberg shapes assists in
ice engineering, ice management, risk reduction, with the end
result that there is reduced likelihood of ice related infrastructure
damage and associated environmental impact. Applications of the
technology include:
• Impact analysis
• Drift prediction
• Update topsides contact risk
• Interaction with excavated drill centres, subsea
infrastructure, and flowlines, pipelines, & power cables
• Assess potential of ice gouge
• Evaluate draft changes with rolling (subsea risk)
• Loads on above-water portions of structures
• Hydrodynamics (real world behavior during towing)
• In-field ice management (evaluate benefit of rapid profiling,
possible redesign of nets, etc.)
Above and below are examples of the original iceberg compared to its 3D
rendering.
Fugro GeoSurveys, a division of Fugro Canada Corp.
25 Pippy Place
St. John’s, Newfoundland A1B 3X2
Canada
Telephone : +1 (709) 726-4252
More information available at WWW.FUGRO.COM
© Fugro 2014