US Geological Survey studies estimate that the Arctic accounts for about 13% of the undiscovered oil, 30% of the undiscovered natural gas, and 20% of the undiscovered natural gas liquids in the world. Having identified the reserves, the challenge now is to develop the technologies that will allow successful E&P activity in the harsh environmental conditions that characterize this region. Funding industry research will be vital to the success of Arctic operations.

Sensing threatening ice
ITF, a not-for-profit organization owned by 27 major global operators and service companies, has identified technology needs that will allow the industry to venture farther into the Arctic frontier. As a technology facilitator, ITF recently has launched two joint industry projects (JIPs) to tackle some of the challenges relating to sea ice in relation to oil and gas E&P and is working with a third proposal that likely will launch this year.

One of the projects in progress is RAIDACT, a six-month feasibility project being undertaken by Systems Engineering & Assessment Ltd. (SEA). SEA has a background in designing and building radars with a range of applications, with recent projects including minefield detection and investigation of foliage penetration. The current project focuses on the challenge of detecting and classifying sea ice approaching a platform.

Mobile ice can cause difficulty in Arctic campaigns.

Mobile ice can cause difficulty in Arctic campaigns, and this project ultimately could lead to a system that would provide the ability to detect and identify ice that poses a danger and enable more accurate decisions to be made with respect to whether operations can continue or whether it is necessary to stop operations and move facilities off station.

The project is transferring know-how from other industries to the issue of Arctic sea ice. Alan Fromberg, ground systems business manager in SEA’s aerospace division, explained, “What we are doing in this project is bringing our experience from other sectors and trying to improve understanding of how the oil and gas industry can optimize its use of radar to detect sea ice. For example, there are commonly a number of navigation radars on a drilling platform which might only be used in getting the platform to the location, so we are looking at whether this kind of equipment can be used in a different way or enhanced, what information about sea ice the industry needs, and what we could add to radar already on the rig to optimize the information acquired.”

It would be relatively straightforward to design a state-of-the-art radar system to detect sea ice, Fromberg said, but the cost potentially could run into millions of pounds. “What we want to do here is focus down on the optimum solution, looking at what information is really needed and how the technology already in use within the industry could be adapted.”

Costs associated with halting drilling operations and repositioning a rig are high, and better information about the state of the ice and how rapidly it is moving could help avoid unnecessary stoppages as well as reducing the likelihood of an accident. Eliminating unnecessary rig moves also could reduce the likelihood of an accident.

There are a number of radar configurations and types that are used for a range of applications. Frequency is important to system operations. Higher frequencies give more information about the surface of the ice, with lower frequencies giving greater penetration. Low-angle radars such as navigation radars can detect certain types of ice but cannot classify them.

For instance, chunks of floating ice, known as growlers, are difficult to detect with ship-mounted radars. High-angle polarimetric radar systems, which are used on earth observation satellites, have been proven as a means of classification, but the repeat cycles are long, data delivery is not in real time, and the data have to be processed.

Researchers at SEA believe it is possible to design a system that will provide real-time ice classification and plotting based on polarimetric radar.

Icebergs and sea ice present HSE concerns for workers in the Arctic.

“One approach might be to design a system which, most of the time, is transmitting and receiving from the rig,” Fromberg said, “but if something of concern appears, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) could be launched to collect extra data. Flying above the target gives the higher viewing angle required for polarimetric measurements to distinguish different characteristics of the ice, such as thickness and other properties that help to predict how much damage it might do.”

The usual issue with radar from a small UAV is that there is not enough power onboard to handle the large amounts of data produced. “Processing data on board requires a bigger and more expensive aircraft,” he said, “so it makes sense to put as much of the transmitting and receiving infrastructure on the rig as possible and to use transponder technology on the UAV to receive and transmit back to the rig, where the data is processed and decisions are made.”

More JIPs in the works
According to ITF managing director Neil Poxon, there is great potential for this JIP as well as the subsequent industry efforts it could generate.

“This project gives a fascinating insight into just one of the many technology challenges associated with exploration and production in Arctic areas,” Poxon said. “We are also working with a proposal for a project to develop an icestrengthened lifeboat concept, submitted by Canadian Naval Architect and Marine Engineering company Robert Allan Ltd., which I hope will launch later in the year.”

The Canadian proposal and the RAIDACT project highlight the range and scale of the technology development challenge associated with tackling new and hostile areas such as the Arctic. Other significant challenges Poxon has enumerated for this area include subsea installations, long tiebacks, and flow assurance.

“Looking at the bigger picture, I strongly believe that a collaborative, global approach to technology development is crucial to the future of the oil and gas industry and its ability to access remaining reserves from increasingly challenging environments,” Poxon said. “We are actively pursuing this goal with our plans for 2011 and beyond. Establishing bases in key regions around the world will help us to engage more effectively with our current members, potential new members, and the wider technology development community, with the ultimate goal to focus on the most important global technology needs, understand more about the expertise available, and find the best solutions.”

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