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New field-scale calibration for turbidity current impact modelling

People Involved

Professor Robert Dorrell

Project Description

Subsea infrastructure networks underpin our daily lives, providing critical global communication links and supporting our demand for energy supplies. These strategically important networks are vulnerable to fast-moving seafloor flows of sediment, known as turbidity currents. Such flows have previously broken important subsea cable connections; leading to £Ms in lost financial trading and repair costs. The seafloor cable network transfers >95% of all global communications traffic. The International Cable Protection Committee (represented by partner Carter) has a vested interest in understanding the risk of turbidity currents, but there is a paucity of direct field measurements of turbidity currents. Thus, numerical models are largely based on scaled down experimental studies. Here, we show how the first deep-ocean high resolution measurements of turbidity currents can enable improved understanding of the risk posed, through calibration of numerical models for impact analysis. This will directly benefit partners Chevron and Shell, who are responsible ensuring safe operation of multi-£M seafloor oil and gas pipelines worldwide. Loss of hydrocarbons to the environment can have severe environmental and reputational implications; hence minimising the risk of a pipe rupture is important. Improvements to modelling will be immediately taken up by partner HR Wallingford, who advise a wide range of owners and stakeholders on hazard assessment for seafloor infrastructure.

Type of Project Standard
Status Project Complete
Funder(s) Natural Environment Research Council
Value £7,363.00
Project Dates Sep 1, 2017 - Oct 31, 2017
Partner Organisations HR Wallingford
Chevron Energy Technology Company
Shell International Exploration and Production Inc

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