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Articles

1980: Vol. LVII, No. 2

Detailed Sea Bed Mapping for a Pipeline Across the Norwegian Trench

Submitted
August 6, 2015
Published
2015-07-13

Abstract

In 1976, two years after the discovery of the Statfjord oil field in the North Sea, the Statoil/Mobil Group decided to go ahead with an evaluation of the feasibility of laying a submarine pipeline from Statfjord to the western coast of Norway. Due to the rough nature of the Norwegian west coast and unexpected features (pockmarks) in the Norwegian Trench, the Statfjord-Norway pipeline route called for a detailed sea floor mapping. For the general mapping, boomer, sparker, side scan sonar and pitch, roll and heave-compensated echo sounders were used. For the detailed surveying of the rocky shore approach areas, a dense profile grid with the above-mentioned systems was used in addition to manned submersibles carrying video equipment and precision profiling equipment. In all, nine shore approach routes were studied, of which three were subject to manned submersible surveying before one shore approach route was selected. Valuable experience was gained in the course of the survey programme, including experience on the complexity of submarine navigation in rugged terrain, automatic mapping systems and the difficulty of producing side scan sonar mosaics over large areas.