A Novel Approach for the Study of North Sea Drill
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{(J/I.{( J ( () ISSN 01410814. Journal of rhe Sociely for Underlvater Technology. Vol. 25. No. 2. pp. 77-82.2002 ec n ogy A Novel Approach for the Study of -ca North Sea Drill Cuttings Accumulations: u oe'e The Combined Use of an ROVand Benthic u ~ Lander for In situ Measurements ••• E. BREUER, O. C. PEPPE and G. B. SHIMMIELD Scottish AssociationJor Marine Science. Dunslaflnage Marine Laboralory. Oban. Scotland, PA37 lQA. UK Abstract laboratory. While this has proved a reliable methodology for benthic biological studies [4-8] Two benthic lander systems were used as part the very unstable structural integrity (Black et al., of a project investi gati ng the geochemical char- this volume) and location of the cuttings material, acteristics of a North Sea drill cuttings pile. the very steep gradients of chemical reactivity [2] Complications associated with deploying and the assorted debris (scaffolding, pipes, wire, sampling gear in close proximity to the etc.) scattered throughout the pile make sampling platform required an innovative technique to for geotechnical, geochemical and microbial obtain the necessary measurements. To process studies difficult [2] and lead to sampling achieve this goal, two deep-sea autonomous induced artefacts in analytical results [2]. Benthic free fall vehicles (benthic landers) were lander instrumentation enables measurements to adapted for deployment and transport by be made in situ thus reducing sampling artefacts remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The landers and providing invaluable data that were pre- were fitted with a microelectrode profiling viously unattainable [9]. Benthic landers were system for obtaining high-resolution oxygen, introduced into the oceanographic community sulphide and pH profiles, and a rig to deploy in the 1970s to allow for the measurement of gel probes into the sediment to examine dis- physical, chemical and biological parameters in solved trace metal profiles within the cuttings the deep sea. Progressive research and develop- pile. The use of an ROV for deployment of ment over the years has also allowed for in situ the landers enabled the simultaneous collec- measurements via landers to occur in a diverse ti on of data within a defined spatial context range ofharsh environments such as sulphide oxi- while providing real-time visual feedback of dising bacterial mats, hydrothermal areas, and the landers operating on the seabed. Eight anthropogenically perturbed environments [2,9- deployments were made over 5 days, totalling 12].Over this period benthic landers have proved over 100 hours of sampling time. The to be robust and effective in acquiring data. successful deployment and retrieval of the The potential for employing benthic landers in instrumentation, the quality of data obtained studies associated with sea bottom sampling and the limited disruptions to the ongoing ship under and around oil and gas production operations demonstrate the value of the lander platforms has yet to be evaluated. This account system as an efficient and versatile tool for details the delivery of the first in situ geochemical in situ biogeochemical investigations in areas da ta from drill cuttings piles in the North Sea. associated with sampling and measuring diffi- culties such as North Sea drill cuttings piles. 2. Lander description 1. Introduction Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory (DML) cur- rently operates two identical geochemical benthic The eventual decommissioning of North Sea oil lander systems purchased from KC Denmark and and gas production platforms is causing increased Unisense AIS. In their autonomous mode the concern regarding the behaviour and ultimate landers comprise an upper buoyancy frame fate of associated drill cutting accumulations bolted to a lower instrumentation frame, (Figure [l, 2]. Large quantities of drill cuttings have I) but for the study described here the buoyancy been accumulating under and around offshore frame was not used. The instrumentation frame, oil and gas installations in the North Sea since an aluminium tripod ].5 m high, can be equipped the 1960s [3]. The present method employed to with a number of different modules. For this study these cuttings piles is to make observations study on the drill cuttings pile of Beryl Alpha a on retrieved sediment sampies and carry out micro-electrode profiler and gel deployment experiments either on-board ship or in the system were deployed. The system was controlled 77 E. Breuer et al. A Nove/ ApproachJor the Study oJ North Sea Drill CUllings Accumu/ations by a mini-computer contained in a cylindrical 2.1 Micro-electrode profiler pressure housing along with the analog amplifier The system used for the measurements of oxygen and sampling circuitry. Power was supplied by a and sulphide microprofiles was the Profi/ur [11] 12V 76Ah Deep-Sea Power and Light Sea- (Figure 2). The micro-electrode profiler used a Battery. motor with a very high ratio reduction gearbox to drive electrodes into the sediment in 1011m increments. Micro-electrodes with a sensing tip diameter of < 1011mand 90% response time of I s were mounted on the Profi/ur for in situ mea- suring of oxygen, sulphide and pR concentrations in the interstitial water of the seabed. The micro- electrodes were mounted on the boUom of the vertical pressure cylinder containing the control computer and were specially pressure compen- sated within an oil-filled perspex housing. The electrodes were around 100mm long, enabling the probes to penetrate the sediment by up to 80mm (Figure 3). Once the lander had settled Figure 3 Micro-electrodes with tips 01less than 100 l!m attached Figure 1 The DML-KC Lander being deployed in autono- to the Profi/ur. This photograph was taken after retrieval demon- mous mode. The principle system components are labelIed. strating the durability of the electrodes when in use. As seen in the Photograph courtesy of Kevin Black. photograph only one micro-electrode broke during deployment. I \ Worm gear and motor · ~ · Profiling rack •· · • ~ ..• ·• Computer housing · · · ~ · Adjustable legs · · 106m r-· .•.· • •· •· • • Micro-electrodes ~ · 0 0 •· ~ · • •· 1- 1.4m Figure 2 A schematic showing the major components of the Profilursystem. 78 Underwater Technology, Vol. 25 No. 1,2001 on the seabed the electrodes were moved con- of any residual sediment partieles by a jet of tinuously down from their retracted position to seawater from hoses mounted on the cover plates. within a few millimetres above the sediment surface. From here the electrodes were driven 3. Sampling Methodology into the sediment in steps of 25l!m with a pause of a few seconds at each step to allow the Deployment of the benthic landers was per- signal response to settle before sampling. On formed on the Beryl 'A' cutting pile (Figure 5) reaching the pre-programmed maximum depth which is located 346 km north east of Aberdeen, the electrodes were withdrawn from the sediment. Seotland in a water depth of 119m. A preliminary Three 750 ml water bottles attached to the lander inspection of the surface conditions of the drill collected ambient bottom water sampies for cuttings pile by remotely operated vehide calibration of the oxygen electrodes. (ROV) revealed a diverse sedimentological mixture of poody sorted weakly cohesive oil- rich silt, drill cutting chips, shells, stones and 2.2 Gel deployment system sand with bacterial mats scattered over the top The gel deployment system (GDS; Figure 4) of the pile in varying degrees of eoverage. Four consisted of a moving rack holding up to four Profi/ur deployments and four GDS deployments trace-metal gel probes [13, 14]. These perspex were made onto the drill cuttings piles during a probes had an active gel surface of 145mm x 5-day cruise. The benthic landers were used in a 10mm and were driven into the sediment by a non-autonomous mode, without buoyancy and computer-controlled motor. Gel probes were ballast, and were deployed and reeovered using mounted on the GDS module for the deter- a Pioneer 11 work-dass ROV and ship's crane mination of high-resolution trace metal profiles (Figure 6). Once on station, the ROV was used using the diffusion gradient in thin film (DGT) to reconnoitre the cuttings pile to ascertain the technique [13]. As the probes were lowered, the best possible locations to deposit the benthic perspex plates covering the gel surface for pro tec- lander. This reconnaissance induded observation tion during deployment and recovery were raised of the loeation of objects protruding from the pile up exposing the gel to the surrounding seawater (pipes, meta I framework, etc.), slope angle, and sediment. Once the probes had been inserted proximity to the apex of the pile and location of into the sediment to the required depth the motor the cuttings discharge pipe. Once a suitable site was switched off and the gels left to reach was found, the ship's crane placed the lander on equilibrium. After 24 hours in the sediment, the the seabed in the approximate location. The ROV probes were retrieved, and as the perspex covers then disconneeted the lander from the ship's fell back in place the gel surfaces were washed free crane, picked it up and moved it to the specified Warm gear and motor •• Adjustable legs Moving rack 1.6m Pump Computer housing • 0 o· •· •· Cleaning hose Perspex cover Gel probe I·------------1.4m ·1 Figure 4 Schematic representation of the gel deployment system (GDS). 79 E. Breuer et al. A Novel Approachfor the Study' oI North Sca prifl Cuttmgs AccumulatlOns Figure 7 Visual inspection 01 the benthic lander after placement on the seabed by the ROV. % saturation % saturation o 25 50 75 100 o 25 50 75 100 -I ·1 8a 8b o . E Figure 5 Locatlon of the Beryl Alpha drill cu\llngs pile. E :;; 2 Ö. Q) 3 3 Q 4 4 5 5 65m 165m (a) 6 (b) 6 % saturation 0 25 50 75 100 -1 8c 0 .....................................