r a a 0 a 0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR HYDROCARBON DEVELOPMENT IN THE BEAUFORT SEA - MACKENZIE DELTA REGION VOLUME 7 RESEARCH AND MONITORING 1982 CKENZIE DELTA NTAL IMPACT STATEMENT i&i;&I:,, : 5 Wonmental Impact Statement es Canada Limited ‘Gulf Canada Resources Inc. -holders in the Information pertaining to the Environmental Impact Statement and its Support Documents czy be obtained from: ,,- <&.s “I j I’_ ,;;;-*. , ,.,!.‘.., /(*. ‘, ,:aa Frontier Drilling and Productik Division; ._ *I 1.; :-$“j; ” *! 1:” ” , I ) i4 Dome Petroleum Limited, _’ _ :? ,. * i ~.,,i$;;p.&“,:: 1 hI,. .a ?, ^ ;, ! i P.O. Box 200, Calgary T2P 2H8 : :, j ‘* ‘.‘; Or ‘. Pallister Resource Management, Bay 105,4116 - 64th Ave. SE. Calgary T2P lP4 Telephone: (403) 236-2344 Library copies are available for viewing at the: Arctic Institute of North America, 11 th Floor Library Tower, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, Telephone: (403) 284-7515 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT VOLUME 7 RESEARCH AND MONITORING TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 THE POST-EARP REGULATORY MECHANISM RELATED TO RESEARCH AND MONITORING 1.1 RESPONSIBILITIES..................................................................................................... 1.1 1.2 THEPOST-EARP PROCESS ......................................................................................... 1.1 1.3 REGULATORY MECHANISMS ..................................................................................... 1.3 1.4 ESTABLISHING RESEARCH AND MONITORING PRIORITIES ...................................... 1.3 CHAPTER 2 BACKGROUND STUDIES 2.1 INDUSTRY-SPONSORED STUDIES .............................................................................. 2.1 2.1.1 THE ARCTIC GAS PROJECT ............................................................................. 2.1 2.1.2 MACKENZIE VALLEY PIPE LINE RESEARCH LIMITED.. ................................. 2.3 2.1.3 MACKENZIE DELTA GAS DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM.. ...................................... 2.5 2.1.4 BEAUFORT-DELTA OIL PROJECT LIMITED .................................................... 2.6 2.1.5 ARCTIC PETROLEUM OPERATORS’ ASSOCIATION ......................................... 2.6 2.1.6 EASTCOAST PETROLEUM OPERATORS’ ASSOCIATION .................................. 2.7 2.1.7 CANADIAN OFFSHORE OIL SPILL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION ....................... 2.8 2.1.7.1 The Oil and Gas Under Sea Ice Study ...................................................... 2.8 2.1.7.2 Development of a Fire-proof Boom ......................................................... 2.9 2.1.7.3 Development of a Heli-portable Burner .................................................... 2.9 2.1.8 LANCASTER SOUND DRILLING ..................................................................... 2.9 2.1.9 POLAR GAS PROJECT.. ........ ........................................... ................................ 2.10 2.1.10 ARCTIC PILOT PROJECT ................................................................................. 2.11 2.1.11 OTHER INDUSTRY STUDIES (DOME. ESSO AND GULF). ............................... 2.11 2.2 GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED STUDIES ....................................................................... 2.12 2.2.1 THE POLAR CONTINENTAL SHELF PROJECT.. ............................................... 2.13 2.2.2 ARCTIC ICE DYNAMICS JOINT EXPERIMENT.. ............................................... 2.13 2.2.3 TASK FORCE ON NORTHERN OIL DEVELOPMENT ......................................... 2.13 22.4 THE ARCTIC LAND usE RESEARCH PROGRAM.. ........................................... 2.14 2.25 THE BEAUFORT SEA PROJECT.. ...................................................................... 2.15 2.2.6 THE ARCTIC MARINE OILSPILL PROGRAM.. .................................................. 2.15 2.2.6.1 The Baffin Island Oil Spill Project ........................................................... 2.15 i 2.2.7 THE EASTERN ARCTIC MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM.. 2.16 2.2.8 THE SURSAT PROJECT ..................................................................................... 2.18 2.2.9 OFFSHORE LABRADOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES ........................................... 2.18 2.2.10 IMPULSE RADAR TRIALS.. ............................................................................. 2.19 2.2.1 I WINTER ICE EXPERIMENT IN THE BEAUFORT SEA.. ................................... 2.19 2.2.12 THE RADARSAT PROGRAM ........................................................................... 2.19 2.3 OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.. ......................................................................................... 2.19 2.3.1 THE UNITED STATES’ OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROGRAM ............................................................................... 2.19 2.3.2 THE SEASAT PROGRAM ................................................................................. 2.20 2.3.3 ALASKAN BEAUFORT SEA OILSPILL RESPONSE BODY ................................ 2.21 2.3.4 ALASKA OIL AND GAS ASSOCIATION.. .......................................................... 2.21 2.3.5 NATIVE ORGANIZATIONS ............................................................................... 2.21 2.3.6 THE CANADIAN ARCTIC RESOURCES COMMITTEE .._............ 2.21 2.3.7 UNIVERSITY RESEARCH ................................................................................ 2.22 2.3.7.1 The Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies ................... 2.22 2.3.7.2 The Arctic Institute of North America ..................................................... 2.22 2.3.8 THE INTERNATIONAL BIOLOGICAL PROGRAM .._....... 2.23 CHAPTER 3 CURRENT AND FUTURE STUDIES 3.1 ENVIRONMENTAL OPERATING CONDITIONS .,., ., 3.1 3.2 PHYSICAL PROGRAMS.. .,.. 3.1 3.2.1 ICE RESEARCH ................. ................. ................... .................................... 3.1 3.2.1.1 Measurement of Ice Loads and Studies of Interactions with Offshore Platforms ..................................................................................... 3.3 3.2.1.2 The Effect of Offshore Drilling Structures on Nearshore Ice Regimes .......... 3.3 3.2.1.3 Strength of Multi-Year Ice ....................................................... ........... 3.3 3.2.1.4 Driving Forces Within Pack Ice .............. .......................................... 3.5 3.2.1.5 Ice Scour of Underwater Island Slopes .................................................. 3.5 3.2.1.6 Protection of Offshore Drilling Structures by Ice Rubble .......................... 3.6 3.2.1.7 Growth and Decay of Ice Rubble Around Offshore Structures .................... 3.6 3.2.1.8 Optimal Island Geometries ............. ................................................. 3.7 3.2.1.9 Refinement of Ice Occurrence Statistics and Ice Geometries ...................... 3.7 3.2.1.10 Methods for Breaking Extreme Ice Features .......................................... 3.8 3.2.1.1 1 Ice Conditions Along Shipping Routes .................................................... 3.8 3.2.2 GEOTECHNlCAL RESEARCH ...................................................... ................... 3.8 3.2.2.1 Refinement of the General Surficial Seafloor Model.. ............................... 3.8 3.2.2.2 Development of a Tectonic Model and Refinement of Seismic Design Criteria .................... ........................ ................ ................... 3.8 3.2.2.3 Evaluation of Dredged-Fill Stability ..................................................... 3.9 3.2.3.4 Surveys to Identify Potential Seafloor Hazards .......................................... 3.9 ii 3.2.3 ICE SCOURING RESEARCH .............................................................................. 3.9 3.2.4 REMOTE SENSING AND ICE FORECAST RESEARCH ...................................... 3.9 3.2.4. I Ice Forecast Research ............................................................................ 3.10 3.2.4.2 Ice Surveillance Systems ......................................................................... 3.10 3.2.4.3 Image and Data Processing Systems to Support Tanker Navigation ............. 3.10 3.2.5 WELLBORE RESEARCH .................................................................................. 3.1 I 3.2.5. I Geotechnical Evaluation of the Effect of Permafrost on Casing .................. 3.1 I 3.2.6 ARTIFICIAL ISLAND CONSTRUCTION .......................................................... 3.1 I 3.2.7 OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH ....................................................................... 3.1 I 3.2.7.1 Oceanographic Studies Along Proposed Shipping Routes ........................... 3.12 3.2.7.2 Oceanographic Climatological Studies ..................................................... 3.12 3.2.7.3 Current and Wave Studies in Relation to Submerged Sand-Surface Erosion ........ .................... ............................................................... 3.12 3.2.7.4 Northwest Passage Program ................................................................. 3.14 3.2.7.5 Bathymetric Studies.. ......................................................................... 3.14 3.2.7.6 Wave Hindcast Studies ........................................................................... 3.15 3.2.8 ARCTIC VESSEL RESEARCH ............................................................................ 3.15 3.2.8. I Arctic Transportation Systems ................................................................ 3.15 3.2.8.2 Floating Drilling Systems ...................................................................... 3.16