Geohazard Risk Assessment
Geohazards are naturally-occurring and pose a constraint to the successful development and operation of offshore infrastructure. Consequences of a geohazard impact on a development can include increases to project costs and schedule due to equipment damage, repairs and delays, company reputational damage in the event of an unplanned incident, and, in the worst case, injury and loss of life where personnel are involved.
Risk assessments are critical to ensure geohazards are fully investigated, analysed and mitigated where required. The geohazard risk assessment process provides a full documented and auditable process for the management of geohazards and the associated risks, which will contribute to the overall development’s project risk portfolio.
Market Challenges
As offshore wind continues to expand to new geographies, deeper waters, more hostile environments, and combined with meteorological changes impacted by global warming, the exposure to geohazards increases. Similarly, as construction continues in shallow marine waters, in proximity to large numbers of other offshore infrastructures, there are a number of common geohazards to be aware of.
Common challenges from which geohazard risk assessments can support the risk mitigation, include:
Seabed instability
Gas hydrates and pockets
Seismic activity
Scour risk
Soft sediments
Hard rock layers
Our Solutions
We assess and quantify geo-risks, bringing together expert judgement and analytical modelling. Services include:
- Qualitative geohazard risk assessment
- Quantitative geohazard risk assessment
- Probabilistic stability assessment (PSA)
- Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) and fault displacement
- Site response analysis
- Liquefaction assessment
- Seabed mobility analysis
- Scour analysis
- Consequence assessment and risk mitigation strategy development
- Gap analysis
Qualitative Geohazard Risk Assessment
We quantitatively assess geo-risks for cables, pipelines and foundations, undertaking cable burial risk assessments for offshore wind farms, spatial risk assessments for oil and gas fields and structure specific risk assessments for hazards such as faulting and landslides. We model damage outcomes and assess equipment vulnerability to ensure engineering design meets international codes and standards.
Specialist Studies
OWC manages and undertakes specialist probabilistic geo-studies, such as seismic hazard and fault displacement, working with the best specialists in industry and academia. We are experienced in procuring and managing multidisciplinary studies, combining complex outputs into simple and clear presentations of risk to engineers and managers.
Seabed Mobility Analysis and Scour Analysis
For many wind farm assets, scour and sediment transport assessment are critical for life-of-project design and decommissioning. OWC undertakes geomorphological scour assessment and coupled current-wave-sediment transport modelling for cables, pipelines and founded structures.
The value we bring
In-house geohazard expertise.
Deep market knowledge specific to onshore and offshore wind.
Half-million kilometre line of seismic data interpreted.
500+ km of export cable assessed for burial.
Questions? Get in touch
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