MGIS Capstone Proposal: Procedures for Standardizing Geohazard Assessments Sponsor: Shell Oil Paulina Fernandez Luengo MGIS Candidate 28 March 2011

2 Objectives To develop an EP18¹ document, to be used by Geomaticians around the world, of the procedures required to carry out geohazard assessments. ¹ The term “EP18” is used by Shell to refer to a document defining the preferred standard procedures and work instructions for performing certain tasks/ functions. Typical maps (created with ArcGIS): Location BathymetryLocation Bathymetry Rendered SeafloorRendered Seafloor Seafloor SlopeSeafloor Slope Geohazards AvoidanceGeohazards Avoidance

28 March Background Lack of standards for generating sub-surface geohazard maps Lack of standards for generating sub-surface geohazard maps Need for developing preferred workflows and processes to optimize efficiency and reduce costs Need for developing preferred workflows and processes to optimize efficiency and reduce costs Desire to ensure consistency and standardization across all operating units Desire to ensure consistency and standardization across all operating units

28 March What are the benefits? What are the benefits? Develop and maintain best practice Develop and maintain best practice Ensure consistency and improve ease of interpretation Ensure consistency and improve ease of interpretation Develop standardized map products Develop standardized map products Minimize time required to perform analyses and prepare deliverables Minimize time required to perform analyses and prepare deliverables Facilitate transition of tasking to new analysts Facilitate transition of tasking to new analysts Provide time/cost-saving benefits through increased efficiency Provide time/cost-saving benefits through increased efficiency

28 March Geohazards Assessment Team Identify sub-surface hazardsIdentify sub-surface hazards - Shallow gas - Shallow Water Flow (SWF) - Gas hydrates Identify seafloor hazardsIdentify seafloor hazards - Slope instability - Fault scarps - Fluid expulsion - Man-made debris - Thalwegs Provide advice on pipeline routing and avoidance areas to exploration, development and productionProvide advice on pipeline routing and avoidance areas to exploration, development and production - Sandy depositional systems - Faulting - Biological/ chemosynthetic communities - Pockmarks - Ridges

28 March Geomatics Team Ensure geodetic integrity for all spatial dataEnsure geodetic integrity for all spatial data Convert x,y,z point data into raster and vector dataConvert x,y,z point data into raster and vector data Create geohazard map deliverablesCreate geohazard map deliverables - Location Bathymetry - Rendered Seafloor - Seafloor Slope - Geohazards Avoidance

28 March Workflow of Geohazards Assessment Geohazards Assessment Team Geomatics Team 3D Survey of Area Survey i mported into Shell proprietary subsurface application Surfaces interpreted and depth calibrated Export to ASCII file and convert into raster and vector data Geohazard maps delivered to customer Archived to appropriate Shell corporate stores Location Bathymetry Rendered Seafloor Seafloor Slope Geohazards Avoidance

28 March Geohazard Maps Example of Location Bathymetry

28 March Geohazard Maps (con’t) Example of Rendered Seafloor

28 March Geohazard Maps (con’t) Example of Seafloor Slope

28 March Components of Deliverables EP18 ¹ report documenting the detailed procedures and work instructions required to generate standard geohazard map products. ArcGIS topics that will be documented are: Coordinate Reference SystemCoordinate Reference System Importing/ Exporting Large ASCII files (conversion)Importing/ Exporting Large ASCII files (conversion) Gridding algorithms (IDW, Kriging, Spline)Gridding algorithms (IDW, Kriging, Spline) Skewed vs Non-Skewed GridsSkewed vs Non-Skewed Grids Hillshading (Azimuth and Altitude)Hillshading (Azimuth and Altitude) SlopeSlope ContouringContouring Color RampsColor Ramps Creating custom style filesCreating custom style files SmoothingSmoothing LabelingLabeling Editing legend itemsEditing legend items ArcScene/ ArcGIS ExplorerArcScene/ ArcGIS Explorer

28 March Project Timeline

28 March Project Management Tools Schedule Schedule Microsoft Project to identify and keep track of tasks, milestones and due dates (coordinated with Shell)Microsoft Project to identify and keep track of tasks, milestones and due dates (coordinated with Shell) Communication Communication Weekly updates on progress via /phone (with Shell and advisor)Weekly updates on progress via /phone (with Shell and advisor) Regular face-to-face interaction (with Shell)Regular face-to-face interaction (with Shell) Quality Quality Several review cycles of deliverables (with Shell and advisor)Several review cycles of deliverables (with Shell and advisor)

28 March Thank You! Questions? Comments?

28 March Acknowledgements Patrick Kennelly Capstone Advisor The Pennsylvania State University Steve Long Geo-Information Consultant Shell International Exploration & Production Jack Verouden Geomatics Global Discipline Head Shell International Exploration & Production