Subsurface Data for Wind Developers

In areas where unforeseen ground conditions pose the biggest threat to any potential development, then it makes sense to maximise the information available from existing subsurface seismic data. RockWave has data available now that can help you gain an advantage at the preliminary ground model phase.?

Map Soil Thickness

Identify Geohazards

Target/Refine Future Surveys

Increase Confidence

Early Foundation Concepts

Financial Understanding

What is Repurposing?

Put simply, Repurposing is our word for making O&G seismic data useful to offshore wind developers.

By going all the way back to raw field data, we can start afresh and design a new processing workflow that focuses just on the depth range of interest for WTG foundation/anchor design.

Where a typical O&G seismic processing workflow would throw away useful samples representing the shallow subsurface in favour of deep exploration targets, we instead design a workflow to maximise this information. At every stage, the data is conditioned to ensure as many details in this crucial zone are retained and optimised.

Our clients are using Repurposed data to accurately map soil thickness across their areas of interest and identify possible geohazards such as depressions, tunnel valleys, faults and gas pockets that can be targeted for further investigation with ultra-high resolution geophysical surveys and geotechnical testing/sampling.

Success Story...

Globally there exists an abundance of seismic data that was originally acquired for the purpose of oil & gas exploration. However, these datasets have typically been overlooked due to the assumed lack of sufficient resolution within the upper 100m below seabed.

Since RockWave brought the concept of ‘Repurposing’ to SSE, Mauribeni and CIP in 2021 as part of their successful ScotWind application, this is no longer true.

RockWave reprocessed, or more to the point... Repurposed the UK government-funded MNSH 2015 2D dataset, for Atkins to then utilise for accurately mapping Quaternary sediment thickness across the site and identify possible geohazards such as depressions, tunnel valleys, faults and gas pockets that will require further investigation.

Although ultra-high resolution seismic surveys will provide the optimal resolution to support a later-stage engineering ground model, the Repurposed data provides more regional coverage and deeper penetration to allow interpretation of the deeper structural trends underlying any site. In the absence of any existing subsurface data, for this ScotWind consortium the Repurposing provided early insights to the expected foundation design and costs, and helped in making more informed decisions about future geophysical and geotechnical surveys.

The project has been shortlisted for the Ground Engineering 2022 Technical Excellence Award. Peter Cox presented this project at the EAGE Near Surface 2023 Conference in Edinburgh...

Your next step...

RockWave has Repurposed seismic data available to offshore wind developers in the following locations:

• North Sea (Mid-North Sea High 2D)
• UK Celtic Sea (Southwest Approaches 2D)
• Irish Celtic Sea (Geopartners Repurposed NCS 2D)
• Irish Sea (SLB Repurposed Legacy 2D)
• East Shetland Basin (ESB 2D)

All data is available through licensing agreement and can be utilised by your teams or contractors to help build a preliminary ground model to guide future decisions and boost applications.

Enter your name and contact details into the form on our website , with a quick note that references your interest in Repurposing, then we will get back to you.