Page 12 - SAMCoT_2013

12 SAMCoT • ANNUAL REPORT 2013
Kvaerner entered the SAMCoT Consortium in 2013.
Throughout the year Østlund was focused on obtain-
ing all relevant information on the ongoing research to
further evaluate potential specific areas of interest and
relevance for Kværner.
“Our direct interaction with the SAMCoT environment
has been strengthened throughout the year. We expect
this to continue in the future. SAMCoT researchers and
management have a very good focus on the industry
needs and on how to link the ongoing research to these,”
she said. “As a result, our R&D strategy in this area has
been adjusted to allow us to take maximum advantage
of the cooperation.”
Dried, shaken and ridged questions
The coast plays also an important role in the research
done by SAMCoT. Our researchers are looking into the
deep permafrost issues related to presence of shallow
gas or gas hydrates that are a risk during drilling. As
Audibert-Hayet explains, “Coastal erosion is signifi-
cantly affected by climate warming (such as along the
Spitsbergen or Varandey coasts). A better understand-
ing of these features is important to ensure safety of our
operations and installations.”
Coastal issues, like all SAMCoT research, involve
intensive fieldwork. In 2013, SAMCoT’s field locations
included two sites in Russia, Varandey and Baydara;
Vestpynten, Svea and the Spitsbergen Fjord; theWestern
Barents Sea waters and the waters off the North-East
coast of Greenland*. Not surprisingly, Health Safety
and the Environment (HSE), has become an innovative
element for SAMCoT and an underlying topic for all of
the programme’s research activities. The experience
that SAMCoT brings to this topic is highly valued by all
SAMCoT Partners.
HSE is an important driving element for much of
SAMCoT’s research. Studies of Ice Induced Vibrations
(IIV), for example, aim to provide industry partners with
knowledge that could improve HSE in fixed off-shore
structures. Audibert-Hayet of TOTAL E&P says that the
ice induced vibration of “larger, not slender structures
persists as a question.”
Knut Høyland, NTNU Professor and leader of the work
package in charge of researching this topic, explains
that the study of ice induced vibrations “is more an issue
related to the work environment than structural safety.
If a platform shakes, people feel uncomfortable and
probably scared, increasing the probability of something
going wrong.”
Two PhDs candidates supervised by experts in this
topic are working in numerical and experimental
models that would give the industry partners impor-
tant clues leading to innovative advances in the topic of
Ice Induced Vibrations. These SAMCoT researchers are
also planning on the future validation of the numerical
models using full-scale data.
The validation of numerical models using full-scale data
is not exclusive to one SAMCoT research area; on the
contrary, it extends to them all. Audibert-Hayet sees
SAMCoT’s fundamental research as a crucial step on the
path towards innovation.
“The work done to understand the ridging process in
SAMCoT is very interesting,” she says. “Here the influ-
ence of ice properties on the processes involved is
crucial and some work is targeted to shed light on this.
Again, full-scale observations are important and the
investigation of the intricacies – not to say artefacts – of
numerical routines less so.”
SAMCoT researchers made great efforts in 2013 to
obtain full-scale data and to use them to find answers to
very fundamental questions.
Spin-offs, creating opportunities
SAMCoT Centre Director Løset states proudly, “SAMCoT
does not work FOR the Industry, but WITH the Industry.”
He knows this is possible thanks to the strong role of the
EIAC and to the clear common vision and objectives of
this SFI, shared by all the partners.
Thermodenudation affecting coastal bluff, observed in
June 2013 in Baydaratskaya Bay investigation site
Photo: Emilie Guegan