Characterization of the ice environment is an essential step in the probabilistic design approach of Arctic offshore structures. Uncertainty here could lead to overly conservative designs and higher than necessary cap-ex. Inclusion of an effective ice management strategy further mitigates risk and cost. Both tactical and historical knowledge of the ice environment can be achieved cost effectively using space-based surveillance or Earth Observation (EO). The mapping and monitoring of ice visited regions is a fundamental application area for EO, in particular Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) missions. It is an all-weather, day-and-night, geographically independent sensor. Spaceborne SAR mapping of ice has been available since the 1970s; however routine SAR monitoring was not possible until the launch of Europe’s ERS-1 satellite in 1992. This event also heralded in an era of large scale archiving of radar data. In addition to chart data available through various national ice centres, there is now an archive of almost 20 years of raw satellite radar data that can be used to create highly detailed historical maps of ice and icebergs to aid in the design process. Over the past 5-10 years, the number of radar satellites has quadrupled and technical capabilities have increased by an order of magnitude. Weekly surveillance has been replaced with daily and performance metrics are approaching 100%. Satellites are now a reliable, effective tool for a large portion of a project’s life cycle – from exploration, to developing a design basis to production. Its prevalence within the industry is growing. This paper will highlight advances in satellite monitoring, new pricing policies to increase uptake, and recent experience using satellite SAR operationally in northern oil and gas projects.
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