Abstract
The engineering geology of the continental slope in the northern Gulf of Mexico is probably among the most complex of any offshore area in the world. This complexity is due largely to past and ongoing salt movement and to landsliding and other depositional processes during Quaternary sea-level lowstands. Conditions which can adversely affect siting and design of production structures include: steep slopes and rugged, sometimes rocky, topography; active faults; shallow overpressured zones; both modern and ancient landslides; gas hydrates; seafloor erosion; and variable materials ranging from weak soils to rock. Engineering assessment of deepwater sites may require collection and comprehensive integration of a wide variety of geophysical, geological, and geotechnical data.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
A.A.P.G. (1970), ‘Bathymetric Maps, Eastern Continental Margin, U.S.A.’, 1:1,000,000, sheet 3 of 3, Northern Gulf of Mexico, compiled by W. C. Holland, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Bouma, A. H. and Roberts, H. H. (1990), `Northern Gulf of Mexico slope’, Geo-Marine Letters 10, 177–181.
Campbell, K. J., Hooper, J. R., and Prior, D. B. (1986), `Engineering implications of deepwater geologic and soil conditions, Texas-Louisiana slope’, Proc. 18th Annual Offshore Technol. Conf, OTC Paper 5105, pp. 225–232.
Campbell, K. J., Quiros, G. W., Machado, C., and de Castro, J. R. (1988a), ‘Integrated geophysical and geotechnical deepwater site investigations’, in Offshore Engineering, F. L. L. B. Carneiro, A. J. Ferrante, and R. C. Batista (eds.), Proc. 6th Intl. Symp. Offshore Engineering, Rio de Janeiro, Aug. 1987, Pentech Press, London, pp. 125–190.
Campbell, K. J., Quiros, G. W., and Young, A. G. (1988b), `The importance of integrated studies to deepwater site investigation’, Proc. 20th Annual Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, OTC Paper 5757, pp. 99–107.
Campbell, K. J., Tillinghast, W. J., Roulstone,_J. A., and Hoffman, J. S. (1990), `Geohazards surveying and complex seafloor conditions along deepwater Jolliet pipeline routes’, Proc. 22nd Annual Offshore Technol. Conf, Houston, OTC Paper 6370, pp. 223–234.
Doyle, E. H. (1989), `The usefulness of high-resolution geophysical surveying to the offshore oil and gas industry — Gulf of Mexico’, Conf. Proc. Marine Engineering Geology for Petroleum Development in Developing Countries, sponsored by the United Nations and the People’s Republic of China, Guangzhou, 30 Nov.-6 Dec.
Doyle, E. H., Kaluza, M. J., and Roberts, H. H. (1992), `Use of manned submersibles to investigate slumps in deepwater Gulf of Mexico’, Proc. Civil Engineering in the Oceans, Texas AandM Univ., 2–5 Nov., Am. Soc. Civil Engineers, New York, N.Y.
Hardin, N. S. (1986), `Mass transport deposits of the upper continental slope, northwestern Gulf of Mexico’, in Late Quaternary Facies and Structure, Northern Gulf of Mexico, H. L. Berryhill (ed.), AAPG Studies in Geology, No. 23, Tulsa, Oklahoma, pp. 241–284.
Hooper, J. R. and Dunlap, W. A. (1989), `Modeling soil properties on the continental slope, Gulf of Mexico, Proc. 21st Annual Offshore Technol. Conf., Houston, OTC Paper 5956, pp. 677–688.
Hooper, J. R. and Dutt, R. N. (1991), `Geotechnical and geological research challenges of the deepwater frontier’, Fugro-McClelland Marine Geosciences, Inc., proprietary Research Report, 194 pages, 136 plates, 11 tables.
Kennicutt, M. C., II, Brooks, J. M., and Burke, R. A., Jr. (1989), `Hydrocarbon seepage, gas hydrates, and authigenic carbonate in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico’, Proc. 21st Annual Offshore Technol. Conf, Houston, OTC Paper 5952, pp. 649–654.
Martin, R. G. and Bouma, A. H. (1982), `Active diapirism and slope steepening, northern Gulf of Mexico continental slope’, Marine Geotechnology, 5 (1), 63–91.
Prior, D. B., Doyle, E. H., Kaluza, M. J., Woods, M. M., and Roth, J. W. (1988), `Technical advances in high-resolution hazard surveying, deepwater Gulf of Mexico’, Proc. 20th Annual Offshore Technol. Conf, Houston, OTC Paper 5758, pp. 109–117.
Prior, D. B., Doyle, E. H., and Kaluza, M. J. (1989), `Evidence for sediment eruption on deep seafloor, Gulf of Mexico’, Science 243, Jan., pp. 517–519.
Roberts, H. H., Sassen, R., Carney, R., and Aharon, P. (1989), `Carbonate buildups on the continental slope off central Louisiana’, Proc. 21st Annual Offshore Technol. Conf, Houston, OTC Paper 5953, pp. 655–662.
Sassen, R., Grayson, P., Cole, G., Roberts, H. H., and Aharon, P. (1991), `Hydrocarbon seepage and salt-dome related carbonate reservoir rocks of the U.S. Gulf coast’, Trans. Gulf Coast Assoc. Geol. Societies, vol. XLI, pp. 570–578.
Tunnicliffe, V. (1992), `Hydrothermal-vent communities of the deep sea’, American Scientist 80 (4), 336–349.
Young, A. G. (1991), `Marine foundation studies’, in Handbook of Coastal and Ocean Engineering, Vol. 2. Offshore Structures, Marine Foundations, Sediment Processes, and Modeling, J. B. Herbich (ed.), Gulf Publishing Co., Houston, pp. 445–596.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Campbell, K.J., Hooper, J.R. (1993). Deepwater Engineering Geology and Production Structure Siting, Northern Gulf of Mexico. In: Ardus, D.A., Clare, D., Hill, A., Hobbs, R., Jardine, R.J., Squire, J.M. (eds) Offshore Site Investigation and Foundation Behaviour. Advances in Underwater Technology, Ocean Science and Offshore Engineering, vol 28. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2473-9_19
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2473-9_19
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-4293-4
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-2473-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive