Benthic, a global geosciences company, has been awarded a contract by Statoil Canada for an offshore geotechnical investigation in the Flemish Pass region off the coast of Newfoundland.
The contract includes the provision of geotechnical services required by Statoil to determine the slope stability, preliminary geological model and preliminary design parameters of the Flemish Pass area.
Benthic’s portable remotely operated drill PROD2, operating from the Maersk Chancellor, will perform rotary drilling and piston coring, in-situ testing and the installation of Piezometers in water depths up to 1,200m. Laboratory testing and geotechnical data reports will be provided through a subcontract with the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, (NGI), following the completion of offshore operations. Benthic is working closely with NGI to develop an integrated Piezometer system that can be installed entirely by the PROD system without the need for ROV support. A key feature of this system is the ability to withstand bottom trawling without a heavy over-trawl protection structure.
This is Benthic’s first project off the east coast of Canada and its second geotechnical investigation program in Canada over the past year. Operations will begin in July of 2015.
