Call for Abstracts

Several sessions are planned to address resource potential, geophysics, and hydrate topics.  The Resource Potential subtheme is expected to contain talks on frontier basin geology, mineral and petroleum systems, resource assessments, production challenges, and current activity in Greenland, US/Canada Beaufort/Chukchi seas, Western Russian Arctic.  The Geophysics subtheme is planned to address Arctic acquisition, processing and interpretation challenges, including extreme weather, permafrost, shifting ice, and remote logistics. The Hydrates subtheme will host presentations highlighting laboratory experimentation, reservoir simulation, resource evaluation, and potential recovery techniques applicable to the vast natural gas resource present in Arctic hydrate deposits. 

Resource Potential: Arctic regions host world-class mineral and oil & gas resources, in both onshore and offshore settings.  Presentations covering frontier basin geology, petroleum systems, and resource assessments of prospective areas/plays, production challenges of existing developments, and sessions highlighting current activity in Greenland, US/Canada Beaufort/Chukchi seas, Western Russian Arctic, and other areas are welcomed in this session.

Geophysics: Geophysics in Arctic environments pose special challenges including extreme weather, permafrost, shifting ice, hydrates and remote logistics. This session invites presenters to share their ideas and experiences in addressing the difficulties of working with the acquisition and processing of geophysical data in Arctic conditions.

Hydrates: Sub-permafrost reservoirs are believed to host gas hydrate resources with the highest hydrate saturations and recovery factors.  Presentations addressing laboratory experimentation, reservoir simulation, resource evaluation, petrophysics, and potential recovery techniques of Arctic hydrates are invited in this session. 

Drilling: Drilling exploration and developments wells in the Arctic is a challenge. Wells have and are being drilled in the Arctic however more knowledge and technology is needed to enhance the economics while maintaining the highest HSE standards.

Developments related to Arctic drilling topics such as directional drilling and hole placement, drilling rigs, drilling systems automation, drilling process and technology, drilling hazards (environment, shallow gas) and well control are of interest to a wide audience.

Facilities and Structures: Once exploration has proven substantial oil and gas reserves the next phase is development. Temporary and permanent facilities will be required to build up substantial production capacity in a hostile, Arctic environment. The challenge is to have these facilities built to withstand year-round operations.

Technical papers will be welcomed addressing the challenges and experiences related to the development, construction and operation of facilities in the onshore and offshore Arctic. Aspects such as ice and snow impact resistance, winterization, working climate, accommodation, safe refuge, environmental impact, seismic event resistance, local content, model testing, etc.

Pipelines and Export: Arctic Pipelines are a unique venture and the current thrust towards Arctic Oil and Gas Development offers new challenges to Offshore, Nearshore and Onshore Pipelines. Installations of pipelines in permafrost offers unique design challenges to both chilled gas pipelines and warn/hot oil pipelines as well as construction challenges in the cold environment.  Technical papers related to Arctic Pipeline design and construction are welcome with the following areas highlighting a sampling of the subject matters: Frost Heave, Thaw Settlement, Thermal Modeling, Climate Change, Pipe Strain, Elevated Pipelines, Buried Pipelines, Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), Insulated Pipelines, Refrigerated Pipelines, Permafrost Stabilization using Thermosyphons, Pipeline Routing Studies, Terrain Unit Analyses, GIS, Geohazards, Ice Gouging, Snow Roads, Ice Roads, River Crossings, Stream Crossings, Pump Stations, Compressor Stations, Gathering Stations, Corrosion, Pigs, Valves, Spill Prevention, Spill Detection, Spill Containment, etc.

Offshore transition zone, season extensions, gas hydrates, shallow gas: A number of parameters cause extra difficulty developing Arctic oil and gas reservoirs. Technical papers are invited addressing engineering work related to E&P activities in the offshore transition zones, realizing season extensions, dealing with gas hydrates and shallow gas.

Operations: Given the unique nature of the Arctic environment operations are a challenge to mankind, machines and systems. Technical papers are invited describing the philosophies and practices conducting the Arctic E&P operations in a safe, reliable and sustainable manner.

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs): Ice coverage for large parts of the year make the Arctic offshore environment challenging in respect of surveillance, inspection, repair and maintenance of equipment and systems installed on the seabed. Surveillance of stationary or drifting ice features poses another area for application of AUV’s in addition to seafloor terrain observations. (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles or in this context Autonomous Under-ice Vehicles).

Papers are invited describing the development and applications of AUV technology for the Arctic.

• Drilling
• Facilities and structures
• Pipelines and export
• Offshore
• Transition zone
• Season extensions
• Gas hydrates
• Shallow gas
• Operations
• AUV's

This theme will focus on the physics of ice, predictions and operations in ice, including but not limited to papers on:

• Ice
• Ice management
• Ice barriers
• Ice load prediction and modeling
• Measurement of ice properties
• Metocean, seismicity, forecasting and weather, ice predictions
• Ice roads
• Climate change

Based on feed-back from past attendees, the ATC Program Committee are particularly interested in papers dealing with specific developments for infrastructure and operations in high latitudes and with the design and engineering of marine and logistics systems for use in the Arctic.

This theme will focus on marine operations and surface, marine and air logistics in high latitudes, including but not limited to papers on:

• Icebreakers and Ice-worthy Vessels
• Offshore terminals
• Active ice management
• Arctic navigation
• Logistics and resupply — land, sea and air

With the objective to link the development of technology with the regulators, engage stakeholders, and solicit feedback on the regulatory processes. ATC PC’s interest is not just about technology, but includes guidance on how the best technology must/will be utilized to move properly into these sensitive and challenging areas.

The development of regulatory requirements for Arctic exploration and production has to keep pace with the associated technology development.  Past experience has been incorporated through industry collaboration with authorities in Arctic countries.  This ATC Regulatory and Environmental theme will address the issues involved in writing and maintaining the regulations and the way to ensure environmental safety of Life and Lim.

This theme will focus on regulatory and environmental aspects of Arctic Development including but not limited to papers on:

• ERR
• Oil spill prevention and response
• Codes and standards
• Emissions and discharges