Showing papers by "Brian Veitch published in 2002"

Performance of a family of surface piercing propellers

Abstract: Tests on a systematic series of surface piercing propellers were analyzed to study some aspects of scaling the performance of this kind of propulsor In particular, the influence of the Weber number, depth of immersion, and shaft rake are discussed and results for variations in these conditions are presented Regression equations are given of the relationship between critical advance coefficient and Weber number, and of the thrust and torque coefficients at advance coefficients above the critical values This work is the result of co-operative research on the scaling of the performance of surface piercing propellers that was jointly undertaken by the University of Genoa, University of Naples, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and the Institute for Marine Dynamics, NRC

An integrated approach to environmental decision-making for offshore oil and gas operations

Abstract: A brief overview is given of a research program on environmental risks associated with offshore oil and gas industry discharges. The research has two major thrusts: development of environmental risk assessment and risk management methods, and development of underwater vehicle technology for scientific and monitoring missions. This paper focuses on the former. The project is a joint venture between the Ocean Engineering Research Centre at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Institute for Marine Dynamics of the National Research Council Canada, with the support of several Canadian companies and universities. This paper describes several elements of the project: (a) the development of a risk management methodology for drilling waste discharges in the marine environment, (b) development of a probabilistic hydrodynamic model and risk-based design procedure for produced water discharges, (c) performance characteristics of several candidate sensors for environmental effects monitoring, (d) laboratory investigation of the settling characteristics of drill cuttings, (e) evaluation of various offshore treatment technologies for drilling waste using multi-criteria decision-making, and (f) evaluation of air emissions associated with the offshore petroleum industry and environmental management practice to mitigate the impacts. The ultimate goal of the research is to integrate current and emerging scientific knowledge and technology with the goals of environmental protection and their associated costs in a holistic framework to guide decision-making under uncertainty.

An integrated approach for risk management of drilling waste discharges in the marine environment

Abstract: Offshore petroleum drilling operations generate wastes associated with rock cuttings and spent drilling fluids during the well drilling phase. Synthetic-based fluids (SBFs) have lower toxicity, lower bioaccumulation potential, and faster biodegradation rates than conventional oil-based fluids. Despite these characteristics, SBF associated wastes still are of concern due to their contamination with formation oil and the presence of trace heavy metals in the weighting agent barite. The main objectives of this paper are to present a holistic approach to the risk management of drilling waste disposal in the ocean environment, and to demonstrate the utility of the approach. The approach integrates fate modeling and environmental and human health risk assessment with technical and cost considerations. Results are discussed with the help of a hypothetical case study.