For the past three years BSEE has partnered with Shell Offshore, Inc (Shell) in order to help understand the yearly arctic freeze-up. Having multiple concurrent years of study is proving to be extremely valuable for comparing and contrasting differences between yearly weather patterns and freeze-ups, along with identifying differences to historical data collected in the 1980's. This freeze up study is on its 4th consecutive year.

The objective of this project is to produce information that will facilitate strict implementation of the ISO 19906 Standard: Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries - Arctic Offshore Structures (i.e., the Normative). The information will consist of sea-ice information, for U.S. waters in both the Chukchi and Beaufort seas, in a format consistent with the philosophy of the Normative.

The objective of this project is to produce information that will facilitate strict implementation of the ISO J 9906 Standard: Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries -Arctic Offshore Structures. The information gathered under this contract will consist of meteorological and oceanographic information, for US waters in both the Chukchi and Beaufort seas, in a format consistent with the philosophy of the Normative.

The objective of this project is to determine the applicability of current standards, regulations, and practices which exist domestically and internationally, both within and outside of the oil and gas industry for use in determining and validation of the load ratings for new built cranes and de-rated cranes used during offshore oil and gas activities in the Arctic.

In February 2012, a large, grounded ice feature was discovered off the Chukchi Sea coast in the vicinity of Point Belcher. Based on the likelihood that a substantial ice gouge had been incised in the sea bottom, a joint industry project was commissioned to perform a bathymetric survey at the site immediately after break-up of the sea ice. The work was sponsored by Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc., Statoil Petroleum AG, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).

The 2013-14 Freeze-Up Study is intended to build upon the knowledge and expand the database acquired during the past four years and is designed to address five specific objectives: Describe the ice conditions that evolve during the freeze-up and early winter seasons, including the development of the landfast ice zone and early shear zone; Locate and map features of potential importance for offshore exploration and production activities, including ice movement lines, substantial leads (linear openings in the sea ice) and polynyas (areal openings in the sea ice), first-year ridges and rubble

During the 1980s the probability of impact by an extreme ice feature, or EIF, that would generate extreme loads on a production platform in the Southern Beaufort Sea, was identified as a key design criterion. In recent years the effects of climate change on the arctic climate and ice cover has received increasing attention. The changing climate already appears to be contributing to the deterioration of the ice shelves of the western Arctic Islands with the increased calving of ice islands (II).

The overall objective of the proposed research is to advance our understanding of the relationship between the strength and fracture of sea ice on scales small (laboratory) and large (field). The specific objectives of the research are: to measure the effects of temperature and sliding speed on the kinetic coefficient of friction of first-year sea ice; and
to measure the effect of temperature on the brittle compressive failure envelope of first-year sea ice and to derive (from the slope of the envelope) the internal friction coefficient.

The purpose of this joint industry project is to build a database of Ice Island and/or extreme ice feature motions, trajectories, and physical changes as they travel from the high arctic into the Beaufort Sea. Having this information will allow a better determination of the risks involved in putting a structure in the Beaufort Sea in different locations. Results from this project will also be compared with Ice Island and extreme ice feature information collected in the 1970s and 80s.

The objective of this study was to advance our understanding of the Arctic Ice conditions and formation in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas offshore Alaska. The study had six (6) individual goals:
Describe the ice conditions at several stages during the freeze-up seasons;
Document early shear zone and landfast ice development;
Locate and map ice features for the design and operation of offshore facilities;
Locate and map ice encroachment and measure ice thicknesses associated with ice pile-ups;