The Challenge

Our Solution

C-CORE provides comprehensive environmental data collection and design basis development services, supporting both deterministic and reliability-based design approaches. Our structured methodology begins with identifying the appropriate datasets – whether historical hindcast records, in-situ measurements, or newly acquired region-specific observations – and culminates in a detailed, defensible Design Basis Report.

Our environmental characterization services include:

• Metocean analysis: Assessment of wind, wave, current, fog, vessel icing, sea surface temperature, and air temperature using regional hindcast datasets and public archives. Notably, C-CORE developed Insight, a comprehensive metocean study for Nalcor (now OilCo), which also compared offshore Newfoundland conditions with analogous environments such as the Barents Sea, North Sea, East and West Greenland, and the Canadian Arctic.
• Ice and iceberg assessments: We use satellite and airborne remote sensing, field observations, and in-situ measurements to determine iceberg size, shape, location, and density, as well as sea ice concentration, floe size, and type. C-CORE maintains one of the world’s most comprehensive databases of ice features, including nearly 200 high-resolution 3D iceberg profiles collected using our Rapid Iceberg Profiling System (RIPS) – capable of delivering processed data within one hour.
• Impact and interaction studies: To understand and model seabed structure interactions with ice, we developed the Rapid High Impact Testing Apparatus (RHITA) a 2 MN self-reacting test frame capable of simulating keel impacts on subsea pipelines, flowlines, and cables. RHITA also supports testing of hull panels and other structural elements under realistic high-force conditions.
• Ship-based load monitoring: C-CORE has designed and deployed onboard load measurement systems, including a custom strain gauge array installed on the Swedish icebreaker Frej. Our team managed the design, calibration, and participated in the operational data collection voyage, delivering high-fidelity ice interaction data under real-world conditions.

C-CORE’s environmental and design basis support enables clients to reduce uncertainty, optimize design margins, and meet regulatory requirements with confidence – ensuring robust performance in some of the world’s most demanding offshore environments.

C-CORE supports these efforts through a structured process that begins with data collection—either from publicly available hindcast (historical) sources, insitu historical data, or through the acquisition of new, region-specific data. This information is then analyzed to identify key environmental parameters, with findings documented in a comprehensive design basis report.

The iceberg and sea ice environment are assessed based on imagery from satellite and aircraft-borne sensors, along with in-situ measurement and field observations, which detail, for example, iceberg location, size, shape and areal density, as well as sea ice concentration, type and floe size. C-CORE maintains a large database of information collected during the past 2-3 decades, including nearly 200 3D iceberg profiles collected using a Rapid Iceberg Profiling System (RIPS) designed to collect and process data within a one-hour timeframe.

The metocean environmental characterization generally includes winds, waves, currents, fog, vessel icing, sea surface temperature, and air temperature and are typically analyzed using regional hindcast datasets. C-CORE developed a publicly available comprehensive metocean study for Oilco (previously Nalcor) – Insight. In addition, comparisons were made between the regions offshore Newfoundland to those in other analogous internationally-explored regions such as east and west Greenland, North Sea, Barents Sea, Canadian Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, Kara Sea, Caspian Sea, Sakhalin Island, and Rockall, as well as the Grand Banks and Orphan Basin.

To better understand the interaction between an ice keel and a pipe or cable on the seabed, C-CORE designed, fabricated, and installed a large self-reacting frame with a 2 MN force capacity for impact testing between solid ice samples and various indenter geometries. This Rapid High Impact Testing Apparatus (RHITA) has been used to perform indentation tests on rigid pipes, flexible flowlines, subsea cables, and small panels representing ship hulls.

C-CORE designed a shipboard local load measurement system that was installed on the Swedish icebreaker Frej. We were responsible for the design, installation, and calibration of the strain gauge system and also participated in the voyage during which data was collected.