Seabed Environmental baseline for Platform abandonment

This research builds on the previous SEEP (SEabed Environmental baseline for Platform abandonment) project, a collaboration between DTU Offshore, GEUS, and Aarhus University.

The SEEP project developed a toolbox for pre-abandonment environmental baselining. The toolbox is based on multiple geological, biological, and geophysical data. Using the developed toolbox, a preliminary baseline for both pre- and post-production conditions has been established, providing an initial understanding of the differences between natural seepage and anthropogenic seepage within Gorm and Valdemar.

The project is a collaboration between DTU Offshore and GEUS, which will extend and validate the SEEP project’s conclusions by analysing additional core samples from Gorm and nearby fields.

Additionally, the project will develop an ecological model of shallow sediments and methane dynamics to support the identification of further data required for a comprehensive environmental baseline before decommissioning.

This work will serve as the scientific foundation for industry and authorities for upcoming oil and gas decommissioning activities, and the toolbox is also highly relevant for baselining CO₂ storage sites.