Abstract

The paper is generally devoted to the problem of offshore oil and gas fields' development. The main focus of the study is mechanical behavior of seafloor sediments and stability of infrastructure objects' supporting constructions. We study the problem of estimating the effective mechanic properties of seafloor sediments. To solve the problem, we propose the usage of gravity corer of bottom sediments. These corers make it possible to study dynamic elastic properties at the ship laboratory conditions. We study the sampling process itself as a tool to estimate the rheological properties of seafloor sediments. In the current study, we propose a specific analysis of the samples and sampling process. The sampling corer is equipped with tools providing an opportunity to measure its acceleration at each moment during the sampling process. This acceleration depends on controllable sampling process conditions and mechanical properties of seafloor sediments being sampled. A corresponding contact problem is considered using the finite-element method. It is shown that there is an opportunity to evaluate some (but not all) parameters for visco-elasto-plastic rheology of the sediments from a known acceleration of the sampling tube. The obtained results make it possible to improve the quality of model of mechanical properties of the seafloor sediments. This improvement provides the corresponding increase in mechanical modeling of infrastructure stability and decreases the risks accompanying offshore field development.