Investigation into fishing activity near offshore piplines

On the North Sea bottom lie numerous pipelines to link oil- or gas offshore drilling units, - platforms and processing stations on land. Although pipeline tubes are coated and covered with protective layers, the pipelines risk being damaged through man-made hazards like anchor dropping and fishing activities with bottom trawls. This study provides, as a proof of concept, a map of fishing intensities in a buffer area around the pipelines that can be used in a GIS application by Fugro to assess risks and advise TAQA Energy B.V. on e.g. additional survey activities. The addition of a fishing intensity layer to the procedure currently applied by Fugro may improve the overall risk assessment for pipeline damages.