Ormen Lange—an integrated study for the safe development of a deep-water gas field within the Storegga Slide Complex, NE Atlantic continental margin; executive summary

Abstract

A great effort has been undertaken to investigate potential geohazards in relation to the development of the Ormen Lange gas field offshore Mid-Norway. The field is located in the scar left after the giant, tsunami-generating Storegga Slide, which occurred roughly 8150 years ago, and the slide risk has consequently received particular focus. The studies have been multi-disciplinary in character, and have involved a number of companies, universities, and research institutions. The results of the project have lead to a significant advance in our understanding of the Storegga Slide in particular, and submarine slope instability in general, and played an important role in the approval of field development by Norwegian authorities. This special issue comprises 26 individual contributions in addition to this representing the wide span of topics addressed in the project, and this introductory paper gives a brief summary of their contents.