Blast Effects Upon the Environment from the Removal of Platform Legs by Explosives

Regulations require that offshore platforms and structures be removed after abandonment and the site cleared of obstructions. One of the primary means for severing the pilings which attach structures to the seafloor is through the use of explosives. This project quantifies the blast overpressures which result from these pile severance activities. The Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) conducted measurements of actual pile severance activities in the Gulf of Mexico. A platform was chosen for its suitability and NSWC electronically monitored the blasts from an adjacent barge. Results from these studies will be used to determine underwater blast effects upon the environment.