Oceanic Exploration Feasibility Study for the East Timor Pipeline

4. PIPELINE ROUTING

As part of the East Timor Pipeline Study, several pipeline route options were considered from Bayu Undan or Greater Sunrise to East Timor. These routes are all deepwater routes, reaching a maximum water depth of approximately 2,300m to 3,500m in places.

This section provides a further, more detailed evaluation of these deepwater pipeline routes. It should be noted that no detailed geophysical data was available for this study.

The evaluation is based on bathymetric data Reference [3].

All routes that traverse the continental slopes may potentially encounter significant geohazards in addition to high seabed gradients, locally in excess of 30 degrees. Slope instability, landslides, debris and turbidity flows, as well as faults, some with surface expression, will control route selection.

An existing geophysical dataset may exist (GEOMAR), which contains detailed multibeam bathymetric data over several sections of the routes. It is recommended that this dataset be obtained such that a local evaluation of pipeline routing may be performed within these route sections. The ability to do this evaluation before performing the reconnaissance survey is considered beneficial as the survey may be performed along more favorable routes and over a more applicable extent, which will optimize survey scope and costs.

4.1 BAYU UNDAN TO SUAI

Deepwater pipeline routes from Bayu Undan to East Timor may be segmented as follows:

• Continental slope – East Timor
• Continental slope – Australia
• Maximum Water depth

An evaluation of each segment is presented below.

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