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Introduction—Shallow or deep, which is it?

Houston, Texas, U.S.

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

A recently discovered geohazard (i.e., after petroleum exploration advanced into the deeper waters off the continental shelf) often causes confusion when we try to describe it to those not familiar with this phenomenon. Shallow water flows (SWF) exist in deepwater. Then, why isn't SWF called "deepwater flows?" We have been familiar with shallow gas zones that have resulted in considerable losses via the occasional loss of a rig. They have been found in shallow water depths as well as in sands near the seafloor. Shallow water flows, on the other hand, generally occur from overpressured sands in deepwater (i.e., water depth >600 ft) but at depths down to 5000 ft below the mudline. This depth below the mudline is shallow from a drilling perspective and thus the term "shallow water flows." SWFs have been encountered around the world—the Nile Delta is a recent addition to the list. Several articles in this special section describe this phenomenon in more detail.

Geohazards studies . . . [Full Text of this Article]