Offshore Drilling Town ’n’ Country What are the Characteristics of Soil and Sediment Found in Offshore Drilling?

Florida is one of the bigger states that a lot of people live in, only being surpassed by Texas and California. Yet when compared to these two states, Florida is still the leader in the amount of coastline that is available for urbanization and development. Florida has a large population that is continually growing, and this is why it is quite common that geotechnical drilling professionals would be hired or contracted for offshore drilling. Town ‘n’ Country residents might be wondering what kind of considerations geotechnical drilling professionals need to take when drilling into soils and sediments that are found off the coast.

Loose and Shifting Soils

Soils and sediments that are found under the surface of the water are going to be a little different from the conditions that are found on land. When professionals are performing offshore drilling, Town ‘n’ Country drilling professionals are going to use equipment that is useful in sandy soils, as this is the most common feature of geological conditions when performing offshore drilling. Many people assume that because sand is relatively easy to handle and move that it would be easy to drill into, but this is not the truth. Drilling through sandy soils can be a challenge because the soil can easily move and shift, causing the boring hole to have issues when making space or collecting samples.

Soft Rocks and Sediments

Rocks and other large sediment pieces bigger than sand can be found in and around a coastal area, but this is not a characteristic in the coasts of Florida. If there are larger rocks and sediments at a drilling location when performing coastal drilling, Town ‘n’ Country residents should know that these types of rocks and sediments found in and around Florida are softer sediments such as limestone. These types of sediments are not a problem for geotechnical drilling professionals, but it can be a challenge knowing where they are, as the visibility underwater is not the best.

*Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Amdrill Inc*