Stability analysis of a deep hole in the east channel of the Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories

Due to the discovery of vast quantities of hydrocarbon reserves in the late 1960s, exploration of the Mackenzie Delta led to the detection of several anomalous deep holes. The proposed pipeline from the Mackenzie Delta-Beaufort Sea region to Alberta has renewed interest in studying the stability of these holes. Environment Canada commissioned a detailed measurement of the 3D flow velocities using an ADCP in a benchmarked region of the East Channel. In this investigation, a 3D CFD package was employed to model the study reach using the k-epsilon turbulence model with wall functions. The main goal was to study flow velocity and bed shear stress distributions during various flow scenarios to ultimately provide an initial assessment of the scour hole stability. The CFD package was capable of simulating the complex 3D flow reasonably well. Results indicated that erosion and deposition were key processes during open-water and ice-covered flow conditions respectively.