The Middle East to India Pipeline (MEIDP) will provide an economic and secure source of gas for India, where the demand for energy will continue to increase over the coming decades. The proposed pipeline will be the deepest major infrastructure pipeline laid with water depths exceeding 3000m for significant sections of the 1200km route.
This paper will give details of the 2013 geophysical reconnaissance survey along the pipeline route. Five areas were highlighted during desktop studies as significant for potential geohazards, namely the Indian and Omani continental slopes, the Indus Fan, the Owen Fracture zone and the Qalhat Seamount. The findings in these areas will be presented with particular focus on the Owen Fracture zone crossing, where the continental plate boundary between the Arabian and Indian tectonic plates meet forming a right lateral strike slip fault movement zone. The movement on the plate boundary will be investigated and examples of survey data will demonstrate the challenges that need to be overcome in crossing this major geohazard feature. The results of the survey will be discussed together with details of the geohazard design process required to identify a feasible route and necessary intervention works at this feature to bring this project closer to reality.
