Numerical modeling is a cost effective planning tool for both operational feasibility and design studies. This is particularly true in the Arctic offshore industry where operational costs are high. Ice management, the defense of platforms or floaters via systematic icebreaking, is a useful tool to ensure ice loads are kept within manageable limits. The availability of new data types, departing in detail from traditional ice observer records allows more specific modeling to occur in support of conceptual designs. Issues with applying these data sources have been identified, and are generally caused by the assumptions made during calibration of existing icebreaker performance models.

A methodology to extract general ice severity statistics from spatial Upward Looking Sonar (ULS) data is presented to allow for a direct application within existing performance models. Identification of severe features (first year ridges and multi-year floes) is also discussed. In addition, a method for deriving floe size distributions from analytical ice management predictions is briefly described. Finally recommendations for of future work in terms of increasing the reliability and accuracy of icebreaker performance and ice management modeling are made.

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