Sedimentation Processes at the Navigation Channel of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Port, Nile Delta, Egypt
- 1
Abstract
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) port is located at Abu Qir Bay on the northwestern coast of the Nile delta, Egypt. The port was constructed in 2004 to export liquefied natural gas worldwide. The offshore basins of this port including the turning and berthing areas (15-m depth) are connected to the deep water by a 15-m depth dredged channel that extends 4 km offshore. However, the navigation channel and its contiguous basins have experienced problematic shoaling that might affect the navigation activities of gas tankers. Sedimentation processes have been investigated by analyses of waves, currents, bathymetry, grain size of seabed and channel dimensions. Sedimentation rates are estimated using a developed numerical model. Sedimentation rate fluctuates between 0.048 × 106 m3/month and 0.388 × 106 m3/month, with an annual sedimentation rate of 1.977 × 106 m3/yr. The variance in the sedimentation rates between winter and summer resulted in increasing of current speed and direction flowing towards offshore. The sedimentation process is influenced by the temporal variability in the direction and intensity of the predominant waves, currents, orientation of navigation channel, basin breakwaters, seafloor morphology and sediment sources. Due to the geographic location of LNG port it lays within a sediment sink for sediments supplied from different alternating directions by several pathways, flowing towards the N-W, S-W, N-E, and S-E quadrants. Most of these currents components are substantially effective in transporting fine-grained sediment towards the navigation channel axis and contiguous basins. Together with these currents, the predominant NW and SE waves acting to agitate and stirrup sediments in the vicinity of the port, and thereby accelerating sedimentation rates.
- O. E. Frihy and D. Lawrence, “Evaluation of the Modern Nile Delta Promontories: Development of Accretional Features during Shoreline Retreat,” Environmental Geology, Vol. 46, No. 6, 2004, pp. 914-931.
- O. E. Frihy, A. M. Badr and M. S. Hassan, “Sedimentation Processes at the Navigation Channel of the Damietta Harbour on the Northeastern Nile Delta Coast of Egypt,” Journal of Coastal Research, Vol. 18, No. 3, 2002, pp. 459-469.
- E. A. M. Deabes, “The Study of Sea Level Changes and Current at Rosetta and Damietta Outlets and Abu Qir Bay,” M. Sc. thesis, Faculty of science, University of Alexandria, 2002.
- M. A. Abd-Allah, A. H. El-Gindy and E. A. M. Deabes, “Estimation of Sedimentation Rates in the Navigation Channel of Damietta Harbour, Egypt,” Journal of Arab Academy for Science, technology and Marine Transport, Vol. 30, No. 59, 2005, pp. 54-61.
- CoRI, “Sea Waves and Currents Characteristics at West Side of Loading ARMS, ELNG Port-Idku Site,” Technical Reports, Coastal Research Institute, 2004-2006.
- O. E. Frihy, M. S. Hassan, E. A. Deabes and A. M. Badr, “Seasonal Wave Changes and the Morphodynamic Response of the Beach-Inner Shelf of Abu Qir Bay, Mediterranean Coast, Egypt,” Marine Geology, Vol. 247, No. 3-4, 2008, pp. 145-158.
- J. A. Bailard, “Total Load Sediment Transport Model for Plane Sloping Beach,” Journal of Geophysical research, Vol. 86, No. C11, 1981, pp. 10938-10954.
- J. A. Bailard and D. L. Inman, “An Energetics Bed Load Model for Plane Sloping Beach,” Journal of Geophysical research, Vol. 86, No. C3, 1981, pp. 2035-2043.
- L. C. Van Rijn, “Sedimentation of Dredged Channels and Trenches,” In: Herbich, J. B., Ed., Handbook of Coastal Ocean Engineering, Gulf Pub., Co., Houston, TX, 1991, pp. 609-650.
- M. A. El Sayed, N. A. Younan, A. M. Fanos and K. H. Baghdady, “Accretion and Erosion Patterns along Rosetta Promontory, Nile Delta coast,” Journal of Coastal Research, Vol. 21, No. 3, 2005, pp. 412-420.
- P. D. Komar and D. L. Inman, “Longshore Sand Transport on Beaches,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 75, No. 30, 1969, pp. 5514-5527.
- P. D. Komar, “The Relative Significance of Suspension Versus Bed-Load on Beaches,” Journal of Sedimentary petrology, Vol. 48, 1978, pp. 921-932.
- D. L. Inman, J. A. Zampol, T. E. White, D. M. Hanes, B. W. Waldorf and K. A. Kastens, “Field Measurement of Sand Motion in the Surf Zone,” Proceedings of 17th International Conference on Coastal Engineeering, ASCE, New York, 1980, pp. 1215-1234.