Seabed Morphological Characterization and Shallow Geohazards at Offshore Binh Thuan Wind Farm Sites, Southern Vietnam Shelf

The offshore Binh Thuan Province in southern Vietnam shelf (SVS) seems to have great potential for offshore wind projects, attracting significant investments. Understanding the seabed morphology and assessing geohazards is indeed crucial for the successful installation of offshore wind farms. The study aims to provide an overall characterization of the seabed and identify potential shallow geohazards in the proposed wind farm sites, assisting contractors in selecting suitable installation foundations and cable routes. In the study area, which extends from 0 to 100 m water depth, the seabed is described as highly irregular and undulating. This irregularity is attributed to various geological features such as sandwave groups, carbonate mounds, and volcanics. The sandwaves, characterized by their discontinuous nature, have wavelengths of a few hundred meters and can reach heights of up to 9 m. Aside from the sandwaves, other geological hazards have been recorded in the investigated area. Shallow faults and shallow gas occurrences are among the hazards identified. These hazards pose potential risks that need to be taken into account during the planning and design of the wind farm installations.