It is imperative to assess coastal vulnerability to safeguard coastal areas against extreme events and sea-level rise. In the Niger Delta region, coastal vulnerability index assessment in the past focused on open-access parameters without comparing the open-access parameters, especially coastal elevation and shoreline change. This sensitivity to the shoreline method and open-access coastal elevation limits the information for the planning of coastal adaptation. The area under investigation is the Niger Delta, which is distinguished by its low-lying coastal plains and substantial ecological and economic significance. In light of the selected parameters, Sentinel-1 GRD images from 2015 to 2022 during high tidal conditions were used to delineate the shoreline position and change rate. Also, different open-access DEMs were used to derive the coastal elevation using the Geographic Information System (GIS) approach. The study employs 5 parameters, such as shorelines obtained from Sentinel-1 SAR images and several Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), geomorphology, mean sea level rise, significant wave height, and mean tide range, in conjunction with the initial Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) approach. The study reveals that the type of DEM used significantly influences the coastal elevation ranking and, subsequently, the CVI. Differences in shoreline change rate estimation methods (EPR and LRR) also impact the vulnerability rankings but to a lesser extent. The findings highlight that 40.1% to 58.9% of the Niger Delta coastline is highly or very highly vulnerable to sea-level rise, depending on the shoreline change rate or DEM used. The study underscores the potential of using CVI methods with open-access data in data-poor countries for identifying vulnerable coastal areas that may need protection or adaptation. Lastly, it points out the need for higher resolution DEMs.
Recent activities in the oil and gas industry have shown an increasing need for monitoring engagements, such as in shipping, logistics, exploration, drilling, or production. Hence, there is a need to have asset management of these offshore assets (or facilities). Much of the offshore infrastructure is currently approaching or past its operational life expectancy. The study presents an overview on asset management of offshore facilities towards monitoring, safe practices, maintenance, and sustainability. This study outlines the major considerations and the steps to take when evaluating asset life extensions for an aging offshore structure (or asset). The design and construction of offshore structures require some materials that are used to make the structural units, such as offshore platform rigs, ships, and boats. Maintaining existing assets in the field and developing new platforms that are capable of extracting future oil and gas resources are the two key issues facing the offshore sector. This paper also discusses fault diagnosis using sensors in the offshore facilities. The ocean environment is constantly corrosive, and the production activities demand extremely high levels of safety and reliability. Due to the limited space and remote location of most offshore operations, producing cost-effective, efficient, and long-lasting equipment necessitates a high level of competence. This paper presents the guidelines on asset monitoring, sustainable maintenance, and safety practices for offshore structures. In this study, the management of offshore structures were also presented with some discussions on fault monitoring using sensors. It also proposes sustainable asset management approaches as guidelines that are advised, with policy implications.