DYPIC -Dynamic Positioning in ICE -is an international research and development project partially financed by the national research agencies of Germany, Norway and France. This 3-years initiative (2010-2012) focused on the development of Dynamic Positioning (DP) technology for the Arctic environment. The projects' backbone was formed by two extensive experimental campaigns performed in 2011 and 2012. This paper summarizes the work performed within the project and spotlights the technical and scientific findings emerged from it. Special attention is payed to two facets of the project: the design of experimental devices, systems and setups for ice tank testing including the development of a dynamic positioning system for model basin facility, and the development of an ice basin numerical simulator. Finally, the opened perspectives are discussed with a special focus on the operational matters.

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Ice management is an important cost driver for oil and gas developments in Arctic regions. In order to evaluate and test various ice management technologies, full-scale trials offshore north-east Greenland were performed in September 2012 and August 2013 within the framework of the Oden Arctic Technology Research Cruise (OATRC) program. This paper describes environmental conditions in the area of the trials, presents the OATRC program in general and discusses the sea ice management trials of OATRC 2013. Finally, numerical simulations of the Oden icebreaker in broken ice conditions are performed based on the field data. Qualitative comparisons of the simulations with full-scale observations indicate further future potential of the suggested numerical approach.

International operators are seeking, investigating and pursuing new business opportunities in the Arctic. While operating in the Arctic, there will be a considerable need for vessels to keep their position during various operations which may include lifting, installation, crew change, evacuation, and maybe drilling. Opposed to open water, the drifting ice poses severe limitations as to how stationkeeping operations may be carried out. Dynamic positioning systems are currently developed aiding stationkeeping without mooring systems. There is a considerable need to enhance the open water DP systems for use in a new forcing environment. Essentially a new technology has to be developed with time. For that reason, considerable knowledge is required concerning current limitations and boundary conditions. This paper addresses some of the generic challenges related to DP operations in ice together with relevant learnings which are employed in mentioned DP enhancements.