Dr. Oswell has been involved in numerous pipeline studies around the world. Studies include route selection, slope stability assessments, walk-over surveys, geotechnical investigations for slopes and directional drilling and related engineering. A number of projects have included forensic analyses. Project locations include Alberta, northern Canada, Alaska, northern Russia and western Siberia, the Appalachian Mountain region of the United States, Ecuador, Colombia and China.
As a senior geotechnical engineering specialist he was responsible for reviewing the geotechnical aspects of numerous pipeline projects and conducting investigations for horizontal directional drill crossings of rivers. Dr. Oswell was the senior author of a monograph prepared for the Geological Survey of Canada describing the geotechnical design and performance of the Norman Wells pipeline project. He has developed erosion and sediment control plans for various linear projects including pipelines and roads in permafrost terrain. He has conducted numerous field investigations to assess soil properties for use in pipeline soil interaction studies.
Dr. Oswell is an expert on soil-pipeline interaction and provides senior engineering input and technical review of geotechnical input to pipeline stress analyses. He is the author of the text book Soil mechanics for pipeline stress analysis (2nd edition), ISBN 9780995241015.
He is also the author of two chapters in Pipeline Geohazards: Planning, Design, Construction and Operations. Edited by Moness Rizkalla and Rod Read. American Society of Mechanical Engineers Press, New York: – Chapter 9. Erosion and sediment control of pipeline rights-of-way – Chapter 10. Geotechnical aspects of pipelines in permafrost.