ABSTRACT Shallow geologic and soil conditions on the continental slope (water depths about 600 to 10,000 ft) can be complex. These conditions include: steep slopes, rugged topography, landslides, active faults, gas hydrates, seafloor erosion, and complex soil conditions. Because of these complex conditions, site investigations for siting and design of deep water production structures should include not only analysis of soil borings, but also analysis of high-resolution geophysical, geological, and oceanographic data. These diverse types of data need to be carefully combined and considered together to understand site conditions. This integrated approach helps to optimize siting of production facilities and results in the most economical foundation design. INTRODUCTION With the exception of areas off the Mississippi Delta and other local areas, the shallow geologic and soil conditions on the continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico are relatively simple. Traditionally, most site investigations for offshore production facilities consisted of one or two soil borings. Analysis of results was principally to develop foundation design criteria for a jacket-type structure supported on piles. Because shelf conditions are relatively simple, there has been no compelling need to collect geophysical and geological data as part of the site investigation. The principal exception has been in the vicinity of the Mississippi Delta where geophysical, geological, and geotechnical data have been integrated more-or-less routinely for the past 15 years or so to assess mud flow activity. In sharp contrast to the continental shelf, shallow geologic and soil conditions on the continental slope (water depths about 600 to 10,000 ft) can be complex. These conditions include:steep slopes of 15 degrees or more;irregular, sometimes rocky, topography with sharp relief ranging from a few feet to several tens of feet;active faults with seafloor relief ranging up to more than 200 ft;both modern and ancient landslides covering large areas;gas hydrates (solid, ice-like mixtures of gas and water), that may be subject to reduced shear strength and thaw consolidation when heated;seafloor erosion of tens to hundreds of feet of sediment; andsoil conditions ranging from underconsolidated soils to rock (Campbell and others, 1986). To design safe and cost-effective deep water production facilities, these complex conditions must be thoroughly investigated using a combination of geophysical, geological, geotechnical, and oceanographic techniques. The purpose of this paper is to explain how data from these diverse geoscience techniques are put together and why such integrated studies are especially important to deep water site investigation. WHAT IS AN INTEGRATED STUDY? An integrated study is a study in which geotechnical, high-resolution geophysical, geological, and oceanographic data are put together and considered collectively to fully define site conditions and geologic processes. Although an integrated study is simple in concept, the details of project execution can be complex and, in fact, vary from project to project depending partly on complexity of the site.