Gulf of Mexico deep water current studies for offshore oil exploration and production

Abstract

Recent experience in the Gulf of Mexico demonstrates the importance of achieving a better understanding of current phenomena for offshore platform design. Engineers lack sufficient current criteria for extreme load calculations, operations managers require ocean velocity information for scheduling critical procedures and circulation data are necessary input for numerical oil spill risk analyses. This paper describes several ocean current studies recently conducted for the Gulf. Infrared and visible NOAA satellite imagery, expendable current profiler (XCP) measurements, drifting buoy observations and temperature cross sections are among the available data sources. Efforts include measuring currents in two 1984 hurricanes and studying anticyclonic Loop Current eddies. The simultaneous occurrence of hurricanes and eddies is also considered.