Site Studies
Horizon Marine has a historical database which includes over 23 years of Eddy Watch reports and data. Records of the weekly charts are reviewed for the purpose of hindcasting major and minor events at specific lease blocks. To date, over 165 studies have been conducted for over two dozen companies. Results include a statistical chart and graphical hindcast of the percentage of time that a site was influenced by the Loop Current and/or eddies on a monthly, seasonally, and yearly basis. These are generally used in planning future operations
Hindcasting
Deepwater exploration, drilling, construction, and production is a tremendously expensive endeavor. The normal day rate for a drill ship is now up to $500,000; specialized construction and pipelaying vessels can hit up to $1 million per day. All of these deepwater operations are sensitive to the incredible power of the Loop Current and its eddies. At many sites in the past, operations have been shut down for weeks, creating the infamous word “downtime”.
Horizon Marine’s hindcasting services give a highly accurate site history of strong currents. With knowledge of timing and magnitude of events over the past 15 years, planners and operators can budget more intelligently for projects that will be influenced by severe currents. These site-specific hindcasts are assembled by studying the archive of Eddy Watch reports and compiling statistics for the site in question. Loop Current and eddy interference at the site are tabulated by week, by month, and by current speed, enabling the creation of the hindcast statistics. These studies have assisted planners and operators in every deepwater region in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
