Strong currents can present hazards to drilling operations, especially as drilling moves into increasingly deeper water. The forces on risers increase dramatically. Both real-time and historical oceanographic and meteorological data become critical components of daily drilling operations and long-term planning.

Real-time current monitoring is also extremely useful when drilling operations are conducted from a dynamically positioned drill ship, because the current profile can also be used to assist in positioning the vessel.

Woods Hole Group designed and built a real-time meteorological and oceanographic monitoring system for the Drillship Glomar Jack Ryan, operating in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic off South America (Trinidad).

The system, which we installed in 2000, consists of an R. D. Instruments’ downward-looking 38 kHz phased-array acoustic Doppler current profiler suspended below the surface, and sensors that measure wind speed and direction.

We provided the software for a PC-based (Windows98) data acquisition system, which shows the data in multiple formats and provides daily archival data files.

Woods Hole Group services the monitoring system on site every three months. We also manage and maintain the automated daily transfer of data from the rig to our office for data quality assurance.