A Database of Oil Industry Deepwater Current Measurements

摘要

The paper describes the structure, contents, and data access tools of the database of deepwater currentmeasurements in the Gulf of Mexico developed by Woods Hole Group, Inc. for DeepStar® DeepwaterTechnology Development Project. Since 2005 the US oil industry has collectively spent tens of millionsof dollars to collect ocean current data in the Gulf of Mexico, in accordance with a Governmentrequirement (Notice to Lessees). Twenty-minute ADCP ensemble averages, mainly from rig- or platformmounted38kHz ADCPs measuring down to 1000m, are transmitted in real time to the National Data BuoyCenter (NDBC). This has resulted in the creation of a massive, multi-year archive of current data in deepareas of the Gulf of Mexico. A DeepStar Project focused on the development of a database of these data.At present, the database includes 546 quality inspected and edited ADCP current records of BOEMNTL current data, a total of 151.5 instrument-years of ADCP measurements, with associated detailed andaccurate (verified) metadata, where each record corresponds to a single, fixed measurement location, anda consistent ADCP setup. In addition it includes 318 ADCP and single-point current meter records ofMMS (now BOEM) Environmental Studies Program data. The database provides access to time seriesplots of current speed and direction profiles for each record in the database, plots of strong current events,as well as data and graphic access tools designed to assist users in locating specific records and plots ofthe data. This database is the first collection of quality-controlled and edited current data in a formconvenient for analysis by oil industry engineers. It is composed of flat files and associated plot andmetadata files, each with descriptive file name. Files may be accessed through proprietary map-based GUIor spreadsheet GUI.