MSI is approaching its 2nd anniversary for the provision of oceanographic and project management support to Muir Matheson in Atyrau, Kazakhstan. This work is part of a 3 year contract that Muir Matheson hold with a major oil company in the north Caspian region. The contract includes the provision of weather forecasting, real-time data integration, display and archiving, conducting oceanographic programmes and maintaining a network of weather stations both onshore and offshore. 
MSI have been providing personnel on a full time basis for office and fieldwork in Atyrau for the whole period and more recently also provides a dedicated project manager, Stefan Stimson, for the contract. Equipment used includes Nortek acoustic wave and current gauges (AWAC's), RD Instruments ADCPs, Valeport Midas current meters, Starmon temperature sensors and Campbell Scientific based weather stations.

The environment provides an interesting challenge as some of the oceanographic moorings have been deployed in as little as 1 metre of water. With a climate that results in the air temperature ranging from +40°C in summer to -40°C in winter, this in itself provides a major challenge for both personnel and equipment.

As experienced recently, this can mean that offshore stations that are serviced in summer by vessel and are surrounded by 26°C water are serviced in winter by helicopters that land on the ice where the boats would have ordinarily tied up. It also significantly changes the amount of PPE that is required for the service visit!

In addition, MSI have recently prepared a contract specific training course for the local Muir Matheson and end client personnel, which will include a general introduction to oceanography of the Caspian (ocean properties, currents, waves, tides and meteorology), oceanographic and meteorological equipment and metocean data processing (quality control and data analysis). The course is planned to be conducted later this year.