UNDERCURRENTS 11

Welcome to issue 11 of Undercurrents. Since our last edition, we have increased the number of countries that we have operated in to 30 now, proving that we have earned our "International" tag. However, more important to us is the fact that we continue to win new projects with existing clients on the back of our successful undertaking of projects in the past - we have always worked hard to protect our reputation and this proves the merit in doing so.

As well as undertaking projects around the world, we have been busy on the road promoting our company and the services we provide globally and purchasing equipment. In the last 12 months we have amassed over 200,000 km in travel attending trade exhibitions and details of this are contained in this newsletter. We have purchased a 1.8m AXYS WatchMate buoy for another 12 month contract that we have recently secured, further adding to our extensive arsenal of oceanographic equipment on our books.

Much of the information contained in this newsletter is available on our website and we encourage you to check www.metoceanservices.com regularly for updates.

MSI Make It To 30 With Award Of A Measurement Programme in Tanzania

MSI has been awarded a current measurement programme by Alpha in Tanzania, marking the 30th country of operations since the company’s inception in 2003, and involves deployment of 5 current moorings between mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.

For the measurements, MSI deployed 3 moorings fitted with acoustic doppler current profilers (ADCPs) and 2 moorings fitted with Nortek Aquadopp current meters. Water depths at the locations vary from 20m to 60m.

Operations were conducted from the vessel MV Solstar and measurements are expected to last for at least 30 days. The data will be used to assist with engineering design of a 132 kva submarine cable from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar.

This is MSI’s 2nd project for Alpha, having completed a metocean measurement programme for them in Kenya in 2008. MSI has also previously charted vessels from Alpha for a project in Mozambique. Full Story

MSI Completes UK Rosebank Current Measurement Programme

Metocean Services International (MSI) has completed a near 14 month deep water current measurement programme for Chevron North Sea Ltd (on behalf of itself and the Rosebank co-venturers: Statoil (U.K.) Ltd., OMV (U.K.) Ltd., and DONG E&P (U.K.) Ltd) in the Rosebank Field – safely and on schedule.

A mooring comprising TRDI 75kHz acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP), 6 Nortek Aquadopp single point current meters and RBR tide gauge was initially deployed in January 2010. The mooring was recovered, serviced and redeployed in May and October 2010, with final recovery taking place in March 2011.

Over the course of the project various vessels were used for mobilisation out of Aberdeen, and all operations were conducted with zero incidents, accidents or near misses. Client objectives were fully met, with very high rates of data return achieved.

MSI has again proved that the distance between our offices and the work location is no barrier in the successful execution of projects around the world. Careful project management coupled with extensive global experience ensures that all of our projects are run as efficiently as if they were in our own backyard. This approach has helped MSI successfully operate now in 30 different countries since inception in 2003. Full Story

MSI Completes 200,000km 12 month Marathon

MSI has just completed 12 months on the road attending 5 major international trade shows – the most in a single year since our formation 8 years ago.

Starting in March 2010, representatives from both the South African and Australian offices attended Oceanology 2010 in London and Australasian Oil and Gas 2010 in Perth. In June, staff from the Australian office were joined by Frank Johnson (RBR) and Tony Chedrawy (MetOcean) at the IEEE Oceans Conference and Exhibition held in Sydney.

In November, MSI joined 5 other Tasmanian based Australian companies involved in Oil and Gas industry, as part of the Austrade delegation exhibiting at Oil South East Asia 2010 (OSEA2010) in Singapore. before capping off the 12 months at Australasian Oil and Gas 2011 back in Perth.

Our staff travelled 200,998km over this 12 month period in order to attend these shows and be able to meet new and existing clients around the globe. Read full details of the last 12 months.

MSI Purchases AXYS WatchMate™ For Long Term Contract

MSI is pleased to announce that it has recently ordered an AXYS WatchMate™, an oceanographic and meteorological data collection buoy, to support a long term contract it has been awarded. The AXYS WatchMate™ buoy will be added to MSI's extensive equipment pool and will be initially used to provide meteorological and oceanographic data to MSI in a project for a major international oil company. It will be deployed in 1,000m of water alongside a deepwater subsurface mooring providing a through column current profile.

The 1.8m WatchMate™ buoy is a rugged, lightweight environmental monitoring buoy that maintains the requirements of a navigational aid. The solar and battery powered buoy is configured with an extensive range of environmental monitoring sensors, including directional waves, ocean currents, air temperature, humidity, wind speed & direction, and barometric pressure.

Data from the buoy is collected by AXYS' proprietary onboard WatchMan500 data acquisition system and will be transmitted to the MSI data centre at its offices in Cape Town, RSA using Iridium satellite telemetry. MSI personnel will access buoy information and environmental data at their Cape Town office using AXYS' Data Management System (DMS) software, as well as via the web using the DMS web display interface SmartWeb. Using the two-way communication Iridium telemetry option, the DMS software is capable of remotely re-configuring specific parameters on the buoy such as sensor sampling periods.

As well as being a major offshore consulting company, MSI is the AXYS Australian representative and therefore the purchase of this system reinforces MSI's ability to offer advice and support to their existing and potential AXYS clients throughout Australia. This new order is in addition to recent deliveries to Australia including AXYS TRIAXYS wave buoys and, most recently, the delivery in January of an AXYS HydroLevel Mini. Full Story including pictures from the build.

MSI Contract In Uganda Extended

MSI is pleased to announce that it’s contract with Tullow Oil in Uganda has been extended for another year.

In April 2007 MSI supplied and installed a Nortek acoustic wave and current gauge (AWAC) for current, water level and wave measurements in Lake Albert, as well as a Campbell Scientific weather station (original story). The data was used as part of input into initial engineering design for development of oil reserves. Later that year an additional weather station was added, with engineering design being updated on a regular basis by RLH Consulting Engineers.

In mid 2009 the Nortek AWAC was upgraded by fitting it with an internal wave processor and pair of Benthos acoustic modems, so that local Tullow staff could check that it was still on location and recording data correctly. Around the same time, 2 additional weather stations were installed by the client.

In late 2009 the measurement programme was expanded to include the deployment of 3 RBR tide and wave recorders, as well as an RBR tide gauge. The ongoing contract requires MSI to manage the entire metocean data collection programme, including regular recovery of the equipment, servicing, redeployment, data processing and provision of all required spares and consumables. This is achieved through regular visits to Lake Albert by our engineers, with data processing and reporting conducted by our office in Cape Town. Data is also provided in export format to RLH Consulting Engineers for update of the engineering design conditions. Full Story.

MSI Completes Successful Project in Sierra Leone

MSI is pleased to announce the successful completion of an intensive metocean measurement programme in Sierra Leone. The project was undertaken for African Minerals Limited (AML) on behalf of WorleyParsons in Australia. AML is developing a new iron ore mine at Tonkolili, Sierra Leone and the project is planned to ultimately produce 45 Mt/year of iron ore. As part of this project, it is proposed to develop a new deepwater iron ore export port and associated infrastructure at Tagrin Point and upgrade existing facilities at Pepel in the Sierra Leone River Estuary. As metocean conditions (tides, currents, waves, sediment transport) in the estuary are poorly understood, metocean studies of the area are required to support the development of the port.

WorleyParsons conducted a dry season metocean data collection program in the estuary between February and June 2010. This program included 12 moorings throughout the estuary and offshore, measuring tides, currents, waves, water quality and sediment transport. Discharge measurements using a vessel mounted ACDP, bathymetric survey and water quality profiles were also conducted.

Information gained in the dry season program was used to construct and calibrate hydrodynamic, wave and sediment transport models of the estuary. However, significantly different conditions were expected to occur in the wet season (June to Oct) with decreased salinity increased currents and discharges, so a second wet season program was needed.

MSI was the contractor appointed to undertake the wet season data collection programme and with offices in both Australia and South Africa, liaison between the client’s project manager in Australia and MSI’s field team in Sierra Leone was easy.

Despite the significant challenges of the project, particularly fishing activity which resulted in one of the frames being dragged 400m and 4km on subsequent occasions, no equipment was lost and we collected the required data resulting in another very happy client. Full Story.

Metocean Services International - Global Providers of Meteorolgical & Oceanographic Services in 30 Countries (and counting)