Weather risk management in marine survey campaigns for the offshore investment projects in the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone

Abstract

Weather is a crucial factor and the most unpredictable of all the factors determining success or failure of any offshore activity, such as investments in seabottom grid connectors (gas, energy or communication), oil & gas drilling facilities development as well as erection of offshore wind farms. Weather conditions cannot be foreseen accurately over a time horizon longer than a few days, and so arranging a realistic work schedule for such an enterprise poses a great challenge. This paper identifies and analyzes the greatest risks associated with weather conditions at sea. The importance and impact of weather on the project implementation were assessed and mitigating measures were proposed. As part of the work, a review of scientific literature was conducted, while the core conclusions were reached using the information-gathering techniques and a documentation review of the offshore projects implemented in cooperation with the Maritime Institute. The authors based their analysis on experience from survey campaigns conducted in the Baltic Sea in the areas of the investments planned for implementation. The analysis of risks associated with weather conditions is based on the statistical weather data obtained using the WAM4 model.The research reveals that it is impossible to create an accurate survey schedule for long-term offshore projects, however, using statistics for each individual hydrodynamic parameter can, to some extent, facilitate the creation of survey schedules for maritime projects.

Many faces of survey equipment failures during marine research at sea—Risk analysis

“…Such analysis also requires an interdisciplinary approach, according to Edwards [ 54 ] three levels: physical roots, human roots and latent roots (procedural, organizational in nature, environmental or other beyond the realm of control). Among the risks associated with the forces of nature, in the case of offshore works, weather is the greatest [ 11 ]. According to our survey, sudden change of weather conditions was indicated by 42.1% of our respondents as the most common force of nature contributing to equipment failures.…”

“…What’s more, equipment performance efficiency depends on the ever-changing sea conditions and weather conditions that influence sensitivity of the equipment and vessels [ 8 ] as well as location at a distance from the coast [ 9 ]. The success of offshore projects depends on many factors [ 10 , 11 ], also on the efficient conduct of planned survey campaigns.…”