E-Newsletter Category Archives
New Technology Clearly Shows Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill on Coastal Marshes
TTI Exploration, a privately held geosciences technology company based in Houston, has announced that it has successfully completed preliminary processing and analysis related to a subset of its Operation GulfSCAN NRM™ data set. Between May 1st and July 30th 2010, the survey acquired ultra high-resolution data over approximately 29,000 square kilometers of very sensitive marsh areas of the Gulf Coast, including Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. New time-lapse images, produced from data collected by high-tech airborne sensors and TTI’s scientific team on the ground, show the condition of the habitat. The data measures the habitat before the oil and dispersant washed ashore several months ago compared with recent images collected after it has been exposed to the contaminants over an extended period of time.
“Even where oil is not visible, our technology can show where plant life has been affected by the recent oil spill. Indeed, much of the spill’s impact may not be visible to the naked eye.”
Dr. Alfredo Prelat, TTI’s chief scientist, said, “Even where oil is not visible, our technology can show where plant life has been affected by the recent oil spill. Indeed, much of the spill’s impact may not be visible to the naked eye.” Images of the area studied are available on TTI’s website at (http://www.ttiexploration.com/gulfscan/time-lapse).
The imaging data for this time-lapse subset was initially acquired on May 21, 2010 and then re-flown on July 17, 2010 and shows the change in the habitat after approximately 2 months. TTI plans to fly additional time-lapse surveys chronicling the evolving health of the Gulf Coast’s ecosystems.
Jim Hollis, President and CEO of TTI Exploration, commented, "An objective, scientific analysis of 'Before' and 'After' NRM data can confirm the true health of the Gulf Coast’s ecosystems. Over the long-term, we expect to acquire additional data over those areas most affected by the oil spill and provide an accurate assessment of the ultimate impact on the habitat.”
Dr. John Day, an environmental scientist with Louisiana State University and a consultant to TTI said, "It is clearly premature to come to any conclusions about the long-term impact of the oil spill. Even if marsh grass is observed re-growing, it is clearly less than it would have been. To determine the full effects of the spill, more studies and measurements of vegetation health will be needed, including photosynthesis measurements, changes in above and below ground biomass and decomposition through the next growing season.”
Hollis added, "We will be working closely with Dr. Day to integrate his field sampling efforts into our NRM data set for Operation GulfSCAN in order to establish the most comprehensive, large-scale environmental assessment along the Gulf Coast. We believe the Operation GulfSCAN data set is the objective gold standard for measuring the impact this oil spill is having on the habitat.” www.ttiexploration.com
Troubled Waters: Massive Coral Bleaching in Indonesia
A dramatic rise in the surface temperature of Indonesian waters has resulted in a large-scale bleaching event that has devastated local coral populations. Following a report of a bleaching incident in May, WCS-Indonesia dispatched a “Rapid Response Unit” of marine biologists to investigate. Their initial survey revealed that over 60 percent of corals have bleached. The incident took place in the province of Aceh, on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra.
Coral “bleaching,” or whitening, occurs when algae living within coral tissues are expelled. The condition results from stress triggered by environmental factors such as sea surface temperature fluctuations. Some bleached corals may recover over time, while others die.
Subsequent monitoring conducted by marine ecologists from WCS, James Cook University in Australia, and Syiah Kuala University in Indonesia were completed in early August. The rate and extent of the coral mortality exceeds that of most other bleachings on record.
The scientists found that 80 percent of some species have died since the initial assessment and more colonies are expected to die within the next few months.
Sea surface temperatures in the Andaman Sea—an area that includes the coasts of Myanmar, Thailand, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and northwestern Indonesia—have been on the rise. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Hotspots website, temperatures in the region peaked in late May, when the temperature reached 34 degrees Celsius. This represents a dramatic 4-degree rise over the long-term averages for the area.
“It’s a disappointing development, particularly in light of the fact that these same corals proved resilient to other disruptions to this ecosystem, including the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004,” said WCS-Indonesia Marine Program Director Dr. Stuart Campbell.
WCS and JCU have been working in the region since March 2005.
Surveys conducted in the wake of the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 revealed that the many reefs of Aceh were largely unaffected by this massive disturbance. Indeed, reefs severely damaged by poor land use and destructive fishing prior to the tsunami had recovered dramatically in the intervening years due to improved management by local governments and communities.
But the recent bleaching and mortality will have a profound effect on reef fisheries.
Of particular concern is the scale of the sea surface temperature anomaly, which the NOAA website indicates has affected the entire Andaman Sea and beyond. Similar mass bleaching events in 2010 have now been recorded in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and many parts of Indonesia.
“This is a tragedy not only for some of the world’s most biodiverse coral reefs, but also for people in the region, many of whom are extremely impoverished and depend on these reefs for their food and livelihoods,” said WCS-Marine Program Director Dr. Caleb McClennen. “It is another unfortunate reminder that international efforts to curb the causes and effects of climate change must be made if these sensitive ecosystems and the vulnerable human communities around the world that depend on them are to adapt and endure.”
www.wcs.org
Largest Ocean Energy Device Ever Installed in US Waters Generates Electricity at Design Capacity
The system’s core component, the proprietary Turbine Generator Unit, or TGU, is deployed below ORPC’s world-class research and testing vessel, the Energy Tide 2, and has a maximum design capacity of 60 kilowatts. Performance test results show that the TGU’s electrical output meets or exceeds expectations for the full range of current velocities encountered. ORPC will use the data obtained from the Beta Power System to fine tune the design of its commercial TidGen™ Power System, planned for installation in Eastport in late 2011. The TidGen™ Power System will be connected to the New England grid through the Bangor Hydro Electric Company system, and will generate enough electricity to power 50 to 75 homes.
“Proving the efficacy of the Beta Power System and its ability to generate grid-compatible power day in and day out is a huge milestone for America’s ocean energy industry,” said Chris Sauer, president and CEO of ORPC. “It reaffirms the limitless opportunities to advance the nation’s renewable energy agenda and ensure a more sustainable future.” Tidal energy has the potential to be a billion dollar industry in Maine within the next seven to ten years, creating hundreds of jobs.
The bodies of water around Eastport have some of the most robust tidal currents in the world, and through ORPC’s testing activities over the last three years, Eastport has become known as the Kitty Hawk of tidal energy.
ORPC’s Beta Power System incorporates significant new advancements and technological innovations. These include the TGU’s proprietary advanced design cross-flow turbines, engineered with 100 percent composite materials, its permanent magnet generator, a
Through its three-year partnership with the University of Maine, ORPC is also setting the standard for environmental monitoring of ocean energy systems with a program to observe the marine environment around the Beta Power System. UMaine researchers, led by Gayle Zydlewski, Ph.D., are supervising the program, which incorporates state-of-the-art visual and acoustic monitoring technology. Data collected will allow UMaine and ORPC to better understand and help minimize any potential interaction between ORPC’s technology and marine life. “Development of alternative energy sources must consider the natural environment. We take this very seriously, and we are working closely with ORPC to understand the dynamics of the marine life where tidal power will be generated,” said Dr. Zydlewski.
Over the next two months, ORPC will also be demonstrating how tidal energy can be delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard for use at its Eastport station through a battery electrical supply system that is charged aboard the Energy Tide 2. This is the first application of tidal energy by a federal agency. “The Coast Guard in Maine encounters the power of the elements on a daily basis. Capturing some of these sustainable forces to help achieve our energy needs is a prudent and responsible thing to do. We are extremely pleased to be a part of ORPC's exciting initiative to harness tidal energy at Station Eastport," said Captain James McPherson, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector in Northern New England.
The company holds FERC preliminary permits and is in the process of obtaining FERC pilot project licenses for tidal energy sites in Maine and Alaska, which have been designated world-class tidal resources by the World Energy Congress. ORPC’s community outreach efforts in Eastport have been cited as the model for ocean energy development by the Governor of Maine’s Ocean Energy Task Force. ORPC’s work is funded in part by Maine Technology Institute and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Horizon Marine, Inc. Provides Fine-Scale Ocean Current Data for Eddy Franklin and Seismic Testing at the Macondo Well Site
Ever since the explosion and subsequent sinking of the Deepwater Horizon, BP and the federal government have been concerned with potential pathways for oil to migrate to the far field. In support of the environmental monitoring efforts, Horizon Marine deployed drifting GPS buoys and its ‘FAST Eddy’ ocean current surveying system mounted on Tidewater’s War Admiral. The system was deployed to monitor the location and migration pattern of Eddy Franklin (Horizon Marine has been naming Gulf of Mexico eddies since 1984) by measuring ocean current speed and direction in real time from just below the keel of the vessel to 550m below the sea surface.
NOAA’s Emergency Response Division’s Technical Services Branch Chief Debbie Payton said, “Having the FAST Eddy vessel constantly monitoring the location of the Loop Current and nearby features provided critical and timely information for our forecasters. The FAST Eddy crew also provided qualitative assessments when they saw or smelled oil, which was useful for spot checks on what we were forecasting.”
David Driver, BP’s Metocean Technical Authority for the Gulf of Mexico, praised Horizon Marine by saying, “I couldn’t be happier with the work that FAST Eddy has done in monitoring the Loop Current, Eddy Franklin, and the general nature of the currents in the MC 252 vicinity. The response was quick and the data was crucial in determining the potential for oil getting caught up in the Loop and possibly exiting the Gulf.”
As BP gained control of the well, concerns over the integrity of the Macondo well required the seismic survey vessel Geco Topaz to tow a 2.5km long cable through a 400m wide corridor between the congested field of drilling rigs and support vessels. The cable (known as a ‘streamer’) is sensitive to the influence of currents and could easily become entangled with vessels in the field. By knowing the direction and intensity of the surface currents, technicians aboard the Geco Topaz were able to ‘feather’ the streamer to fly over the wellhead and make measurements to confirm the integrity of the well. FAST Eddy continues to monitor ocean currents in the region, and these data are being used to assist with ongoing current-sensitive operations at the wellhead.
For the past 26 years, Horizon Marine has been providing the oil and gas industry with situational awareness of ocean currents in the Gulf of Mexico through their Eddy Watchtm program. This unique service utilizes both public and proprietary data to assist the offshore oil and gas industry in managing their assets in relation to strong ocean currents associated with the Loop Current and Loop Current eddies.
For additional information on Horizon Marine, please contact Patrice Coholan or visit www.horizonmarine.com.
Trelleborg Supports World's First Full Scale Floating Wind Turbine
Statoil’s innovative new offshore floating Hywind wind turbine, now successfully moored in the North Sea off the Norwegian coast, is demonstrating how Trelleborg Offshore’s syntactic foam buoyancy technology is contributing to the future of offshore power generation.
“It is subsea technology that has already been extensively proven,” commented Gary Howland, Renewables Sales Manager for Trelleborg Offshore. “Trelleborg Distributed Buoyancy Modules (DBMs) developed for deepwater support of umbilicals and risers in the oil and gas industry are ideal for this application; helping reduce project risk by using proven technology.
“People see the tower and turbine, but forget that the expertise in designing the subsea portion is also critical, as ultimately it keeps the whole turbine afloat. The dynamic floating structure weighs 5,300 tons and is 165 metres tall; with a total of 65 metres above sea surface. The 13km of power offtake and communications cabling attached to the structure further adds to its weight.
“It’s like the proverbial iceberg; the mass floating below the surface ensures stability. Unless the weight is supported by properly designed buoyancy the whole structure would be much less able to resist the extremes of the offshore environment and the cable could suffer premature damage.”
For Hywind, Trelleborg Offshore designed and supplied 45 off polymer-coated syntactic foam DBMs which supply buoyancy support for a 3 ton, 100 meter section of cable as it exits the turbine spar and descends to the sea bed at -220 meters. The buoyancy modules include an internal clamp for secure fastening and precise positioning on the cable. The cable is supported mid-water in what is known as a ‘Lazy Wave’ configuration, featuring gentle long radius curves that minimise stress on the cable while accommodating natural movement created by wind and waves.
Howland continued: “For optimum buoyancy under different sea conditions, the precise position of the buoyancy modules on the cable is pre-calculated. The positions must be maintained, despite stresses during launch and in operation. The clamp is crucial; the design, material selection and manufacturing technique are critical in ensuring the finished clamp maintains the buoyancy module position, during cable contraction and expansion, over the 20 year lifetime of the project.
“Trelleborg Offshore has substantial expertise in operating in deep water marine and subsea environments, and a track record acknowledged by leading offshore engineering companies all around the world. The company has significant experience in the supply of DBMs, within excess of 35,000 modules in service, which will be invaluable in the rapid establishment of the far offshore renewables industry.
“We have seen many of the technical challenges before, in the offshore oil & gas arena, so our engineers can quickly and easily adapt proven solutions for use in offshore wind power generation. This will greatly reduce project risk and make development of the industry far quicker and less costly.”
www.trelleborg.com/offshore.
More Articles...
Page 1 of 49
«StartPrev12345678910NextEnd»
