BMT Argoss has recently completed an assessment of metocean conditions to support Energean’s Prinos and Epsilon oil field developments in the Gulf of Kavala.
Located in the Prinos-Kavala basin, situated northwest of the island of Thassos and some 18km south of mainland northern Greece, the Prinos oil field is the main structure with Epsilon a satellite field. BMT was tasked with providing a comprehensive report on the local metocean conditions including wind, waves and current.
Ian Wade, senior metocean advisor at BMT explains: “The location presented a number of interesting challenges with regard to quantifying the wave climate in particular. To provide an accurate representation of the wave conditions at the Kavala study site, we had to carry out several levels of analysis utilising our Mediterranean wave hindcast, satellite altimetry, as well as wave buoy statistics from a location between the Mount Athos peninsula and the island of Limnos.
This data allowed us to verify the performance of the wave model at that specific location and provide suitable calibrations against satellite altimeter data, without compromising results due to coastal effects. Subsequent wave transforms to the location of interest were then possible, via our spectral wave ray tracing approach.”
With extensive experience of developing, maintaining and operating sophisticated numerical metocean models covering local, regional and global conditions, BMT recognises the multiple methods that need to be employed to obtain accurate metocean criteria at a given study site.
Wade continues: “Model simulations (hindcasts or forecasts) of metocean conditions have, for many years, been one of the main assets in our arsenal of tools with which to quantify key phenomena. However, all models have their limitations, and it is vitally important that we understand these and correct them or militate against them wherever possible.”
