EC Project: System of Industry Metocean data for the Offshore and Research Communities (SIMORC).

Abstract

Metocean in situ data are an important category of oceanographic and marine data, comprising observed parameters like sea level, waves, currents, sea temperature, conductivity, air temperature, air pressure, and wind. A very substantial volume of metocean in situ data is collected by or under contract to major oil & gas companies. This is done all over the world and over many years a large volume of data sets has been acquired, often at substantial cost. These data are currently managed by the metocean departments of the oil & gas companies and stored in various formats. They are exchanged on a limited scale between the oil & gas companies. Despite various industry co-operative joint projects, there is not yet a common awareness of available data sets and no systematic indexing and archival of these data sets within the industry. Furthermore there is only limited reporting about, and access to these data sets & results of field studies for other parties, in particular the scientific community. Opening up these data sets will provide favourable conditions for creating highly valuable extra knowledge of both local and regional ocean & marine systems.