Challenging currents in Tanzania

Equipment will be mobilised in September and remain deployed for 15 months. This project win realises RPS MetOcean’s plan to geographically diversify and decrease our dependence on local markets. The contract was won on the back of a strong technical proposal at competitive tender against other oceanographic companies that were already operating in East Africa.

This is the second major contract with Statoil, as we are currently four months in to a year-long survey on a pipeline route between Italy and Albania.

RPS Evans Hamilton International (EHI) has been assisting RPS MetOcean with the contract in Italy and with acquiring some of the specialised equipment required for Tanzania. EHI and MetOcean are both meteorological and oceanographic specialist companies looking for opportunities to work together and leverage intellectual property.

The contract represents significant technical challenges as the Agulhas Current (western boundary current of the southwest Indian Ocean) causes some of the strongest deep water currents in the world. Surface currents are expected to reach 1.8 m/s (3.5 kts) at the 2600m deep site. Accumulated drag on mooring lines through the water column makes mooring designs challenging.