Ocean Data Gathering Program - Quality and Reduction of Data
Authors: Hamilton R.C. , Ward E.G. 
Published: December 2007

Data collected from six offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico from 1968 to 1971 during the Ocean Data Gathering Program are probably the most complete set of wind and wave measurements available off the Louisiana coast. The data and their quality, calibration, and usability, are discussed with an eye toward familiarizing the potential user with the possibilities of the system.

Introduction

In 1968, eight oil companies began collecting oceanographic and meteorological data in the Gulf of Mexico. This program was called the Ocean Data Gathering Program (ODGP). It was sponsored by Shell Development Co., Amoco Production Co., Chevron oil Co., Exxon Co. Production Co., Chevron oil Co., Exxon Co. U.S.A., Mobil Oil Corp., Gulf Oil Corp Texaco Inc., and the CAGC Marine Region. Shell was the program administrator. The design, fabrication, installation, maintenance, and operation of the instrumentation was contracted to the Baylor Co. of Houston. Baylor also was responsible for reporting on the data obtained and for analyzing data collected during significant storms.

The ODGP obtained data for 31 months between Oct. 1968 and Nov. 1971. The basic program has been described by Patterson, Ives and Ward. Data on wave heights, wind speed and direction, and barometric pressure were recorded continuously from six offshore pressure were recorded continuously from six offshore oilproduction platforms along the Louisiana coast. Data were obtained during major storms and under more nominal conditions. The locations of the six stations and the tracks of the major storms that occurred during the ODGP are shown in Fig. 1.

Although many problems were encountered, the ODGP was a successful program that gathered the most complete set of wind, wave, and barometric-pressure data collected to date in the Gulf of Mexico. These data include one of the more extensive sets of severe seastate data available. Some examples of future uses of the ODGP include studies involving the hindcasting of hurricane winds and waves, probabilistic descriptions of characteristics of extreme waves, wave spectra, storm surge, and the persistence of nominal wind and wave conditions in the Gulf. Refs. 4 through 9 deal with some of these examples.

The data obtained by the ODGP are available to the public. The purpose of this paper is to provide public. The purpose of this paper is to provide information of interest to potential users of these data. The data obtained, the instrumentation used, and the accuracy, quality, calibration, and format of these data are described. Specific details are summarized for one of the six ODGP stations (Station 5). Ref. 10 presents more complete details for all six stations.

Instrumentation

One of the objectives of this paper is to give the potential data user a basic understanding of the potential data user a basic understanding of the instrumentation used to measure the data. For this reason, the auxiliary equipment is not discussed. The stations' power systems and the instruments used to measure and to record the data are described briefly.

Power Systems Power Systems The instrumentation for each station had to be completely self-contained, with the exception that platform power could be used if available, provided platform power could be used if available, provided that 100 hours of standby operation were available from standby batteries. Five stations were able to use platform power while the sixth had to provide its own power source. Three basic power systems were used on the ODGP stations.

JPT

P. 337