Unocal Pipeline Study, Makassar Strait, Indonesia
November 2003 to December 2004
Ocean Ocean Data Technologies agreed to provide Unocal Corporation observations of near-bottom currents along a proposed pipeline route. The pipeline route runs from shallow coastal regions (less than 50 meters deep) to deepwater (680 meters deep). The slope region was populated by steep canyons, relict coral reefs, and varying sediment types. Ocean Data’s goal was to provide measurements of current variability within the bottom shear layer to assist with pipeline design and construction. Three (3) mooring systems were designed and installed at selected milestones along the proposed route. One system was installed in relatively deep water (680 meters), with the remaining two systems installed in 450 meters and 300 meters water depths, respectively. All three moorings returned 100% data during the 386-day deployment period. The measurements were of high quality, and provide additional insight into circulation patterns along the (steep) continental slope and shelf regions. These data were used to develop extreme current estimates for 10-, 50-, and 100-year return periods.
Ocean Data Technologies, Inc.