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   Lori D'Angelo

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   OEMM Web Team

MMS has had a cooperative agreement with the Offshore Technology Research Center (OTRC) since June 1999. The purpose of this agreement between the MMS and OTRC/Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) is to conduct research and assessments that promote the development of deep water oil and gas resources in a safe and environmentally sound manner and to facilitate the development of technologies for the efficient and pollution free development of deep water oil and gas resources. The mission of the OTRC is to develop knowledge through an academic and research program focused on problems related to the economical exploration and development of deep water resources. The agreement emphasizes all aspects of deep water activities to include issues relative to seabed soils, materials, structural integrity, risk and reliability methods, fluid-structure interaction and pipelines.

The OTRC also operates a unique model testing basin at its headquarters in College Station that has enabled OTRC to become a world leader for offshore technology, education, research, and testing. The wave basin has played a vital role in support of OTRC's endeavor to help U.S. oil producers reach new depths in the Gulf of Mexico's deepwater frontier. Most of the deepwater structures planned or installed in the Gulf of Mexico have been tested in the OTRC model wave basin. The OTRC model basin is capable of large scale simulations of the effects of wind, waves, and currents on fixed, floating and moored floating structures.

The wave basin is 150 ft long and 100 ft wide, with a depth of 19 ft. The pit located in the center of the basin has a depth of 55 ft. With 48 individual controlled paddles, the wavemaker can generate a variety of wave conditions, including unidirectional and multidirectional regular and irregular (random) waves. Sixteen dynamically controlled fans can generate prescribed gusty wind conditions from any direction. A modular current generation system consisting of banks of submerged jets can generate sheared current profiles from any direction. The data acquisition system can record up to 96 channels of information.

More information about OTRC can be found at http://otrc.tamu.edu/index.htm.

A complete listing of MMS projects conducted by OTRC can be found below.  More information on each project can be found by double-clicking on the project number.
 

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Last Updated: 08/08/2008, 01:29 PM