Industry body Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) says weather reports from more than 100 North Sea platforms are helping helicopter pilots to fly as safely as possible.
The Helimet network became fully operational on November 1, 2011, the result of a partnership between helicopter operators and oil and gas firms.
OGUK said yesterday that the technology was helping forecasters to predict and analyse weather patterns more accurately, and producing tailored advice for companies transporting workers to and from oil and gas installations.
Robert Paterson, the organisation’s health and safety director, added: “This collaboration is a great example of how cutting-edge data technology driven by the oil and gas industry can be of great value to other areas.
“The safety of the offshore workforce is the absolute priority for the oil and gas industry. Up-to-date and accurate weather forecasting allows the managers of installations in the North Sea to operate in a safe environment and the helicopter pilots to fly as safely as possible.”
Helimet costs about £150,000 a year to run and is funded by the oil and gas industry through OGUK. It uses a network of automated weather stations located on offshore oil and gas platforms and mobile installations.
They provide detailed reports of cloud, visibility and weather, and in some cases information about wave conditions.
Met Office meteorological and oceanographic adviser John Mitchell said Helimet data was already making a significant contribution to experts’ ability to monitor and provide accurate weather advice.
He added: “Accurate guidance is critical to the safe and efficient operation of not only the oil and gas industry but also offshore renewables, shipping and aviation activity.
“In addition, coastal communities will bene-fit through the more accurate analysis of wave activity and potentially damaging surge events, as recently experienced along the east coast of England.”
CHC Helicopter, one of three firms operating crew flights in the North Sea, said tracking and evaluating weather was critical to its daily operations.
Jon Hopkinson, CHC regional flight operations manager, added: “This system provides up-to-the-minute weather data.
“This analysis is an important part of the thorough flight planning each pilot does before every flight across all of our UK operations.”
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