The 14th Symposium on Waves, Tides, Ocean Engineering and Satellite Oceanography (OMARSAT) was held online between December 8 and 10, bringing together researchers, specialists, professionals and students in the fields of oceanography, ocean engineering and satellite oceanography. It was organized by the Admiral Paulo Moreira Institute for Sea Studies (IEAPM), part of the Brazilian Navy’s Rio de Janeiro Division. OMARSAT is considered one of the main events in physical oceanography in Brazil.
On the second day of the symposium sponsored by OceanPact, oceanographer Fernando Barreto presented the CRONOS Platform in his talk, titled “Using Meteorological and Oceanographic Data to Support Operations in the Offshore Oil and Gas Sector.” He explained how the data collected by the platform and its high-definition maps can be used by companies doing business and operating at sea.
Barreto, a numerical modeling specialist at OceanPact, explained that CRONOS generates computer models based on the company’s high-frequency radar system, which consists of three stations, in Itaipuaçu, Cabo Frio and São Tomé, all on the coast of Rio de Janeiro State. “We also use oceanic and atmospheric circulation remote sensing data. These maps are very important during maritime search and rescue operations,” he said.
He also said that the generation of operational bulletins is one of the main applications of the CRONOS Platform. Maps are sent daily to the company’s entire fleet, made up of 34 vessels, containing up-to-date information on winds, currents and waves. The main focus of the bulletins is on the Campos and Santos basins. “All this data allows us to calculate operational limits and time windows to perform various services at sea safely, including the use of remotely operated vehicles. The system is also widely used for oil spill modeling in emergencies and for environmental studies,” he explained.
At the end of his presentation at OMARSAT, Barreto revealed a new solution that OceanPact has developed, as a navigation company that invests in innovation: Weather Routing, an intelligent navigator that traces the limits of a given operation according to the parameters established by its users. Based on maps of currents, winds and waves, among other parameters, the navigator is able to plot the best route for a vessel to safely and quickly cross the ocean.