Lighthouse R&D Enterprises, Inc. has a global initiative to identify and study oceanographic phenomena. Our association with a consortium of oil and gas companies specifically formed to address the issues surrounding deepwater field development (Deepstar) taught us the need for identifying the metocean conditions as a first phase of any program in the maritime industry.

Of particular concern in many regions are the deepwater currents which are variable in speed, direction, depth and time. For example, currents have caused millions of dollars in drilling delays and equipment damage in the oil and gas industry; however, they are often poorly understood and studied. In response, Lighthouse initiated L.O.R.I. (Lighthouse Ocean Research Initiative) to expand regional oceanographic knowledge for the maritime community.

Another part of the objective of L.O.R.I. is to use this oceanographic knowledge to help mitigate the impact of oil spills. To accomplish this, it is imperative to study the environmental conditions within the area including currents through the water column, water temperature and density etc. throughout the year, and have the appropriate resources in place to interpret the data and update an environmental database. By taking this "first phase" information and analyzing it on a real-time basis we can begin to accurately predict spill behavior in shallow and deep water utilizing full water column current models.