Assessment of Wind Energy in the United States Gulf of Mexico Area as Power Supply for Offshore Oil Platforms
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AbstractOffshore oil and gas platforms operate under independent power systems, using Gas Turbines (GT) to generate the required electricity. However, the nature of offshore operations causes GT to operate at 30% efficiency, which is low when compared with overall normal average efficiency of 55% for combined cycle gas power plants. This increases fuel consumption and the emission of air pollutants, among other disadvantages. The issue can be ameliorated by integrating the system to the onshore grid and to a wind energy system, supplemented with an energy storage component. This research developed a new methodology to evaluate the integration of offshore oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico to a hybrid electrical system of wind energy, battery components and interconnection to onshore electrical grid to improve its performance. The objectives included improving overall electric generation efficiency, decreasing both fuel consumption and air pollutant emissions and potentially increasing income by selling surplus energy from renewable sources. Geographic Information System (GIS) and Big Data analyses were applied to data generated by the NOAA's WaveWatch III to calculate offshore wind energy for assessment for use on more than 4,000 offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico from data provided by the USGS CMGP, while simultaneously evaluating interconnection feasibility with the onshore grid. The results for the distance analysis were favorable, considering the criteria expressed by previous research. Wind energy assessment revealed a seasonal behavior, with each month showing distinctive power outputs. High power levels were obtained from November to April while overall low power levels were observed from June to August. However most of the 4,000 platforms produced wind power levels above the commercial threshold and an important percentage of the locations produced power levels above capacity factor thresholds that made them exceptionally productive. Overall results indicated that all the locations were within accepted feasible distance from the coast and most of them had acceptable wind energy levels. The proposed GIS methodology can be applied for individual projects, with specific spatial and time resolution. The results of these studies can assist stakeholders on decision making processes of offshore projects.
